Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-06
Address of The Union Republican
Congressional Committee.
CONTINUED from last Week.
NJ N-nmnTEI Dol TTT

dHu Sf'cCIdl IHtSSd-Co, ~ IA pAdiH VII
the Federal Government could d,
nothing, as the Congresses We're to d,
nothing. Like the two brothers en-
gagged in the temperance cause, one 0
whom lectured on the evils of intem
perance. while the other furnished :
shocking example; So Democrati,
Presidents were perennially eloquent
in expounding the impotenCy of the
National Government, wsilo Demo
cratic Congresses were as persistent il
illustrating it.
The pretext for this strange slug.
g;shness was an amiable one. Consti-
tutional inhibitions were pleaded in
excuse for all omissions. They con
stanty neglected great national inter.
ests, becau they feared to infringe
upon the prerogative Of States; they
proclaimed themselves the champions
of States rights; they arrogated tc
themselves the name of the States
rights party
1t was specious pretense, but il
was utterly insincere. So long as oul
archives remain. SO long that very
party will be known as the one which
struck the foulest blow at the rights
of States which could be contrived.
That is the party which, on the 18th
OF September, 1890, wrote the fugi-
tive slave act in the statute book. BY
that act the United States commanded
the Federal courts to multiply court
commissioners without limit. BY that
act the the United States offered such
commissioners clean bounty Of five
dollars each, for certificates that resi-
dents Of Massachusetts, or Of any
other State, were fugitiyes from Texas
or some other State and when such
a certificate was obtained. pledged all
its forces to remove such resident to
the State wherein he was claimed 4;
which made that certificate, so pur-
chased, of such hucksters, conclusive
evidence of the right to remove, and
commanded every tribunal within the
insulted State to be still, and all its
citizens to aid the outrage-a statute
the very first victim u which was a
free man from Pennsylvania, who, be-
ing declared fugitive hy fye-do!ar
commissioner, was transported to Nir-
ginla by the lntei States, aud fpi-
ing 10 man there base enough to claim
him, he was allowed to get back at his
own expense.
In ali these years the national char
acter had nos been raised an inch. On
the contrary, through them all, it had
fallen constantly lower and Io~er.
When England and France proposed,
in 1e52, to join with the United States
in mutual Remuneration of all designs
on Cuba, All American Secretary IF
State did not hesitate to assign as a
reason tcr refusing to join such con
vem,ion, ''that it would give a new
and powerful impetus to attacks ION
the isiaod Of CUBA, by lawless bands
Of adsedturers from the United States,
with fHe avowed design OF taxing pos
session o. the island ATTACKS which,
i,u aI1ucd, 80 administration wOuld Dc
s;rou1 euOuLii 20 RESIST.
No POWER 70 sAVETuE GOVERNMENT
4 government which denied its right
to aid commerce orer che Des Moines
ii us, ami which advertised its own
im,,o .ncy to control IT. own illibust-
e,-. colld hardy be expected to make
a becoming G@1re Nh-1 confronted
with war. When, therefore, IN le61,
the standard af rebellion was raised,
and State after State wheeled dehantly
into the rauks Of revolt, it was per-
haps not so very surprising that one
half tn Democratic party joined the
revolt, wniic the other half exclaimed
it rouid not be resisted-not 50 very
surpr sing that the six per cent bonds
issued February, 1861, were sold at
a discount Of six per cent, and not 50
very surprising that Great Britain
should have proclaimed the rebels to
be lawful )eiIigerents. before she knew
a gun had been fired.
But it was surprising that Presi-
dent Of the United States should ad-
dress a special message to Congress to
persuade the public that. although the
rebellion was Illegal, yet the Govern
ment had 40 right to suppress 1t; Tor
by that act he introduced t" the world
a Government the like of which had
never before been seen. "a Government
oguinst which it was unlawful to re-
volt, and Jy which it was unlawful to
suppress revolt. Such government
is described nowhere in political hlsto-
ry, save in the message OF President
Buchanan.
Such was the style of administra-
ton, to which the Republican party
succeeded on the 4th of March, 1861.
That party was instructed to but one
duty. As you had never known the
National Government to do anything,
you evidently Gid not expect 1t to do
much. You simply commanded it to
save your Territories from the dehle'
ment OF slavery; that was all.
THE ORDER oEEYED.
That command has been fulfilled
There is no slavery in any ofour Terri
tories That will scarcely be denied
even by the opposition journals Ther'
is just as little slavery in any one o
the States. Something more than you