The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1876-01-06
CENTENNIAL YEAR.

memories of deeds of heroism done by
| the brave men of the first revolution;
memories of noble sacrifices offered on
the altar of country in that early time,
in that time of the infancy of the Repub-
| lie. However much the significance of
| that grand declaration of the fathers
THAT all men are created equal that
they are endowed with certain inaliena-
| BILE rights that among those are life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,
may have been weakened by later
events, it cannot but be that, on this
morning of the h1ndredth anniversary
| OF the birthday of the nation, these no.
BILE political sentiments will deeply i'm
press the heart of every true American
| citizen. When the citizen of to-day re-
fleets that this declaration was virtual
reputation of the principles of every
other government on earth, that 1t was
an affront to every ruler i'll the world,
and defiance of the most powerful;
government in existence, lis heart will
swell with pride in contemplation of the
little band of patriots who preferred
terrible Indictment against the King of
Great Britain, severed their allegiance
to him, and to the execution of their
high purpose solemnly pledged to each
other their lives, their fortunes, and
their sacred honor. The world has
never witnessed a grander spectacle
nor is the l1lster of the moral courage
and austere integrity of the fathers of
the Republic dim1ned by comparison
with later and more imposing events.
But while the Declaration of Indepen-
dence, the organization OF the govern
ment, and the war of the first Revolu
ton constitute the striking features of
remembrance, awakened into new life
and activity by the centennial anniver-
sary, the growth of the country in
hundred years, in population, territory,
| wealth, and influence among the nations
of the earth, cannot fail to inspire feel
lings of the liveliest satisfaction in
the breast of every citizen Of the United
States. While other people have been
| forced into long and bloody wars to
crafty the personal malice Of rulers, OF
to secure national aggrandizement, the
| wars of the United States have been
| prosecuted to settle great governmental
principles on the side Of justice and
| equity, and to extend the area of human
| freedom. Hence it has come about
that III all countries and among all pep
pie the United States is regarded as the
asylum of the oppressed of all nations,
| thousands of the poor and lowly, here to
find political equality and complete civil
and religious freedom. How worthy of
heroic acts of the fathers in 1776 was the
area of the. second revolution in 1861
need not be told. The war against
slavery, inaugurated by a few obscure
men forty years ago, and prosecuted in
the face of every embarrassment, con-
stitutes an epoch in the history of the
country replete with individual instances
| of the sublimest self-sacrifice, Of the
most indomitable personal courage, and
the most touching devotion to the doc
trine of the inalienable rights of human
| ity. That handful of brave men should
have been able, against reproach, perse-
cltion, and ignominy, to lift their sacred
cause to the dignity of national recogni-
ton and acceptance constitutes the high
est possible tribute to the intelligence
and virtue of the American people. That
this people should finally resolve to
strike off the shackles of the slave, even
at the sacrifice of rivers of the best
blood of the country, and atvast expense
| of treasure, demonstrates the worthiness
of the sons to succeed the fathers. But
| while these proud memories of events
| q hundred years old, SO fresh as to seem
|
OH the first day of January, 1876, it will
| be well to take thought of the present
and of the future. The war for the
preservation of the Union, and for the
abolition of slavery, is over. The States
latey in rebellion have returned to their
allegiance; their representatives sit in
! the halls of the National Legislature
whence they retired fifteen years ago
uttering curses against the nation, the
flag, and the loyal people of the North.
But some OF these representatives sit IL
Congress by virtue of systematic, whole
sale frauds upon the ballot-box. 1t is a
fact that in large sections of the South
the right of the lately enfranchised black
man to participate in elections is prac
tically denied; that through terrorism
he is disfranchised; and that it is the
purpose of one of the great political
parties of the country to nullify the
| amendments to the Constitution which
were ingrafted upon that instrument to
insure to the negro absolute equality i'll
the matter of civil ard political rights.
So long as this fell spirit animates a
| large and compact political organization
the Constitution is in danger, Che govern
nent is in danger, the Union is in dan
| ger. Abraham Lincoln declared that
| the Union could not continue to
exist half slaves and half free. His
| prophetic utterance was soon verified;
| slavery was swept from the country, and
the Union survived. It is easy to foresee
that the Union cannot continue to exist
if any civil or political rights accorded
to white men are denied to black men,
In SO far as the negro is deprived of any
civil or political right conferred upon
him by the amended Cons titution, to
that extent is he made a slave in violation
OF the Constitution. The purpose of
Southern Democrats to nullify the
Constitution in this regard is purpose
to destroy the Union. That there is a
weil-defined purpose on the part of large
classes of people at the South to restrit
the negro in the exercise of the civil
and political rights recently conferred
upon him is beyond question. It has
shown in several ways, and was openly
and even ostentatiously exhibited to the
occasion of the last election in Missis-
sippi. Through the carrying into effect
of that purpose then and there, the will
of the people of that State was over
borne. In word, minority of the
people of Mississippi, through intimida-
ton and force, overawed the majority
and seized possession Of the government.
Can these things be and the nation still
stand2 While the people of the United
States may, on this first morning of the
centennial year, exchange congca:u t u 8
upon past century full of great events
and great deeds, they will do well to
ponder the situation, to question the
signs of the times, to warn the enthusiast
who discerns no cloud on the political
horizon of the future, and call halt to
fhnCn wi tn 10
any American citizen, be he white or
hlanl- tho s.r,aalloct ;crlat rrr,a,.o1,