, 1880-07-12

the practice of his profession, had, DUR
ing his short stay among US, won upon
the good grsces Of the people by fair
address, unexceptienable department.
more than average literary taste and cul-
ture, which he was not at all disposed to
hide under a bushel, and degree of
modest assurance sufficient to preserve
him from any embarrassment arising
from having his merits over-estimated.
To give the young gentleman chance
which he manifestly coveted-to air his
literary requirements to the admiration
and wondcrmeHt of people less favor
ed than himself in CLASSIC lore, the COM
mittee charged with that duty, kindly
assigned to him the time -h0nored trust
Of apostrophising the glorious stars and
stripes and letting loose the noble bird
of Jove to disport itself over the land of
the free for the occasion. The effort of
our orator, as a specimen OF literary
whipped sillabub-sweetened wind-was
of the conventional style, and would not
have been discreditable as the compost
tion exercise Of sophomore OF one of
our first class colleges; but when he at
tempted to flavor his agreeable platitudes
with historical facts and deductions, and
maxims of political science, he exhibited
an ignorance OF his own country in mark
ed contrast with his classic quotations
and illustrations showing that his polit-
ical education had been confined to party
clap>trap used by dsmagoeues to incite
sectional prejudice and gull fools; em-
bracing dead issues, and questions Of
party difference, which it is gross
breach of good taste, good manners, and
decent respect for the opinions OF others,
to lug into public discussion on nation
al festival occasion, manifesting parts
san spirit no less intense than that which
invokes the curse OF God upon the living
friends of dead enemies; for which ado
lescense is no excuse; no we'll bred school
boy would be guilty of such an offence on
an occasion eonsecrated to patriotism
and brotherly unity.
Is slavery not dead Then where the
occasion of repeating such libel upon
our Government as follows, in allusion to
slavery:
ut fourished and grew until its power
controlled the national legislature, die
tated the policy of the President, and
crawling upon the bench of the highest
tribunal of the land, solemnly declared
that in pursuance of the Declaration of
Independence, and under the Cunstitu--
tion OF the United States, the negro had
no rights which white man Was bound
to respect"
If this were literally true. there can
be no possible object in stating it now
but to perpetuats prejudices after the
cause has been removed But there is
not one werd of truth in it. There is
not documentary fact to sustain the
statement that the power of slavery con-
trolled Congress or dictated the policy
of the President. There is not upon
public record slngle act of concession
to the slave power by either Congress or
the President; but many acts of aggres>
sion. Slavery was legalized institution
in eleven Of the thirteen original States,
as every well informed school boy Knows,
and from first to last It was never exten>
ded over rood Of territory after the
adoption of the Constitution. Virginia
ceded the Northwest Territory, now ems
bracing Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wiscon-
ism and Michigan, upon the expressed
cordition that slavery OF Involuntary
servitude be forever prohibited in that
Territory. That ordinance was drawn
by Thomas Jefferson, concurred in by
Virginia and adopted by Congress rep
resenting a majority of slave-holding
States. Every free State Constitution,
after the adoption of the Constitution,
from Maine to California, was formed
under the auspices Of the Democratic
party and admitted to the Union BY a
Democratic Congress. The free State
clause in the Constitution of California
was reported by DR.. Gwin, Mssissip-
plan, as Chairman of the Committee, and
adopted without opposition by Con-
vention composed largely of Southern
slave holders. The first State Constitu-
ton formed by the Republican party
under its present organization was what
was called the "Topeka Constitution"
MI.