Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1880-10-06
JUDGEAGNEwS SPEECH.

last week, but find we can only give
the following synopsis. This speech
brought to remembrance information
of kind most important for present
use. The principal object of the ad-
dress was, not to revive, or keep alive,
any ill-feeling between the Northern
and Southern sections OF the Nation,
but to show from the record, as 1T
were, which party, the Democratic or
the Republican, were to be justly
charged with "sectionalism." The
Democrats noU are charging the Re
publicans with being sectional" or
endeavoring to keep up sectional
strife between the North and the
South. But their whole history has
shown that they are, and have been,
the sectional party. This, Judge Ag-
new proves most clearly from the Dem
ocratic record on the slavery question.
In former years, and before the rebel
lion, the Democracy claimed that
Slavery was National" and therefore
had right to extend, anu he carried
to and over the free Territories of our
country. This doctrine would have
made Freedom local. But this ques-
ton finally brought on the war of the
Rebellion, and now there is no slavery,
but freedom everywhere. The point OF
the address is, that if the Democrats
regain power they may, being judged
by their past history, undo much that
the late war accomplished. We were
struck on reading Judge Agnew's
address with the wonderfully reten-
tive memory he has shown, as to
time and import, of all the great
questions that arose during the past
forty years on the great slavery strug-
gle. 1t is history in itself and called
back to the mind, some of those i'm
portant events, the struggle upon
which has wrought so great change
in our country. The following is a
brief synopsis from the Pittsburgh
papers:
He began by an allusion to his un-
familiarity with political speaking, and
said be would indulge in nothing be-
yoDd the facts furnished by the history
of the country. He then dwelt upon
the duty of every man to cast his vote
honestly and for the right, and asked
every one present to think for himself
"what means the nomination of can
didate by the solid South ? In plain
words, said he, it means common in
terest, and a common intent. What
else could soIidify 1873 votes in sixteen
separate Statesy What were they, and
what common bond has united them
They were all slave States, and, ex-
cept some of the border States, in COM
mon interest and sympathy, furnished
many Confederate soldiers. The solid
vote meant sectional success, for il
General Hancock was elected it would
be by the votes Of the South with the
help OF forty seven of the 23l votes OF
the North. The true character of a
party, continued the speaker, like that
of an individual, is to be learned from
it's acts, motives and practices. The
Democratic party have been governed
by the South, which was responsible
for slavery. and for breaking down the
tariff and thus introducing long trains
of commercial disaster. The popular
sovereignty idea was also the fruit OF
of Democratic feelings, as was the doc
trine that the United States was a
confederation and not a nation
The Judge then reviewed Of length
the history of the parties in Congress,
proving by actual records, the state
ments which he made and then began
the history of the Republican party
from its birth at Lafayette Hall in this
city. The exhaustive historical review
of both parties he concluded by say
ing: 81 speak mainly to the young
men, and my purpose is to produce an
unbroken chain of evideuce not to be
shaken by contradiction or ingenuity,
from which they and others may learn
these truths, viz: That the South
down to the rebellion has welded the
power and influence Of the govern
ment; that to keep up the equipoise OF
numbers and retain this power, she
brought in the immonG0 territory west
of the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean;
that to carry slavery into this vast ex-
panse, she broke down an old and
sacred compromise, forced on the
North by herself, whereby slavery was
bounded by an equitable line, that by
a violent wrestling Of tho Constitution
from its old and received meaning,
Congress was deprived Of the power Of
determining the condition of the ter
ritories, and all barrier to the NATIONAL
ization of slavery were swept away ;
that in accomplishing these purposes
the South had the aid Of at least balf
of the Democratic party in the North ;
that the Democratic party North and
slavery, to carry it into free territory,
and thereby, through its own act, be-
came sectional party-tbat by this
act 1t finally became felo de se, q sui
eide, causing disruption, secession and
war. The same unbroken evidence
proves that the Republican party,
arising in freedom, became the party of
Union, the Constitution and the law,
and carried its mission forward to sue
cess. The issues nov were the same as