Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-08-21

songs of to-day. The only consistency
they respect is the record of persistent
growth 1t is these traits that cause some
politicians to misconstrue their purpose.
1t is personal egotism that causes other
politicians to follow the will-'o-the- wisp
of an ambition to "rule" the people, or to
impress on them the brand of their in
dividual beliefs. The only man fit to be
the ruler of a republic, the only man
who can ever succeed as a president is he
who has no policy of his own to enforce
against the will of the people he who
has no policy at all, excepting faithfully
to execute the laws of the people.
THE PARTY OF PROGRESS, HUMANITY AND
-. PATRIOTISM.
No one can doubt that the republican
party has been the party of progress. 1t
began its life by driving back the de-
stroying angel of slavery from the terri
tories. As soon as it came of age it
orappled with the demon of treason, and
slew him who sought the young nations
life. Beneath its divine displeasure, hui
man slavery disappeared from our land
forever OF four millions of bondmen
it made freedmen. Of four millions of
freedmen it made citizens. Divine in it's
compassion as in its anger, no soldier of
slavery was punished for his unmanly
crime. He was treated as an erring
child. Treason was not made odious by
national decree. One by one, platoon by
platoon, state by state, the dastards who
fought fiercely III order that they might
safely enslave aweaker race; that they
might rob the blacks of the fruits of their
= toll, and sell the fruits of their love, with
out rebuke or retribution-were rapidly
restored to their civil and politicalri gifts.
The prodigal sons were welcomed home.
They were trusted. History has no SIM
liar story of magnanimity to tell. No or
ganization of men, whether religious or
political, has a more lustrOus record than
the republican party. Other parties have
blessed their friends; this party alone
showered benefactions on its foes For
once only on this planet the Hottest teach
ing of Christianity was practiccd by a
political organization.
ENEMIES TO GOOD GOVERNMENT AGAIN
UNITED.
With what result? There is solid
south. That solid south has allied its po-
litical fortunes with the democratic par
". They are as Eng and Chang, one and
indivisible. Without the solid south the
democratic party would be feeble fac
tion-a moral nightscayenger's cart, Ia
den with the off-scourings of Tipperary
civilization, instead Of a war chariot
armed with disciplined and eXultant SOL
diers, confident of an early victory over
their benefactors.
No man denies or can deny that the
south will rule the republic if the demo-
cratic party succeeds at the next presi-
Dental election. BY "south" | mean
the old rulers Of the southern confedera-
cy-the bourbon demOcracy-not the pe0-
ole of the southern states, but the present
controllers of their political organiza-
tons. For, the exconfederatep politicians
and the democratic leaders Of the south
are the same men, inspired by the same
spirit, teaching the same ideas, cursed in
soul by the same preiudices of race and
Of creed, which caused the old south to
linger SO far behind the north in the
march Of civilization, and Hung her at
last into the arms Of a civil war.
Are these men fit to govern the nation
I answer, no. Is this, then,a time to de-
spair of the republican party? l answer,
no. 80 SIS
I do not say that the south should not
rule the republic solely or chiefly be-
cause its leaders were traitors to the re-
public. That, surely, is a sufficient rea-
son. A protest against the rule of the
runners is the dictate of prudence, not the
utterances Of hate. We did not let the
south go; we cannonaded it back into
the union; we compelled it to lay down
its arms. We didsnot dream of concili-
alton until resistance ceased. And now,
I hold, the cure for all the evils we en-
dure-all of them spawned by rebellion
lis not to be found in conciliating the
men who owe their lives and estates to
our compassion, and repay the debt by
undying hatred and ceaseless obloquy,
but in maintaining the ideas and by
sustaining the party that restored the nn-
ion of the fathers, clad now in the white
robes of freedom, unsullied and ire
kproachable.~ 1t is civic blasphemy
against the memory Of the glorious hosts
Of young men who went down gladly in
to their graves that the union might live,
to compare them, even for a moment,
with the dark legions who preferred to
risk their lives rather than part with
their unholy power to enslave and traffic
in the flesh and blood of their fellOW-men.
Such comparisons are odious in the
sight of God and men. They Obliterate
the distinctions between right and wrong.
They abolish all the heroisms Of history.
They put crowns on the heads ofpersecu-
tors and martyrs alike. There is only one
phrase that correctly describes this tbeo-
ry; and, although, it is not classical, it is
pictorial; that phrase is, moral naatsh. 1t is
the philosophy of bats and owls-the
blindness that comes to the purblind by
an excess of light. And whatever the
blind leaders of the blind may say, his
tory will record that the great struggle of
the rebellion was not a contest Of 'Greek
against Greek" but Of the, powers of
darkness against the powers Of light; of
ancient barbarism against modern civil
ization; of despotism founded (as AL
exander H. Stephens stated that the
southern confederacy was to be founded)
on the slavery Of the black race against
free republic, based upon. the. sacred
broth erhood of man. So .''
INCAPACITY OF SOUTHERN STATESMAN
Pr1f from ire crime of TO bnl ION