The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-04-13
Sound Republican Doctrine.


Hon. B. II. Brstow. in the Kentucky campaign
Of 1871, announce sound Republican doctrine
.sWc have before lis to-day living and use
FIJI Illustration of the wise forethonght aud
broad philanthropy of the men of '7G. To-
day it is tile boast Of the Republican Party that
every man born in this county or natuialiZed,
no ma ter what his condition i'll life his race
! color. is AN American citizen, and as such is
entitled to equal rights iefore the law, and toa
participation in the elective franchise. The
Republican party, which has achieved much for
the county. has wrought no greater work than
this. Is it not IL proud day for us? Although
we have passed through sanguinary struggle
in which thousands of oilr brave and patriotic
cizes have yielded up their lives, yet we can
not lose sight Of the fact that at the close of
the conflict the immortal principal so happily
announced in the Declaration of Independence
has not only been preserved, but has grown
into practical and living reality. This is the
essential creed of the Republican pa;ty, and
we are here to-day for the pu, pose Of declaring
Our nnatcrable attachment to that party. 1t
is true we have not yet seen in Kentucky UNI
qualified acquiescrnce III this grand result on
tie part Of our fellow citizens, but the time is
not far distant when even the people of Ken
lucky must Icy aside The prejudices engendered
by the late war, and accept in its fullest sense
the freedom of citizenship and equality before
the law If all meh. Democratic conventions
in Kentucky may be silent on this s,ibjrct, and
il Democratic Legislature may be crimlnally re-
gardless of its liy hest dnty; the people them
selves may be mi<led and deceived by political
leaders the still. small voice OF reason may
be h,,sl.ed and silenced by the turbulent pas
sious of tile hour, yet the day is not far distant
when this under lying principle of the Kepub-
lican party. will be fully acknow ledged and
accepted by all tlie-people of Kentucky. " hen
this shall be done the first great principal of
the Republican, party will have been accom-
plised, and it will then be the duty of thai
party to preserve intact lis own grea! work.
The nissiongof the Republican party is not
yet ended. The loyal people Of this country
Who preserved the Government in war and
have maintained its honor in peace are not yet
ready to hand it over to the party that COLI
spircd to to destroy it, aud has resisted every
effort to make it udcstructible. AT no time i'll
our history has the cause OF civil aud religious
liberty made such progress as i'll this decade
under the fostering care OF the Republican par
ty. In giving freedom, with civil and political
rights, to race, it has not been unmindful
Of the rights and liberties OF the other. The
same constitutional provision that gave free
dom to the black man makes it forever impos-
sbe to ellslve any portion Of the white race.
The citizenship secured by the fourteenth arti-
Gle of amendment to all persons born or nat
uliliZeO III titC OilttCu OtdlSS HppHSS diIhO "
all persons, rich and poor, white and black
The Initiation upon the States to make or ell
force any law which shall abrtige the pr lvlleSes
or lnllnunities Of citizens of the United States
or to deprive any person OF ne, liberty, or
property without due process OF law, or TO de-
ny to any poison within their jurisdiction the
equal protection of the laws, is u bulwark OF
safety 10 every citizen, and protection against
the oppression S that mi. Int otherwise ARISE from
sectional jealousy aud local hate. The constl-
tutional guarantee of the elective franchise
is p,iicabe to all races OF tie people. anG
heilceolth neither the United States nor any
S ate can deny or abridge this inesliinable right
on account of race, color, or previous condition.
All these constitutional provisions were passed
in the interest Of personal liacfly ana iiluiia-
llal security.
The love of liberty is inherent in human ma
turc. 1t NAV be stifef. but not without much
.itfiultv. Easy to be wrought upon as well as
powcrfu and active, whenever 1t is not gratl-
fed there is danger 10 the state. Gritify IL
and Won insure the SAT ty of society. Neither
these constitutional provisions nor any statute
passed in pursuance of them Expresses OF
harms any human being. The penalties OF
the civil rights and Ku-klux lcts are aimed
solely at the lawlcss and violent. No peace
fnl citizen or l:lw-abiding community has APP
prehension OF injury or oppression from tiieih.
A Government which cannot protect Its
Jnmblest citizens from outrage and injury is
unworthy the name, and ought not to COM
mand the support of a free people. But tile
wicked flee when no man pursueth. and when
YOU hear these statutes denounced by Demo
cratic speakers. you may be sure that either
they or their friends have committed or are
likely to commit, the crimes for which the
punishment is provided. These are the works
of the great Republican party Of the nation,
which saved the country in war and is able to
preserve it in peace. This is the party TINT
must control the destinies OF this free country
for years to come"