Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-08-17
w hole Number 1441

dent should be inaugurated; that
chaos should come in place of order,
and violence and anarchy in this
centennial year of our history. And
l take TINS occasion to say here that
immortal honor is due to the forty
men who fought in arms AGAINST ms
rebels as they were once, who broke
from the solid ranks of the Northern
Democratic leaders and said that
faith should be kept and the count
should be completed and the Presi-
dent be inaugurated, whether it was
the man of their choice or not. Ap-
plause.
l take this occasion to say in the
heart of this old Abolition Reserve
that no true American will ever for
get the honor due to those Southern
men who helped us to save the
country against their Northern Dem
ocratIc leaders,-Now, gentlemen,
over against this rule of the worst,
the old Republican party again steps
to the front to take its place in the
line of great action. 1t comes be-
fore the country with twenty-one
years of honorable history behind it;
it comes before the country with
tradition and achievements of which
it is proud; proud that it dared to
face rebellion and war, and that it
dared to go to the bottom and to
pluck out by the roots the guilty
cause of rebellion and war, and to
say that all men shall be free; proud
that it dared to build up and recog-
nize the Republic on the basis of
equal rights, civil and political, to
all men, without regard to race or
color-proud of all these achiev-
ments. Ready to have done its du-
ty in the days of war, now equally
ready TO do its duty in the days of
peace. l am glad to say that the
Republican party is not party that
is guided by the wake behind its
craft, but it prefers to stand on the
bow of its ship and guide its course
by the great interests of the nation
as they arise. Because we once led
in war; because we learned military
methods and pursued them coura-
geously, we do not always need to
be in arms and pursue military
methods. The Republican party is
able, when it comes where the roads
fork and see the way the new inter
ests of the nation require it, to see
that the time ought to come when
all military methods of war are to
be folded like a proud banner that
has done its duty i'll the fight and to
enter upon the processes of peace;
and those processes are to remit all
the States, North and South, to the
equal right of self-goxernment. Ap-
plause. We hold the equal rights
of citizens before law; we equally
hold the rights of the States before
the Constitution and the laws; and
when they remit those States to
their own self-government, however
bad they may behave in their local
concerns, we do not any the less bold
to all the great sanctions or princi-
pies that were adopted when we
made the amendments to the Con-
stitution. We do not propose to
lay down any one of them, nor to in
wade the right of any State.
Now 1 am glad to say with no re-
serves that l am glad that our own
chosen Chief of the Nation, out of
our own State, from among US, has
had the courage to see the epoch in
which he lives and dared to do what
he believed the interests of the ma
ton require. YOn must not expect
of him-because he is human-that
every act of his will accord with ali
your opinions or mine. LIDO not ask
| that of any President, nor do 1 say
it in advance nor afterwards, for any
man that has ever lived, but 1 do
! say that his heart beats in It's old
place, a Republican with the love of
his country in his heart; and it is
our duty to see that he is fairly, in
| dependently and earnestly support
ed in the stuggle he is carrying on
in the Nation. Great applause.
| l have another word to say. In
these days of political cowardice the
| very gods look down in admiration
upon the man or party that has the
courage of its opinion and dares tc
run the risk of dying for the sake
Of being right. Applause. We
have spoken as great National Re.
publican party only twelve months
ago. Those words of ours are on
record. We have spoken for honest
ballots, foR honest money, for honest
finances, and for the public faith
and trust that all we shall say to
day will be in the line of all thos,
great truths that we have pledged
our support to in the past. Ap
plause. OBTAINING you with bu
another word. again thank yOl
for the honor You have seen fit t.
tender me. and express my gratitica
tion of feeling, at being one of tn
great company of worthy RePubli
cans. l assume the duties of Chair
man, and ask thst the order Of busl
ness be given me.