The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-09-07

By continued and assured Republican sue
| cess at the North and in the nation, we must
| hold the South firmly but very tenderly. We
| must hold the South until the prejudices of
| race have been weakened, until the bitterness
of defeat has been assuaged, until the memory
| of struggle has passed. Surely if we are true
| to the nation and to the best ideas of liberty,
| there will come time when our Southern fell
| low-citizens shall know that we deeply love
| them and heartily wish them well. Surely
| there shall come time when they shall seek
| to educate all their people, without regard to
| race or color. Surely there shall come time
when they will learn that the only corner-stopes
of truly great and prosperous state are equal
and exact justice, universal education, absolute
| freedom OF thought and speech, with complete
| liberation by all to all.
Then shall rise South, free because just,
| and strong because free, happier because puri-
| fed by great suffering, and thrice crowned be-
cause of grand victory won over self.
| NEW DEDICATION OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
To fraternal efforts to help our sister states
| in this good labor of freedom and progress. let
US dedicate ourselves and our Republican
| party. Thus shall We complete the work so
well begun by the fathers. and the bells of the
new century shall ring in the time of a COM
plete reconciliation and an enduring peace.
JUST SYMPATHY WITH THE SOUTH.
yield to none in the depth and earnestness
of my Republcanism. l yield to none in love
of liberty and in deep detestation of all Unjust
ice to manhood and labor. yield to none in
resolute purpose to protect every man in the
South in the full and free exercise of ell his
| rights. AT the same time, l cannot but recall
through what terrible temptations these men
of the South have passed. L cannot forget the
forces of early education, the preiudices of
| race, the common frailties of our common hui
| mainly. 1 try to put myself in their place. 1
try to realize the suffering and shame of
proud, high spirited people, beaten, suffering,
poor And frankly tell you that while 1
would resolutely hold them and all to the abso-
lutte enforcement of the law, and the complete,
even If unwilling recognition of the political
and personal rights of the lawliest and the
blacklist, still l would do it with full remem-
braLce that we are Americans and brothers.
sCoURGE OUT THIEVES.
would go further While 1 would compel
every Southern Democrat to respect the ballot
box and to protect his negro felow-citizen, l
would scourge from the Southern Republican
| party every thief, every dealer in the holy
names of equality and liberty, who had simply
| traded in them for the sake OF self and gain.
| CONCLUSION.
A hundred years ago the Republic was born.
Its cradle was rocked in the City of Brotherly
Love. Men from Massachusetts,, New jersey,
New York, Virginia and the Carolinas were
there, with hearts beating as one, with hands
raised as one to defend and keep the nation
Side by side our fathers fought. Side by side
shall not we, their children stand in all the
| years to come? l cannot speak an unkind word
l cannot keep an unkind thought in this Gen.
| tennial time.
Because l know that Republication means