The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-11-04
rALMAeE OK rHE ELECTION.

Last Sunday Mr.. Talmage preach-
ed a powerful sermon in New York'
guided by the 18th verse of the 9TH
chapter of Galatians. which reads
Brethren, We have been called to
liberty; only use not liberty for an
occasion To the flesh" lie said:
I'd like to gather up all that has
been said against General Hancock
and bury it deep and erect a monu-
ment over it with this inscription:
Here rests the large family OF Re-
publican lies. IL. |. p" and then I'd
like to gather up ali that has been
sald against Mr.. Garfield. and treat
ii in the same way. merely substitut-
ing for the word Republican the
word Democratic"
If | had scales delicate enough 10
weigh defamation and abuse could
tell YOU who will bc the next prcSi-
dent. I'd weigh Scurrility against
scurrility and make n very good
prophecy. | hate this abuse of
public men. and so. think. do the
majority OF people. The fact that
IA man Is up seems Il proof to certain
minds that he ought TO he brought
down. The air is full of carrion
crows sccnting carcasseS. Cav, cav.
cav. (Mr. Talmagc's inimtable imi-
tation of the note of the crow. not
to speak irrcvereutly. brought the
house down.) There are newspa-
pcrs in the United States which seem
TO mistake wild Iiccnse for liberty,
They demand that the members of
their reportorial corps shall return
10 the office with buckets of filth.
They tip the end of the city sewer
into the editorial inkStand. They
breakfast, dine and sup on indecen-
cies: they roll and wallow in them.
These unciean, miserable political
editors write with quillnot plucked
from the stupid goose or the sub
lime eagle, but from the turkey-buz-
Zard.
But | call you away from this
work of the political scavengerS.
There is one question i'll this canvass
in the light of which all other issues
sink into nsi@nificance-mere mole
hills by the side of Mount Blanc
1t is greater than the tariff question.
greater than the Chinese question
1t is the question,"how shall we turn
the solid South and the solid North
into one great nationality 2" The
Republicans say, "elect our man and
you will accomplish ii : the Demo
crats say to "bring this about YOU
must elect our man" | won't 90
into the merits of their respective
claims, but urge you To discuss this
question. TO think over il, to pray
over it, and then to vote with a view
to it. Massachusetts and Alabama
have been long enough separated
they need TO be remarked. There
has been blood enough. there have
been graves enough and agony
enough. Let us stand between the
graves Of the Blue and of the Gray
and forgive the embrace. ] hope
in God we have had the last politi-
cal platform in which there will be
any mention of a North or of South.
If this quarrel is to go on forever
and cver-if this spirit of sectional
ism and hatred is to be kept alive
God knows we might better have
let the South go in 1860. Your BROTH
ers and fathers did not fight and die
for divided Union; they fought
for IL thorough remiting of the
states. Twas glad TO see Southern
brigadiers,' as they are called, at the
Cooper Union. Now let Northern
brigadiers speak at the halls of
Charleston and New Orleans. You
crossed swords. now cross palms.
Let the ballot-box OF Tuesday week
be the altar upon which shall be sac
rificed all sectional hate.