Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-07-31
A RINGING SPEECH.
Old Zach Chandler Opens the North
western Campaign.
He Pours a Broadside from His Bat
terry into the Democratic Camp.

speech:
Af. Chairman, and Fell0lc Cui=enS:
have the right 10 use the word fellow
citizens, and use it in no narrow sense
might use it in narrow sense, mas
much as the state Of Wisconsin one,
formed a part of Wayne county, where
now reside. Laughter But l use i
IN its broadest sense, as American citi
Zens. 1t has become popular to tall
about state citizenship, and deny nation
al citizenship. l am glad that you and
have precisely the same rights to go t.
Illinois, to South Carolina, to New York
Or to Georgia, and express our views ant
cast our votes as much as we have righ
TO cast it here in Wisconsin or in Mich
igan; therefore use the word citizens ir
its
BROAD NATIONAL SENSE.
1t is we'll fellow citizens, for us to eel
citrate the 25th anniversary of the forma
ton of the republican party. tits NEE
and proper that we should do so. 1t j:
well, perhaps, that we should boast lit
lie Of the part we individually took il
that formation; let me say, Mr.. Chair
man and fellow citizens, that We were
but units in mighty whole in its forma
on the 9th day of July, 1854, in advance
of Wisconsin, but what does that matter
The republican party was formed by
God, to save human liberty. Applause< ;
No matter who was a day or week or {
month in advance, in carrying out the
will Of Almighty God. We are but sim
pie agents to carry out His WILL
Mr.. Chairman, it may be proper for me
to dwell little upon this anniversary
upon its formation, and
THE REASONs FOR THE FORMATION
of this great republican party. Why was
it born, and why has it lived?
AS has been we'll said to YOU. the en-
croachment OF the slave power had been
so great that all the lovers of human lib
erty throughout the land decided to unite
and resist the further extension of it's
power. The slave power had repealed
the Missouri compromise law, had re-
tanned slavery and took possession of all
the vast territory of these United States
and the Republican party was formed as
a one idea party to resist that power. We
were one idea party at our birth, but
that idea was broad enough and large
enough 10 CoVcr Tue conti.e-.t- Ave. to
cover almost the world. 1t was liberty
to men. (Applause) Fellow citizens and
Mr. Chairman:
ARE WE A NATION?
or are we not? At the foundation of oul
government, when our constitution was
adopted, the whole people Of these United
States, believed that we were nation in.
deed. And so they continued to believe
until in 1880, the State of South Carolina
declared that we were not nation, and
that South Carolina had the right to resist
the government of these United States
Andrew Jackson was then president OF
the United States, and when that State
raised the flag of rebellion against this
government, Andrew Jackson said that
if an attempt was made to resist the laws
Of the United States, by the Eternal, he
would hang John G. Calhoun, the father
of that doctrine (applause), and all the
people knew that he would do it, includ
ing John G. Calhoun. Iaughter.) And
from that day forward it was admitted on
all hands that we were nation. We re.
mained under the conviction that we were
| nation until alter the repeal of
THE MISSOURI, COMPROMISE,
when notification again raised its head
| took my seat in the senate of the
United States for the first time ON the 4th
day of March, 1857, and at that time il
was denied that we were nation. Al
that time the daily and hourly threat on
the floor of the senate, on the floor of tn e
house, everywhere throughout the capital
Of the nation it was said, if you do this
OF if you don't do that we will dissolve
THIS Union. They proclaimed that state
sovereignty over-rode national sover
cignty, and that any one state in the
union had the right to overthrow the
government. That eliminated in 1861 in
A VERDICT AGAINST THIS GOVERNMENT
What careful preparation had been made
for that result during the four years pre-
ceding 1861! Your arms were scattered
mostly among the southern states; your
navies were scattered wherever the winds
blew and water was found; your national
credit which stood high in 1857, was sc
absolutely destroyed that in February,
1861, your bonds bearing six per cent. in.
terest payable in coin were sold at So
cents on the dollar, and no takers for the
whole amount. Your credit was de.
stroyed, and you were in no situation to
go to war; utyou went to war notwith
standing that disadvantage; you fought
the war through to successful issue
When the rebels surrendered at APP
pomattox they admitted that the United
States was government. Laughter and
applause They said we have submit
ted this question to X 81.
III THE ARBITRATION OF ARMS,
and we admit that you have conquered
and we surrender to this nation. At tha
time these rebels made no claims upon
this government; they had pledged, and
in the very ordinances of secession which
they signed, they had pledged their. lives
their fortunes and their sacred honor tt
The overthrow Of this government; ane
having failed, they have lost their lives
their fortunes and their sacred honor
Laughter. They made no claim tt
right against this government for they
had no right against this government
They asked, and humbly asked, the boor
of their miserable lives, and that was al
that they did ask. Laughter.
Mr. Chairman, such magnanimity a:
was exhibited by this nation on that oc
casion, the world has never seen. w
gave them theirsliyes, werestoled to .llem
their property, and, finding them naked
WE CLOTHED THEM,
and restored them to citizenship. They
Were bound by the laws of nations, anl
by the laws of war for thousand years
to have paid every dollar or the expense
Of that rebellion [applausel, every single
dollar they had pledged and lost. and
they were bound to pay every dollar o.
the expenses of that war. We, in oul
magnanimity gave them the debt, and
ltook them back, and took them to oul
arms as brethren, and now, in 1879, wha
do we find? The same identical issues
that were presented to us in 1851 are pre-