New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-10-02
Republican Party vindlca.ed.
speech Delivered by Prof. }. NJ. Languop
az Gresnh'id and ChiIiisothe, Ohio. on the
ard and 23d OF september, 1919.

feltOtr-ctizens If The State Of Ohio.
am by no means insensible of the fact
that ! stand now before an assembly com.
posed mainly of earnest. intelligent and con.
sc:en;Ious persons. who are determined,
wisely, If possible, 10 discover and, having
discovered, to perform, their duty to the State.
Nor am ! insensibic OF the responsibility
which | assume in undertaking to address
you on this occasion, and at thi, time, in the
m'd>t II a political campaign, when the claims
o! rival parties demand your attention and
careful consideration. Like yourselves,
owc duty TO the state, FOR, like you, bear
the burdens Of citizenship, and, like you, in
the paNnCnt ufthe debt ol allegiance, charged
against, and to be met by US all. by no
means discover honesty, nor the liberality
winch true citizen would always cultivate,
should 1 do Otherwise, in nv attempts to
interest aud cdity you, than cultivate those
words which are dictated by truth and patri-
o,.c sincerity.
WHAT THE PARTY HAS ACCOMPLISHED
propose this day to speak, briefly, in
viad'caupn Of the great national Republican
party. And that | may do Justice to this
organization, a. nearly rs possible, in the
very short tin allowed me, / shall inquire,
first, ichdt has ?" pHIfy accomplished? If a
concise, and yet mprch"nsiye answer be
made 10 this question, it is that it has saved
American liberty itself, and SO established
about our freedom guards and guarantees
that free institutions in our land can never
again be endangered by threat or encroaclI.
ment, by slavcholdIng olgarchy, or despotic
party SWAY, in behalf Of sectional interest,
or under the influence of erroneous and mis-
taken constitutional doctrine. But t. am
pity this answer, and to make il more lucid,
and perhaps more easy of apprehension, il
may be wise, travelling back some what in the
history OF our nation, that we call TO mind.
that as late the 18th day of March, 1861
twelve years ago, when Abraham Lincoln
was inaugurated President of the United
States, elected to the highest position within
the git OF our feiiow-cltizens, upon the Re-
publican vote of the country, American
Liberty itself was wel!ngh gone for free
thought, free speech, and the right OF loco
motion, even as these pcrtained to our white
lellow-cltizcns, had been stricken down and
destroyed, al the Bcheat and in the interest
OF the slave power, then dominant and
despotic in the country. Twelve years and
six months only have passed away. The
forces OF the enemy have been gathered met
and utterly overthrow, the slave olgarchy
crushed, and the slave power broken, and it, in
huence anuihiated. In the victories achieved
by the Union army, in the mig hty wars waged
dom, our brave and self-sacriicng soldiers
have no more endeared their memories to the
hearts OF their loyal felloW-citizens than
written their names in their brilliant and
glorious achievements upon the dcathless
scroll Of fame. And il is because we appre-
cate our national lille, because We love our
national freedom, and would perpetuatc its
blessings to all the children of our posterity,
that with each returning May we cover their
graves with sweet-scented and beautiful
flowers, while We weep tears of gratitude and
utter CALCULATIONS o.. thanktulness. Our bat
tie has been fought; our red, bloody sea
has been crossed, and the song of redeemed
millions, to the honor and glory Of Him who
gave US the victory, has been sung. Cur
words too have been, and Justly, Il will sing
unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed glori-
ously; the horse and his rider hath He thrown
unto the sea. The Lord is my strength and
song, and He is become my salvation. He
is my God, and will prepare Him an habita-
ton my fathers God, and will eXalt Him.
The Lord is man of war; the Lord is His
name.o
The first great thing, then, that the Rcpub-
lican party has accomplished is the manten-
ance of our national life, aud the overthrow
OF slavery and the slave power Of the coun-
try, and thus saved, and, as we trust, per-
petuated, American freedom.
In the second place, the Republican party
has established, by amendment of the Con-
stituton, correct legal doctrines with regard
10 liberty, citizenship, and the equal exercise
Of poillica! powers.
l am not uuinindiul, in this connection,
that hitherto the Democratic party, number
lnS among its leaders MANY of the ablest
lawyers known to the American bar, held,
and boldly advocated, as IA matter OF history
as well as law, that not only was slavery
justified and sanctioned by the Constitution,
the articles of Confederation, and the DeCla-
ration Of Independence, but that discriniua-
lions as to citizenship, grounded upon COM
pleXlon, and in accordance with which even
The native free negro was denied citizenship
and made nondescript, were sustained by
the same leading lie papers.
Such men We're Wont TO call this white
mans government" and pronounce ours 4
white mans cOLntry." Such persons are
always unmindiLl OF what is to me one of the
most pleasing and edifying facts connected
with our early national history. | refer TO
the fact that when the Articles of COnfedera-
ton themselves were under consideration
and when the proposition was made to insert
the word white" in q clause of the fourth
article OF that paper, so as to make the clause
read free white inhabitants" the PROPOSE
ton was rejected, only two States voting in
its favor, the vote Of one State being divided
and eight States voting against it; thus set
Ting forever, as the judgment of the majority
OF the states Of that day, that no discrmina.
ton as against any class of American citi.
zens should be made in the use OF such am
biguous and meaningless phraseology az is
contained in this rejected word.
Anterior TO the thirteenth amendment OF
the Constitution, as there was n o word Ia the
Declaration of Independence. so there was
no word in the organic law Of the land proper,
to Justify either slavery or denial Of citizen
ship TO any native-born American of whatever
nationality or complexion. But whatever
may have been true in regard to these mat
tiers heretofore, the thirteenth, fourteenth
and fifteenth amendments Of the Constitu.
ton have settled them ouce and Forever
To-day there is DO slave within the borders
of this broad land. TO no native born
American are citizenship, civil rights, includ
inS legal settlement, and the exercise of pc.
litcal powers denied. And TO secure to ever,
citizen the possession and equal enjoyment
oil these rights, the strong arm Of the Coy.
eminent, rs represented even in the Army
and the Navy, is pledged. And thu, is the
work OF the Republican party justified and
sustained by regenerated, wise public sen.
tment.
In the next place this party has, during
the most difficult and trying period Of oul