Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1876-05-18

giles for power. Zach 38s seen itself minor
itv. borne down and insuiteo By that tear vi
and uuieeling adversary, Il popular and ex-
uliaut maj .rity. Ii IL has Sinned in these
SEASONS OF defeat ard humiliation each has
had It's day for repentance and reformation;
fur the correction OF Its errors, wheth her IN
ductrlne ar H. practice; Tor the publication
of rs speech and is life; and So, for tht pre-
Iarati0n OF itsel' 10 win uUtlic confidence
and trust by deserving them Low it has
"a, allied itself ot these opportunities. Afforded
bv disaster and downfall To achieve public
confidence. may he seen in the history OF
each a | shall glance at it to night Ii the
hard schculo experience shall, upon eXamin-
alton. lie .ound IN the case OF the one or the
other 10 have been able 10 teach it no lesson
of wisdom. or lead it into no ret Os repent
anee or virtue. then that political party is
worse than the fool. and must be condemned
and opposed bv all Just ard patriotic men,
even without reference to the character of its
adversary. for IL IS committed TO absolute
mischief. Whenever both the great parties
of the country shall have reached this stand
ard Of Corruption and depravity, Ihey must
perish under the just Indignation OF
on awakened people. or the possibility OF
further maintaining free government will
have ceased trust we have not vet reached
that plane OF moral degradation. | feel GER
tain, indeed. that We have not. | should re-
greet greatly and be extremely humiliated to
have to record my opinion that any organ-
lied part of the people had reached that
moral abyss. bad rs | may show some bart
OF them to be before / close this speech
None OF them are wholly bad; all of them
are relatively so. None o. them are wholly
different degrees. And they are SO simply
because they are composed of men, and. like
their constituents, partake of both good and
evil.
Twenty years ago when laboring to over
throw the weak and wicked administration
or franklin Pierce. and to inaugurate the
choice o; earnest and young and patriotic
Republics nism in its stead. thought j ORE
saw Tor my couI try the advent OF a golden
age In which every private and public vir-
tue should flourish and every private and
public wee should perish: and, notwItbstand-
ing the cruel defeat which answered and
crushed my hopes Tor the time being-a de-
feat due 10 the most stupandous cleo
tion frauds and forgeries our country
has ever known. whereby the great State OF
Pennsylvania was stolen from the Republi-
can party and given to its adversary. and
the existence and effort of third PARTY
throughout the Union--they still survived
the iraud-iounded. reasonable and infamous
administration OF James Buchanan, and TO-
lowed the immortal Lincoln in per ect trust
that they should vet find q glorious realiza-
ton. 1t was ordered otherwise The Dem
ocratic party had become so far corrupted az
to have lost sight OF the true and only admis-
sibie end OF party organization. 1t eiused
to submit 10 the Judgment of the people and
retire peaceabIy IRON office and pover
which its leaders had so long employed for
the bssest of purposes, in pursuance of the
motto: TO the victors belong the spoils."
Power and patronage long exercised uron
this debssIng view of public lie had cor
rupted the LEADERS of that party to the core.
and sooner than give up the reins of author
iiy they deliberately. by emitting every
duty imposed upon them by the consfitu-
ton and laws. and committing every offense
against both that may be characterized as a
crime, paved the way lor secession, rebel
lion and war against the government which
they had bound themselves hy solemn oaths
faithfully to administer and maintain.
rHE SCOPE OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERN
MESTs.
Before proceeding to consider and deter
mine the stupen6ous crime OF the Demo-
cratic party in attempting to overthrow the
government and destroy the union OF the
country. II Is both pruper and peccs-1ry
int Enou'd submit a Few considerations
npon the nature OF our government; and
indeed. OF all popular representative COW
ernments. and the means of conducting
Il
appears 10 be the more necessary in this age
whom. although the inquiry is continually
made, What is truth2h vet very few STAY
Tor an answer. j shall endeayor to meet
his necessity as briefly as may be consistent
with ciearness and truth.
All popular representative governments
have their origin in public opinion: and
when once formed and put into operation.
That opinion still shapes the course and gem
eral sc"pe Of their ordinary administration.
IL prepares the way in which they must 90.
Ii rs light to their eyes and guide to their
feet. IL is pillar of fire By night and OF
cloud by day to lead them. When they fol-
low II they are SAFE. When they turn away
rom GLOWING 1t they perish. In a word. il IS
heir life. While it supports them they
live. When 1t is withdrawn from them they
die.
But after all. wha. is this public opinion i?
md interchangeable thing which the individual
mind can contemplate and estimate and de-
termine IN its entirity, as well as in its con-
Alasl not in any wise. Ii is too
vast for complete comprehension byar,y bu-
man intellect. Its sources are Infinite Its cur
rents are manifold as those OF the wind. and
As difficult to loresee or follow. Every man
md woman who thinks and acts in any So
,iai relation contributes 10 its force. modifies
makes it something different from what il
would have been had he or she never lived.
Dr. thought or SPOKEN. or acted. In one view
I is the most shifting changing and uncer-
ain Of all changelings. In another the
most certain. fixed and changeess of
Ill social human elements To-day
: NAV be whirlwind sweeping
over the earth, scattering destruction
Ind ruin and death throughout the land. To-
morrow 1t may sweep over land and sea
With a steady. grand and beneiicent ,roces-
'ionsl movement. bearing human societies
Ind governments before IT, from good TO bet
er. and from better to best ms the trade
winds drive the commerce of the world over
he oceans to the harbors OF every land
Unknown and undirected by moral princi-
pie and wise restraints. it is at once the most
dangerous and destructive of ell human
agencies. Ascertained and organized by the
os;lety In which 10 has its origin, like steam
Ind lightning when harnessed and directed
BY the genius of man. bat far more beneG-
tent and grand than they, it carries the peo-
Die. which guides It, forward in single CEN
ury. in a career of development. of progress.
IT civilization and happiness. far beyond
What whole millennium could have accom-
JllShed without its OrgupIzaiion In ha. beau