The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1873-12-25
..~aE GREAT EnUCaTan-

concerned. tisan imparting documentary
instruction. The student, often, doubt
ing the usefulness of the knowledge i'm
parted is rarely impressed. and is often
unwilling. This temperanient of the
novitate is increased when knowledge is
Impaired TO those advanced 10 life, and
is intensified when an educator engages
to convey intelligence or establish princi
pies by unsettling conclusions cr opinions
previously formed But of all these
tasks, that is the most difficult that Cd
poses or aims 10 set aside partisan thesis,
or to substitute new code OF political
axioms for one previously adhered to-
In arguing a contested position in poll
ties. at least theme ia suggested /; an
objective point is in view, the salients OF
which have been more or less eliminated.
and thus daa are furnished. When the
Republican party. came into power it
found no such field explored 1t became
at once a new and great educator of
the people. Ii had to commence at the
very A, B, Gin the political school. Many,
If not most. of lis rudimentary lessons
were dlstasteful, and. as assured results.
could not be foreseeH or guaranteed, were
doubted and mistrusted nay, more. their
truthfuness vas attacked the great
tutors OF the people were aSsalle !, and
their motives impugued As the great
documentary lessons Of the Republican
party. that we're being taught i'm the
American school OF politics, aimed to
uproot the false doctrines tbst had been
engratted in the text books of the then
| dominant party, they were 6ercely op
| posed. AT first it was hardly supposed
| that the so-called gospel of the Demo-
cratic party could be weakened by the
| new dispensation. Soon, however. the
great lessons of Republicanism developed
themselves. and the breaches in the walls
OF the fortress of the opposing part,
commenced to appear.
1t is great mistake to suppose that
the Republican party, as it exists to-day,
or as 1t has existed for the past ten years.
was born of the war of secession. Its
theory, its doctrines, lessons, and It's
principal acts are independent of the
conflicts of arms. The war was but an
incident of its existence, to the emer.
gencles OF which IFS eminent patriotism
immediately adjusted itself But the
mission OF the Republican party was NOT
war Grand as It's power and its truth
was developed in the hour of the people 8
peril, It's real glory was that it was aud
is party of peace. Almost before the
smoke OF battle had passed away it dis
missed Its serried hosts. No party, no
power, no government that had con
quered SO v;ctoriously, and sustained it.
self so gallantly with the sword, eyer
sheathed it so willingly or so quickly
when the opportunity occurred Here
was lesson, not only to the American
people, but to the world at large 1t
won the applause and wonder of all peo-
pie 1t has caused all thoughtful people
to ponder as to whether most of the
great wants and contests of all cannot be
settled In the future without resort to
| force.
1t will be hardly necessary to recapitu
late all the great lessons that have been
taught by the Republican party that en-
tltle It to the name OF the great educator.
The adjustment of involuntary servi
| tude. instead of being it's GROWING
achievement, is but the foundation or the
sequence Of many Of its works 1t has
created SQUAD system of finance, and
adjusted eQality IN exchanges over an i'm
mense geographical area. No such do
main in the world enjoys such regula-
ton in commerce. How violently the
proposition was opposed, is ? matter of
too recent history to dwell upon Yet
who would now even suggest a return to
the chaotic system displaced by this one
lesson OF the great educator? 1t pro
cialmed liberty to all throughout the
and, without which the boast of indie
pendence was but mere empty charla-
tanlsm- 1t taught. as Its primary and
Its iDtexibe lesson. equality of all it's
people; it taught and maintained that
the government of the people could be,
| and should be, sustained by the people
1t taught, a. lesson, that The American
1 10
| integrity and its integrity were matters
upon which it would neither ask f,r nor
brook foreign interference. Thus its les
sons established national character and
reputation at home and abroad that has
made the American Republic uniyer-
sally renowned and honored. These are
a few only of the achievements up to
which the lessons of the Republican par
~ have advanced the people Of this
great nation. Before these great princi-
piles were acknowledged by the masses,
IA slow rudlnIeutary course had to be
taught. Had the ultimate intentions
been discovered, the opposition would
have been greater, if not. insurmounta-
BILE; for the false theories the partisans
then in power had bourd many hand and
foot. They had taught that over the
general finances of the country the Ma.
| t1onal Government could have no control
The lesson of the Republican party was
that the Constitution gave the Govern
ment power to regulate commerce. The
national hank note currency Is the result.
Who would now exchange it for the wild
cats and shin Masters Of the good old
times?' The lesson Of the old party was
that the normal condition of the country
was slavery but the Republican par
ty preached the new gospel of freedom -
Who now halts between these preceptors?
The old party was continually fearing he
Interference of foreign powers, and to
their shame be it forever remembered
their allies and those with whom they
sympathized, did not hesitate to make
overtures to other goyernments-even 80
| far as to an offer of alienation of the do
main 10 exchange for laid and comfort "
In this emergency the lesson of the Re-
publican party was forcibly impressed
when notice was given to the invader of
| Mexico that the American people pro
posed to settle their own disputes, and
suffer no interference by other powers
Tenacious as all are on such questions,
the teachings of the Republican party on
this point are remembered with graft
tude, and form one of the brightest pages
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