The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-04-13

anything in Congress which Is not in.
stantly mtsrepresenied by thousand "
ny pens and tongues from this city. |
NEyER IN MY LIFE FELT OR Ut
TERED A DISUNlON SENTIMENT.
opposed disunion as no Northern man
ever did, for ! was in the midst of the
storm. Iopposed. also, subiugation and
reconstruction as but other forms of dis
union. and as tending to destroy our free
institutions. Subjugation and reconstruc-
ton were rs dangerous TO the principles
OF union as was secession to the fact of
union, and ! have simply been an earnest
enemy 10 distinction IN any form. And
IL does seem impossible tor Republican
writer or speaker to Tell the truth of one
even so humble rs myself. l have made
one speech In cOngrcss-iorceu TO do so
In the defense of the manhood OF my peo-
pie. ! made the defense chiefly from the
Official records. Perhaps no speech has
ever so brought ont the bitterness OF
misrepresentation in the press and leaders
OF the Republican party They have not
only m,ittlated and garbled the speech,
but they have filed their papers with the
most unmitigated ialsehoods as to my
life. habits. character and antecedents. |
have seen circumstantia details purport-
ing to come from personal acquaintance.
ana even quotations from letters and
speeches, which had not tie slightest en-
istcnce.
But these things do not surprise me.
Indeed. ] should be- surprised If these
ialsehoods were not frequent and I'M
scrupulous, and often from men in high
places. They prove the correctness OF
my theory OF the present and future OF
the Republican party. | maintain that
that party has accomplished all the work
1t was organized to accomplish. aud no
party can live, after its work is done. and
not become corrupt. No successful
party i'm civil war can administer free
institutions on the passions OF lie
war, and after the war was ended, and
not destroy the liberties of the
people. No party Is entitled to be trust
cd with power for what It has done. The
only title party can have to be trusted
must rest in what it propo ses to do. The
Democratic party Is now only entitled to
trust because events and the nature ote
isting issues compel 1t to antagonizc the
Republican party, and thus necessarily to
become the party Of retrcnchmcnt, re-
form and sectional reconciliation. No
truly great statesman can remain in the
Republican party. tor the plain reason
that its work Is in the past. not in the fu-
ture. You might rs well expect a man
to satisfy his hunger and support his sys-
TEN on the memories OF past ieasts, as to
expect statesman to lead party and
maintain the prosperity of his country
on the mere memories-now passions
OF past achievements. doubt not. II MIR.
Lincoln were living he would be now
Jealous Democrat. So would be Chase
and Sumner and Greeley aud Seward.
Such living statesmen and patriots rs
David Davis, LyffMh Trumbull, Carl
Schurz, Charles +. Adams and
Nathaniel Z. Banks. can not remain
in the Republican party. | am watch
ing to see who, in defense of his self-rc-
spect, will leave it next. They will be
to 20. Thieves and demagogues
are taking natural, logical possession OF
the Republican party, not to accomplish
great works, but TO have general carou-
sal. They will drive statesmen and pa.
riots out OF IL, AS decent. yirtuous wo-
men would be driven out of house
which had become brothel. II, under
such leaders as will remain, the Repub-
lean party will so influence the pas
,ions OF the people as to renew its lease of
power, it will bring disgrace Oh its past
history as certainly as the passing OF
vents, and it will be miracle If, in the
riot that must follow. our republican sys-
tenn shall not perish.
Never had any people such a test OF
their capacity for selt-gOvernment rs the
American people will have in 1876. They
will be crammed with reckless falschoods
and piled with appeals for sectional hate
as never before disgraced any year in
human history.
win they be able to detect. resist and
despise these assaults upon their intelli.
gcnce. patriotism and virtue. II so, we
shall live on as a free people and pros
per as no people ever did. If not. we
shall die in more shame and disgrace than
ever befcll republic. With high re-
gard, am yours very truly,
BENZ. III. HUI.