Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-08-13
co-.s.~-.~ ON the First Puge.)
eIals " zen the rebellion was final

db tl4ClL On II
and want of pervision. But when the
rebellion was crushed and they were
invited to aid in removing its cause,
as well as a cause for future rebellions,
by abolishing slavery, they refused to
do that How can that refusal be ex.
cused or forgiven? The great act of
emancipation, while it is the grandest
in history, is also the least expensive.
1t cost nothing but vote, yet even
this they refused to give. By simply
writing "yes" upon their ballots, in
stead of "no," they knew they could
give freedom to four millions of hui
man beings. They were sure of vic
tory if they said eyes," they could on
ly hope for victory if they said "no"
and yet they said "no." 1t was a
mere question of volition. The ques>
ton was squarely put to them after
they had been led shuddering clear
through the Red sea and stood dry on
the other shore-stood, too, in that
marvellous blaze which irradiates the
nineteenth century as it sinks into the
twentieth-they were plainly asked
care you willing the bond should be
free?" and they said "no." When is
that generation coming, and whence
is it coming, that shall excuse or for
give that impious refusal?
And when, in spite of Democratic
resistance the bond had been made
free and secured against a return to
slavery by an amendment to the Fed
eral Constitution, this same opposition
was asked once more, "May the freed
men become citizens and be admitted
to civil rights?" And again the an
swer was "no.'
And when,in spite ofthat resistance,
the freedmen had been made citizens
the Democracy was asked, "May these
citizens, though they be black, have
the protection of the ballot which the
law benignly grants to all citizens,
however humble, of every other color?"
And again the answer was "no."
And when the Kuklux, armed with
brand and bludgeon, hunted the new
made citizen by night, hunted him
through swamps and pursued him to
death - when the local authorities
stood poweriess in the presence of or
gained murder and arson, and this
opposition was appealed to to lend
protection Of the national tribunals to
the victims of such incarnate hate,
they still Knocked at such calamities
and refused all relief
1t is often flippantly said that all
these crimes and horrors are past, and
it is absurd to attempt to maintain a
political party on the memory of them.
Perhaps so. But would it not be in
sane to trust political party that
could so readily forget them? 1t is
not magnanimous, it is indeed hardly
manly, to persecute men for sins Of
which they have really repented But
that IS not repentance, it is hypocrisy,
which processes to repent Of sins and
does not forsake them, bat embraces
worse ones. Such is the anomalous
repentance displayed by the Demo-
cratic party. 1t never ceases to de-
nounce the Republican party for what
it has done or is trying to do, but it
straightway thunders with fiercer de
nunciations of what the party has not
done and is determined shall not be
done The moment Democrats forget
to decry Republican politics they be-
gin to belle Republican motives. For
twenty years they deemed it sufficient
ly opprobious to call Republicans
''Radicals;" now they claim to be rad
icals themselves and denounce Re
publicans as rascals.
DEMOCRATIC PROMISES.
Since the early part of 1872 they
have been diligently seeking to suborn
renegade Republicans to turn states
evidence and to swear that all politi-
cal virtue is in those discounted
forces which resisted the progress of
the last decade, and all villainy is in
the forces which marshaled that prog
ress. To such witnesses they have
layiskly offered honors, offices, digni-
ties, presidencies, everything which
could be made the subject of a prom
ise
To answer to any name; to profess
every creed to follow any flag; to
sleep in any bed I; to fraternize with
all factions and to offer a salve for
every sore-such is the mission of the
opposition to-day. Never before in
politics was lie enacted so transpar-
ent and so audatious as that paraded
by the Democratic party in 1872,
when they grayely introduced Horace
Greedy to the people as their represent
alive man. 1t is not possible such
"signs and wonders can "deceive the
elect" So far they have failed to de-
ceive even the electors.
If that party feels it to be unkind
to remind it of it's past career, how
must it feel to be reminded of its
present attitude? Once its members
protested distinct principles all
that could be objected t. them was
that they professed the worst princi-
pies extant. But bad as they were,
they were more becoming than this
utter abjuration OF all principles
You may not like to employ, but
you do not wholly despise, tho yea
lot who consistently asserts that
sarsaparilla will cure every disease
and so urges it upon every patient
but who can respect the charlatan
who persistently cries to the sick,
give me your money and you may
take what remedies you please ?"
When in 1860 Democrats said,
Continue US in power and we will
feck the Territories with slavery =
when in 1864 they said, "restore US
to power and we will barter with
rebels, giving freedom for peace -
when in 1868 they said again, "re-
store US to power and we will abro-
gate three great amendments TO the
Constitution, secure government to
white men, and return slavery to
colored men," it could only be re-
piled that such invitations were very
1879