Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-09-18
semi.MeckIy Union AdvertisIng BATES.
TO YOUNG MEN.
A Ringing Appeal by General Garfield a
Year Ago.

TO YOUNG MEN.
A Ringing Appeal by General Garfield a
Year Ago.
The following is an extract from speech
delivered at Cleveland, Ohio, last October ::
l see in this great audience tonight a
great many young men-young men who
are about to cast their first vote. | want
to give you a word of suggestion and adj
vice. heard a very brilliant thing said by
boy the other day up in one of the north
western counties. He said to me "Gen-
eral, have great mind to vote the Dem
ocratic ticket" That was not the brilliant
thing. said to him: "Why 2" "Why, :"
said he, ''my father is a Republican, and
my brothers are Republicans, and l am a
Republican all over, but l want to be an
Independent man, and l don't want any
body to say, That fellow votes the Repub-
ican ticket just because his dad does, and
| have a mind to vote the Democratic
ticket just to prove my independence. l
did not like the thing the boy suggested,
but l did admire the spirit of the boy that
wanted to have some independence of his
own. Now, | tell you, young man, don't
vote the Republican ticket just because
your father votes it. Don't vote the Dem
ocratic ticket even if he does vote it. But
let me give you one word of advice as you
are about to pitch your tent in one of the
great political camps. Your life is full and
buoyant with hope now, and l beg you,
when you pitch your tent, pitch it among
the living and not among the dead. If
you are at ali inclined to pitch it among the
Democratic people and with that party, let
me 60 with you for moment while we
survey the ground where hope you will
not shortly lie. 1t is a sad place, young
man, for you to put your young life into.
1t is to me far more like grave than like
a camp for the living. Look at it 1t is
beloved all over with graves of dead is
sues, of buried opinions. of exploded theo-
RES, of disgraceful doctrines. You can
not live in comfort in such place. Why,
look here. Here is little double mound.
look down on it and read 4" Sacred to
the memory Of Squatter Sovereignty and
the bred Scott Decision" a million and a
half of Democrats voted for that, but it has
been dead fifteen years-died by the hands
of Abraham Lincoln, and here it lies.
Young man, that is not the place for you.
But look little further. Here is another
monument black tomb-and beside it
there towers to the sky monument of
four million pairs of human letters, taken
from the arms of slaves, and l read on its
little headstone this "Sacred to the mem
DRY of human slavery" For forty years
of its infamous life the Democratic party
taught that it was divine-God's institu-
ton. They defended it, they stood around
it. they followed it to the grave as a
R,,f har - lfaa la,l h., he
hand of Abraham Lincoln. Dead by the
power of the Republican party, Dead by
the justice Of Almighty God. Don't camp
there, young man. But here is another
little birthstone tomb-and l read across
its yellow face in lurid, bloody lines, these
words: Sacred to the memory of State
Sovereignty and Secession" Twelve mill
ions Of Democrats mustered around it In
arms to keep it alive, but here it lies, shot
to death by the million guns of the repub-
lie. Here it lies, its shrine burnt to ashes
under the blazing rafters of the burning
confederacy. 1t is dead | would not
have you stay in there minute, even in
this balmy night air, to look at such a
place. Is there any death in our camp
Yes yes Three hundred and fifty thou
sand soldiers, the noblest band that ever
trod the earth, died to make this camp a
camp OF glory and OF liberty forever. But
there are no dead Issues here. Hang out
our banner from under the blue sky this
night until it shall sweep the green turf
under your feet 1t hangs over our camp.
Read away up under the stars the inscrip-
tioa we have written on it, lo these
twenty-five years. Twenty-Five years ago
the Republican party was married to Lib
erty, and this is our silver wedding, fellow
citizens. A worthy married pair love each
other better on the day of their silver we'd
ding than on the day OF their first espous-
ais and we are truer TO liberty to-day and
dearer to God than when we spoke our first
word of liberty Read away up under the
sky across our starry banner that first word
we uttered twenty-five years ago What is
it slavery shall never extend over an.
other foot OF the territories of the great
West" Is that dead or alive: Alive,
thank God for evermore And truer to-
night than it was the hour it was written
Then it was a hope, promise, purpose
Tonight it Is equal with the stars-im-
mortal history and immortal truth. Come
down the glorious steps of our banner. Ev-
cry great record we have made we have
indicated with our blood and our truth.
1t sweeps the ground and it touches the
stars. Come there, young man, and put in
your young life where all is living, and
where nothing is dead, but the heroes who
defended it. Gentlemen, we are closing
this memorial campaign. We have got our
enemies on the run everywhere And all
you need to do in this noble city, this Cap
italof the Western Reserve, is to follow them
up and finish 1t by showing the rebellion
under once more. We stand on an 18TH
mus. This year and next is the narrow
isthmus between us and perpetual victory
II yon can win now and win in 1850. then
the very stars in their courses will fight
for us. The census will do the work, and
will give us thirty more freemen of the
North in our Congress that will make up
for the rebellion OF the South. We are
posted here as the Greeks were posted at
Thermopyl@, to meet this one great bar.
barian, Xerxes OF the isthmus. Stand in
your places, men of Ohio Fight this bat
tie, win this victory, and then one more
puts you in safety forever