Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-10-20
THE FALL OF THE REPUBLIC.
A PEN Picture Of the Future Of our Coun-
try in case Of Tilden's Election.

THE FALL OF THE REPU8L1C.
A PEN Picture Of the Future Sf our coun-
try in case OF Tt1den's Election.
Inter-Ocean.
AFTER THE GREAT REBELLION.
You ask me my children, to relate
to you something Of, the history of
those ten years Of anarchy and blood
shed within whose span the. proud
American Republic was brought in
to the dust, and a monarchy erected
upon it's ashes. With the history OF
the country up to the. beginning of
the Centennial year, you are familiar.
Ihave before made you acquaint-
ed with the history of the rise and
progress and overthrow of African
slavery, and detailed to you the san
culinary scenes OF the great rebellion
of 1904. The result Of the con-
flict, as you will remember, was the
emancipation of every slave within
the borders of the nation, making
valid the claim of the Republic as
the great conservator of human lib
erty. t.
Following the great rebellion came
q season of prosperous peace and ap-
parent reconciliation. The South
seemingly accepted the results of
the war. This semblance of submis-
sion tended to disarm bitterness and
induce unwonted magnaiminity on
the part of the conquerers toward the
conquered; and the future of the
American Republic seemed brighter
than ever before. But with the cam.
paign of 1875 a cloud came across
the political heavens cloud of col
ossal proportions and a terrible por-
tent, which, at first no bigger than a
mans hand, had been steadily and
silently growing during the years
following the close Of the war
Gradually-so gradually as to be al
most unperceived, even by the politi-
cal student-the Confederates had
been using such advantages as they
could obtain to regain controlling
influence in the legislative councils
OF the nation. In this they had re-
ceived constant assistance from their
old Democratic associates, who stood
by them unwaveringly, and worked
with them heart and hand. In the
main their real motives and their
old feeling of bitterness toward the
government of the United States
were well concealed by their spacious
pretenses of loyalty, though occasion
ally in the South the volcanic pas
sions would break the prudential
chains which held them in restraint,
resulting often in the unprovoked
murder of political opponants, usual
ly of the race which had been releas-
ed from bondage. These instances
though somewhat isolated, were suf
ficent to show that the genius of re-
bellion, though overcome, had not
been conquered. The venom of the
serpent remained, and with itan add
ed caution to make its second blow
more deadly than the first.
POLITICAL CAMPAIGN OF 1876.
The Centennial year dawned over
the republic. l have before referred
to this year as a season of great re-
joicing through the land. But, amid
all the festivities, political activity
steadily increased. In the month
of June the Republican National
Convention met at Cincinnati and
nominated it's ticket-for President,
Rutherford B. Hayes; for Vice Pres.
ident, William A. Wheeler-both
men OF tried and sterling loyalty
and irreproachable personal integri-
ty. A few weeks afterward the
Democrats met in National Conven-
ton at St. Loms-a city at one time
of some pretensions, but now dwin-
died into insignifcance-and placed
it's ticket in the field. The names
upon that ticket have gone down to
everlasting infamy, and are now new
er mentioned except in execratlon by
any one who holds dear the memory
of his country's fallen gratness. The
nominations were, tor President,
Samuel J. Tilden; for Vice President
Thomas A. Hendricks.
These men are generally known in
political circles as dangerous dem
agogues. Especially was this true
of the former. His record was un-
deniable bad; he had accumulated a
prodigious fortune, largely through
dishonest practices. During the
great civil war he had steadily lent
his sympathies and labors to the
Southern cause; and after the war
was ended he had been unfailingly
true to the ex-Confederate intreguers
for power.
SAMUEL J. TILDEN ELECTED PRESI-
DENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
How it all came about was never
definitely known, except to the spec
tally initiated; but when the elections
came on, and the ballots were all cast
and counted, it was announced that
the Tilden ticket had been elected by
a considerable majority. The cause
which led to the triumph Of the ex-
Confederates were variously conject-
ured. 1t was known, beyond \ doubt
that gigantic frauds had been enact
ed somewhere, but every effort to un-
earth them proved without avail
1t was known that Tildcn had lavish
ed fabulous sums for election pur-
poses, but it was never proven that
any large amounts were used illegiti-
mately. The vote of the freedmen
in the South, was almost wholly null
fed by intimidation and actual vio-
lence, all former slave States giving
enormorous majorities for Tilden.-
The general apathy Of Republican
voters Of the North also contributed
in no small degree to the Confeder-
ate victory. While the Confederate
Democratic voters were alert and in
defrigable, the Republicans were
very generally Indifferent, and staid
at home by the score in many rural
localities; being confident of a party
victory, they settled down into IA
tai sense of security. These and 9TH
er causes, never fully known to the
public, led to the overthrow in 1876
OF the great Republican party-thc
Dartv of nroOraSs-and lnd tO tho