The daily Cairo bulletin., 1878-08-25
AN ADDRESS
DELn Erred by
MIR. DAVID T. LINEGAR,
--ON--
THE POLITICAL ISSUES OF
THE DAY.
AT TURNER HALL, ~ THE CITY or CAIRO
WEDNESDAY NIGHT, AUG. 81, 1878.

constantly pressing upon the citizens Of the
Republic, and each recurring year brings
new and important ones. Sometimes old
ones assume Il new shape and call for a re-
hearing
In times Of excitement it is not unfre.
quent that the people drift away from fun
damcntal principles and grasp at shadows
and contingencies for success or immediate
relief.
The people Of this country since 1860
have been in one continuous state Of excite
ment.
The presidential campaign Of that year
is fresh in the memory Of many now living
while the four great actors in that mcmora-
be campaign have all gone into eternal re-
tremcnt.
Abraham Lincoln was chosen leader Of
the Republican party, party then young
and vigorous, composed chiefly Of the free.
soil elements of the old Wing and Demo
cratic parties, and in its second contest for
National preierment.
John Bell was chosen as the leader Of the
American party, party composed mainly
Of the remnants Of the old Whig party
Stephen 4. Douglas WAS chosen as the
leader of what may be denominated the
moderate or conservative Democrats.
.Ioh c. Breckenridge was chosen leader OF
the ultra pro slavery Democrats.
Each party pronounced a platform of
principles; each avowing strong adhcrance
to the fundamental principles OF rcpub-
lican government and the rights Of the
States.
The Republican party was ultra free-soil
anti.slavery and States rights.
The Douglas wing Of the Democratic
party and the American party were inaitfar-
cnt TO the questions of free-soil and slavery.
The Breckenridge wing Of the Demo
cratic party was ultra pro-slavery, slave
soil and State sovereignty.
The contest OF principles lay between
Lincoln and Breckenridge, as after events
clearly demonstrated
Mr. Lincoln was chosen president, and
when inaugurated on the 4th OF March
1861, several OF the Breckenridge States
had declared for State sovereignty, seeded
and formed u slave republic and denied and
dciicd the power of the old republic TO inter
fcrc with them Soon after other States
followed, until all the slave States except
Decware, Maryland, Kentucky and Mis-
souri, became members of the Southern
Confederacy Confederate guns were turn
cd upoa Fort Sumter, and on l4th of April,
1861, the gallant Anderson was forced to
surrender the old tort President Lincoln
called for seycnty-fvc thousand men, and
they came as men had never come before.
The lightning fash gave torththc president,
call and the next train that left tha railroad
station went loaded with brave patriotic
men for the camps Of rendezvous. Doug
las, the great leader sprang 10 the front, and
if he and his followers had been indifferent
TO the cause OF freedom or slavery they
were not Indifferent to the cause Of the old
republic. The call was filled not by Raput-
licans alone, but by the Republicans. Dem
ocmt, and Americans. In twenty-tour
hours after the fall OF Fort Sumter the
North was lighted as with blaz, Of fire
The Old dag was seen floating from almost
every cuisines, place and residence in our
throngrd cities and from almost every cabin
and cottage in the country, while trains
moved on, with brave men, greeted with the
tears and tossed kisses OF the loved ones
that stool by the waysidc to cheer them on.
seemed TO be riding through forests of flags.
II was the response Of the citizens 10 the
call OF the republic the gathering Of the
citizen soldiers But while this was gong
on at the North the slave States were not
les, active. The call to arms was as readily
responded to at the South as in the North.
The beach the bar and the pulpit with
one accord endorsed the cause of slavery
and applauded the separation. The intel.
ligcncr. tha wealth and the manhood OF the
South indorSed her cause. Their women
chetred th ir brave men with flowers and
kisses, stripped their beds of clothing, their
floor, OF carpets 10 make comfortable the
camps Of the confederate soldiers. The
people of the slave States showed as
much earncstnesS and faith in the cause
of the contedcrrcy As did the people Of the
free States in the cIuse Of the old republic.
And while, in my opinion, at was Il mistak-
EN- judgement on the part Of the people Of
the South, il was none the less earnest and
sincere on III" part of the masses that en-
gagged in the struggle for its maintenance
1t was no longer II contest of reason based
" principles of right. 1t was IN appeal
from reason to courage-flom the ballot to
the bullet The advocates of slavery and
State sovereignty had been beaten at the
polls and demanded the wager of battle
The friends of freedom and States rights
accepted the challenge and the issue was
formed.
On the one side it was slavery and State
sovcrcignty--on the other side freedom and
the right Of the great rcdublic to maintain
its authority over the royoted and seeded
States.
was not, as some have supposed and
many contend, Il war against republican in
stitu'ions, for the slave States retained un
sullicd their Old republican constitutions
and formed Il general government as repub
lican in form as the one from which they
had seeded, Notwithstanding 1t was built
upon the sandy foundation Of slavery.
need not recount to this audience th,
particulars Of the battles Of Bull Run, Bel
mont, Fort Donclson, Shiloh. Corinth
Vicksburg, Gettysburg, Anti tam, the Fiv,
Oaks Malvern hills, Chickamauga anC
lookout Mountain, nor the cries of on /,
Richmond. 1t is sufficient that Gran
marched through the wilderness and Shrr
man marched t. the sen. Lee SURRENDERED
to Grant and johnson surrendered to Shcr