Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-10-09
TWO CIVILIZATIONS.
The Northern and the South
ern--A Striking Con-
traSt.
Thu people MIST Choose Betwee
These Civilizations, and Between
the parties Representing them.

Speech of the Hon. Green B. Raum, Com
missioner of Internal Revenue, at
Alliance, o., Sept. 25, 1878.
FELLOW CITIZENS OF ONO: The con.
tinuance OF the Republican party in the
control of the National Government is
essential to the prosperity, repose, and
progress of the country The Republi-
cans of Ohio arc alive TO the importance
of gaining q signal victory over their old
antagonists this fall, as forerunner of
that grand triumph in 1880 which awaits
the advocates { f honest money, an hon.
est payment of debts, and the protection
of all men in the rights of liberty and
equality before the law. And in this
great contest the Republican party invites
AN investigation of its principles and of
its record, and relies with unabated con.
fidence on the intelligence and integrity
Of the voters of the state.
TWO OPPOSING CIVILIZATIONS.
desire to call your attention to the
fact that we have two distinct civiliZa
tions growing up in this country,-one in
the free North, and the other in the
slaveholding South.
In Ohio, and the northern states gene
rally,the doctrines of the declaration OF in
dependence were embraced; and the prin
ciples that all men are created equal, that
the just powers Of the government are
derived from the consent Of the govern
e., and that equal laws should afford
equal protection to all citizens, became
the foundations upon which society and
our system of government were built.
And just as these principles have grown
and taken root. so have intelligence, NOR
ality, education, enterprise, and thrift
prevailed. In the country stretching
from Aroostook to the Golden Gate
is found the highest type of
civilization that has ever ap-
peared on the tide of time; a more uni
versal recognition of the rights of man
public opinion better disposed to the
observance and enforcement of law; a
better system OF schools and colleges; a
more general diffusion of education and
knowledge; better food, raiment, and
shelter; a broader intelligence; more
enlarged inventive genius; and with
greater evidence of prosperity, enterprise
and thrift than occur IN any other part
af tho uoYld Thoeo are the outgrowt III
of the principles Of liberty, equality and
justice. In the states composing this
great territory, large majority of the
people have embraced the political doc
lrines of the republican party.
CIVILIZATION cF THE SOUTH.
Turning to the southern states, it will
be observed that whenever a man of
southern birth sincerely embraces the
| doctrines Of the Declaration Of Indepen-
dence, he unites with the republican
| party.
In respect to the civilization of those
states, the leading fact to be recognized
! was slavery. Upon this great crime was
built society, religion, politics, and the
| state. This institution became the en-
bodlment Of denial Of the great truths
of the Declaration Of independence
| Freedom of speech and of the press was
| unknown. No one was permitted 10
| question the divine right of slavery. The
| slavehold, rs were privileged class, gov.
erning the south, and claiming perfect
| control of the nation. The slaves were
denied education by law, and the poor
whites were deprived Of it by the exclu-
| siveness Of the schools. The human de-
graduation and oppression inseparable
| from slavery sapped the very foundation
| OF public morality; while the intellectu-
al inertia resulting from a system OF
seEvile labor forbade all development OF
| ingenuity, enterprise, or thrift.
| This was the condition of things before
the war, and the war came as a conflict
between these two great ideas and sys.
| tens. Slavery was destroyed; but the
| opinions and habits of the people, deep.
rooted by growth of 30 years under
the baleful influence of slavery, remain.
cd the same AS slave the negro was
deprived of his rights, was held in sub
| lection, and compelled by force to per
form the tasks imposed upon him by hi;
master. The bOwie-knife, the revolver
and the bloodhound were ready to rein
force the lash at suggestion of resist
ance. AS freedman, the negro is des
poilcd of his wages, denied the protec
ton OF the laws, and deprived of The
rights of free assemblage, free speech
and free ballot, by tho same means By
which he was cOwed into subsection as
slave.
Tie civilization of the South was bull
upon the doctrine that the negro race wa!
a slave race; that he was not part O.
the body polite, otherwise than as hi!
enumeration might serve to increase the
political power of the whites: and tha
he had no proper voice in making or en-
forcing the laws by which he was to bs
governed. The Democrats of the soutf
entertain the same opinion to-day, ant
they believe, further, that the emancipa
ton and enfranchisement of the negro
was a great crime; that the contro
of the south is the birthright of the south
ern whites; that the democratic party il
the representative Of order, and is thu
true agency for the government of th'
south and that opposition to the Demo
cratic party IS an attack upon order anC
society, and may rightfully be over
thrown, although it consists of MAORI
ty. This is the logic by which their pub
lie men reason themselves into the opin
ion that to carry elections by fraud, in
timidation, and murder is the exercise o
the God-given right of self-defense.
And, in addition TO all this, the Democ
racy of the south believe in the doctrin,
of state rights in its most enlarged sense
They deny that this fatal doctrine wa
settled by the war. They have agair
thrust il upon the attention of the coun
try in both houses Of congress, and b,
the public spec ches and letters of all th
leading men of the democratic party, in
GLIDING Jefferson Davis. And l call tn
attention Of the people of Ohio to tn
fact that all the Democratic leaders o
the north, including Gems. Ewing ant
Rice, are the sturdy allies Of the democ
racy of the south in their stacks upol
The public peace and the settlements o
the war.
| prRJTy or FTEcsrTOHS