Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-08-18

and review Its career. Our central doctrine
In 1860 was that slavery should never ex-
tend itself over another foot of American
soil. Is that doctrine dead ? It is folded
away like victorious banner its truth Is
alive forevermore on this continent In
1854 wedeclared thai We would put down the
rebellion and secession. And that doctrine
lives and will live when the second Centen-
nizl has arrived Freedom, national, uni
Tersal. and peFpetual-Our great constitu-
tional amendments, are they alive or dead
Alive. thank the God that shields both
liberty and Union. And our national
credit saved from theassaults of Pendleton;
saved from the assaults of those who struck
il later, rising higher and higher at home
and abroad; and only now in doubt lest its
chief, its only enemy, the Democracy should
triumph in November.
Mr.. Chairman, ought the Republican party
to surrender Its truncheon of command tothe
Democracy The gentleman from Missis-
sippi says, if this were England, the minis
try would go out In tWenty-four hours with
such a state of things as we have here. An,
yes that is an ordinary case Of change of
administration. But if this were England,
what would she have done ct the end of the
war? England made one such mistake as
the gentleman asks this country to make,
when she threw away the achievements of
the grandest man that ever trod her high
way of power. Oliver Cromwell had over
turned the throne Of despotic power and
ha6 lifted his country to place of MASTER
full greatness among the nations of the
earth and when, after his death, his great
A., - l. IL Il
not unlenial hand, bis country, in a mo-
ment Of reactionary blindness, brought back
the Stnarts. England did not recover from
that folly until, in 1859, the Prince of
Orange drove from her island the last of
that weak and wicked line. Did she after
ward repeat the blunder.
For more than fifty years, pretenders were
seeking the throne; and the wars on her
coast, in Scotland and in ireland, threaten
ed the overthrow Of the new dynasty and
the disruption of the empire. But the solid
phlegm, the magnificent pluck, the round
about common sense of the Englishmen
steadied the throne till the cause of the
Stuarts was dead. They did not change as
soon as the battle was over and let the
Stuarts come back to power.
And how was it in our own country,
when our fathers had triumphed in the war
of the Revolution? When the victory was
won, did they open their arms to the loyal
lists, as they called themselves, or tories, as
our fathers called them2 Did they invite
them baek2 Not one. They confscated
their lands. The States passed DEGREES that
no tory should live on our soil. And when
they were too poor to take themselves away,
Al
was with debt, raised the money to transport
the tories beyond seas or across the Canada
border. They went to England, to France,
to Novia Scotia, to New Brunswick, and
especially to Halifax; and that town was
such resort for them, that it became the
swear-word of our boyhood. Go to Hall
fax was q substitute for q more impious,
but not more opprobrious expression. The
presence of tories made it opprobrious.
Now do not refer to this as an example
which we ought to follow. o, no. We live
in milder era, in an age softened BY the
more genial influence of Christian civiliza-
ton. Witness the sixty-one men who
fought against us in the late war, and who
are sitting in this and the other Chamber of
Congress. Every one of them is here be-
cause a magnanimous nation freely voted
that they might come; ndthey are welcome.
Only please do not say that you are Just
now especially fitted to rule the Republic,
and to be the apostles of liberty and of
blessings to the colored race.
Gentlemen, the North has been asked,
these many years, to regard the seosibilities
of the South. We have been told that you
were brave and sensitive men, and that we
ought not to throw fre-braDds among you.
Most of our people have treated you with
justice and magnanimity. In some things
we have given you just cause for complaint;
but want to remind you that the North
also has sensibilities to be regarded. The
ideas which they cherished, and for which
they fought, triumphed in the highest
court, the court OF last resort, the field of
battle. Our people intend to abide by that
verdict and to enforce the mandate. They
rejoice at every evidence of acquiescence.
They look forward to the day when the dis
tinctions of North and South shall have
melted away in the grander sentiment of
nationality. But they do not think it is yet
safe to place the control Of this great work
in your hands. In the hands of some of
you they would be safe, perfectly safes but
to the hands of the United South, Joined
with the most reactionary elements Of the
northern democracy, our people will not
yet surrender the Government.
am aware that there is a general dis.
position ito let by-gones be by-gones," and
TO judge of parties and of men, not by what
they have been, but what they are and what
they propose.
That view Is partly just and party er-
roneoUs. It is Just and wise to bury resent
ments and animcsities. It is erroneous in
this, that parties have IN. organic life AID
spirit of their oWn-anf ldieluality and
character which outlive the men who COM
pose them and the spirit and traditions of
q party should be considered in determin-
ing their fitness for managing the affairs of
a nation. For this purpose l have reviewed
the history of the democratic party.
have no deposition nor would it be lust
to shield the Republican party from fair and
searching criticism. 1t has been called to
meet questions novel and most difficult. Il
has made many mistakes. 1t has stumbled
and blundered; has had some bad men in
it; has suffered from the corruptions incl
dent to the period following great war;
and it has suffered rebuke and partial de-
feat in consequence. But has it been singu-
lar and alone in these respects? With all
its faults, fearlessly challenge gentlemen
to compare it with any party known to our
politics. Has the gentleman shown that the
Democratic party is its superior either In
virtue or intelligence Gentlemen, the
country has been testing your qualities dur
ing the last eight months. The people
gave you probationary trial by putting
you in control of this House. When YOU