Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-08-25
THE AWAKENING,


accomplished its chief mission, and
that there was no great work left for
1t to do; that poisoned by the cease
less hue and cry Of the old enemy
about corruption in the Republican
administration, this element came to
give some credit to this unending
Democratic wall. and finally, when
the Democratic party tookGreeley and
his platform, and made such profess
sions of accepting the situation, and
here in Iowa, got down on its mar
row bones and buried the old Demo-
cratic corpse with hypocritical tears
why, this element in the Republican
party did have some faith in their
new found allies, though they had
once been signalized by butternut
breast-pins. This element of the Re-
publican party leaned strongly to the
view that there was something need
cd to cement the Union, in the way
OF putting trust in that portion of the
people who were either under arms
ten years ago against the Union or
sympathizcd with those who were.
Again, there was an element i'm the
Republican party that wavercd and
taltcred, because lukcwarm, and did
not see the necessity for activity
thought the danger past, and rested
from their labors; failed to vote, and,
as a consequences, the party has suf-
fcred singing defeats, lost the Lower
House of Congress, and instead of
once Union soldiers being the prevail
ing element in that House, the rule
is reversed, and in less than ten years
after the surrender at Appomatox,
the victors there are cast aside for the
conquered, and those who drew the
sword of rebellion, are chosen in such
numbers as to really be in a great de-
gree the controlling element in one
branch of Congress.
The awakening comes; the slum-
herring, the ovcr-credulous believer
in the professions of men who drew
nation into a war of rebellion, in
magnitude unparalleled those who
fondly hoped that the Republican
party had perfected its labors that
there was no call for further great eff
forts-have awakened, and are awak-
ening to an utter sense Of blasted
hopes; to the ready hypocrisy of men
so lately stepped i'm the greatest of
crimcs-to the startling condition of
the situation:to the great work still
to be done by the men who once
saved the Union from destruction. at
the hands of those who now essay to
| rule it rs an immaculate reform party.
This awakening, it is true, has no ef-
feet upon the State of Kentucky, no
more than the SUMS rays pierce the
icebergs around the North Pole. But
no change could be expected there.
There is no material susceptible of
progress about the Confederate Cross
Roads; there, only that slow progress
which comes Of succeeding genera
lions by the education Of the Young,
will ever appear. In North Carolina,
however, where there was much of
Cnionfsm during the war, the cIc-
mcnts of progress flourish, and when
they rise in their might and boldly
face Democratic Kuklux, determined
to have a fair fight, they win, as they
did in the recent election for candi-
dates to Constitutional convention.
The signs of the times are pregnant
with Il grand uprising of the old Re-
publican host. The whole party, in
elusive of those who have been ca
jolcd by the false promises of the de-
mocracy, and those who had become
lukewarm and inactive from the be-
lief that there was little left for the
Republican party to do, now see their
Terror. Democracy, bold and defiant
over success, in the South by State
Legislation, as in Texas, destroys the
public schools, and seeks to call
Constitutional Conventions, having in
view the making of Constitutions
al provision for the destruction of
the common schools; while in Ohio il
allies itself with a religious organize
ton which hates public schools, and
seeks their overthrow.
Again, Democracy by force, by
murder and intimidation, seeks. in
the Southern States, to dcspoil the
colored race of their rights, and de-
grade them into position of help
lessncss, as near bordering on the old
forms of slavery as possible, while in
the North white supremacy is the
theme Of the outspokcn Democratic
press, and a renewal of the States
Rights doctrine, which was the foun-
datlon OF secession and rebellion.
These, and kindred bold moves, slim
ulatcd by Democratic victories, show
the old time Republican party that
what was SO long bred in the bone of
Democracy, is still there, and needed
only the flush of victory to exhibit
itself. This is what is awakening the
Union, liberty loving hosts to the me-
cessity Of action. These, with kim
drcd nnwholesomc measures of the
Democracy, is what is arousing the
Republican party of Ohio from its
lcthargy, and insurcs victory in that
State this Fall, counting tens of thou
sands in its majority. The fact is, the
Republican party needed once more
TO be beaten, before all its members
would see the need of renewed effort
to prevent the Government from pass
ing into the hands of its enemies. The
party needed again to see the cloven
foot Of treason's cohorts threateningly
prOtruding from its shrOud. to ener-