The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1876-09-28
Col. FOrney on Kansas.


At Republican Meeting in the Four,
teenth Ward, Philadelphia, on The 2lst
of September, Col Forney addressed the
assemblage The following were his
opening remarks:
As was walking alone through the
Centennial Grounds yesterday after
noon, enjoying the delicious weather
and the combined splendors of art and
nature, met my old friend, George A.
Crawford, born in Clinton county in
this State, who removed, | think in
1857, from this State 20 the Territory OF
Kansas Seeing that | was alone he
invited me 10 walk with him TO the
building Jointly erected by Kansas and
Colorado. There is such world of
things 10 see and to study in our un-
equalled Exhibition, that we are often
Obliged when some choice novelty is
pointed out TO us, and was quit ready
therefore, 10 act upon the suggestion of
my friend ; and as we crossed the thresh-
old of this double State edifice | found
mysei standing as it were in u great
educational temple. CCheers. A tide
of memories rushed through my mind
AS | took in the dazzling scene. Kansas
was the field on which the first modern
battle was fought in favor of the decla-
ration of Independence. Great cheer
ing. Kansas was the key that un-
locked the tremendous future. TCheers. !
Kansas was the magician that solved
the hard problem of human slavery.
TCheers. Kansas was the apostle that
liberated the white-party slaves of the
North and the black chattles of the
South [cheersl and to Kansas l owe
my own emancipation from the thral-
dom Of slavery in our politics. [Cheers.
Have you ever seen this Kansas build
ing, fellow Republicans? If not, then
take care that you do sec it, for it will
teach YOU many things. Recolect that
IT 10 tie map, the photograph, the con-
dcasation, the history of the unspeaka
bic value of Republican principles.
lChcers.l 1t is only twentyone years
of age and it is already a giant
[Chcers.l In our country the citizen
who reaches this age is still almost a
boy, but Kansas, launched INTO being
amid pro-slavery fires and prosecutions
and baptized in the blood of its carly
martyrs, has, so to speak, gathered al
most century Of experience with every
year [chcersl; from 1885, when it was
organized into Territory, until 1860,
when it graduated into great Common
wealth. Cheers. In 1860 it had a
population OF 100000, and in 1876, l
suppose, quite half million. l remem-
Der well when ali the Territory Of Kan
sas was in fact terra mcOgRitd almost
without history or geology, and the
cagerncss of the shareholders to obtain
possession Of it is as familiar to me as
any event of the last week. They failed,
thanks to the courage of the Moth, and
10 the fierce resistence of the Douglass
Democracy, when the attempt was made
10 foicC slavery on the people by in |
credible violence and fraud. TCheers.
And so yesterday as | stood with Gov
ernor Crowford in this Kansas House in |
the Exhibition Grounds, the growth |
from embryo to empire was something
startling. No Centennial State building
tell such story, not even that of the
Golden Pacific, also rescued from slav-
cry by the Republicans, and welded to
the Atlantic States by the great Internal
ional railroad, built by Republican en-
ergy in the midst of the war. Cheers.
First, map of Kansas, itself romance,
every school-house marked with star,
cheers and there are many stars then
a room with the files of nearly one hun
dred and fifty Kansas newspapers
[cheers] then singularly beautifully
tracery woven from the grasses and
grains of Kansas, roofing the temple IL
self with golden lining; then long
rows Of tho varied seeds and cereals Of
Kansas; then cabinet of minerals; then
a collection of woods, and finally, many
specimens of art and architecture, and
books and book-binding; and fragrant
of summer apples and
plums, and over all the figure of the old
bell oflndepcndecnc woven in straw, that
rung out liberty to all the nations of
III world on the Fourth of July, 1876.