The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-09-30

. t4s Z 4 Is ( E ~ II
united Government to be established over
discordant people on the basis of Justice to
each freedom to be secured to 1000, 900 eman-
cipated slaves in q hostile community. This to
be done with credit Frustrated by unexampled
expenditures, and under load Of incalculable
debt. Contrast then with now !; that with this
not sixteen years have gone not half a genera
ton our credit is the highest in the world
our debt iquidated until it is easily in hand,
and substantially all held at home {; the nation
stands in the foremost rank, and an indissolu-
BILE Union has been sealed with universal free
dom. To assert that the party had made no
mistakes would be to claim that it is more than
human. Measures are often experimental
sometimes choice of evils A party must be
that the Democratic party would have improved
on this magnificent result, the grandest in civil
history, is to insult common sense and libel
common honesty. It has stood as party Of
obstruction. It has stood as q prophet Of
evil, intent on making its predictions good.
1t has proposed no great measure, it has cham
pioned no great idea, it has uttered no broad
catholic truth. Whatever has been achieved
for human progress, national stability, personal
freedom, has been accomplished in it's despite.
It is even driven to the necessity of making a
merit of acquiescing in what it was power
less to prevent and is impotent to re-
verse. Twelve years ago it denounced the
Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth
amendments of the constitution as revo-
luhonary and void. To-day it comedies they
are part of the organic law. It has taken the
party twelve yearsto discover what all the world
knew. Gen. Hancock in bis letter of accept
ance, says these amendments must be main
tanned. I read that part of his letter with de-
light, and half expected to find the logical Sc
quence- that he would advise everybody to
support Garfield. who had assisted in their adop-
ton. But there is a difference between lip
service and heart-service between creed and
faith between the letter which killeth and the
spirit which maketh alive. THERE'S difference
between accepting situation as a hard necessi-
ty, and embracing it as a joyful opportunity.
The Republican party achieved it's principles in
tribulation and trial. It chung to them when it
was treading the wine-press it bore them amid
the fires of battle; in the darkness of defeat it
Of the faithful, it flung them to the broad light
in the triumphant glory of victory. Come veal
or come woe, come Joy or sorrow, they are part
of its history forever.
If must refer to facts which are but too
familiar, it is because of the difficulty of dem
onstrating proposition which ought to be evil
dent from its statement. s.-
In the course of an elaborate speech in the
Senate, on the 10th of May 1879, Senator Hill,
Of Georgia. said: emo, my good Northern
Democratic brethren, you saved the country at
last you saved the Union in the hour Of its
peril-not the Republican partly" The au-
dacity of this declaration is unequaled in the
oratory Of ancient or modern times. If Dan
toms definition Of oratory and leadership be
correct, L'audace, raudace, ct toujours raudace,
the Senator from Georgia, in one sentence
made Cicero a babbler, and Demosthenes q
clown made Caesar a camp-follower, and MAJ
poleOn sutler. ,.
Let us make every concession that is consist
ent with truth let us state the case at it's best
fNr ha tin ,orfvy ~ fho NnrtI, a.
admit that war was inevitable, that it was a
conflict Of moral forces, old as time, strong as
death, for which craftsmanship had no solu-
ton, peace no arbitrament. If, when war could
no longer be postponed it was not a thing to be
dreaded but to be met, if, then, the Democratic
party of the North had made one authoritative
declaration for the maintenance of the Union,
the war would have been short and decisive,
and would have filed but a few pages of his
tory. At that crisis, when every instinct Of
patriotism called aloud for action, the Demo
cratic party of the North stood with folded
arms and dumb lips. Silence then is an accuser
now. For the long continuance of the war we
have chapters, volumes of desolation; for heca-
tonbs of heroic lives, history will hold that
party responsible. The stain of blood is on it's
hands so deep not the ocean of time can wash
it out. 1t would "the multitudinous seas in
carnadine, making the green ones red"
The war went on for weary months and
years. Its murky clouds were seldom illumined
for us save when victory flashed from the
sword of Grant The Democratic party had
| utterly failed to meet the question of union OF
disunion.
There came another time of trial. 1t had an.
other great opportunity to redeem its past
There came time when the exigencies Of wal
demanded the emancipation of the slaves. The
choice was between emancipation and victory
| slavery and defeat. The word was spoken, thu
bond were made free. As mere war measure
| the proclamation of emancipation was more
! than the sword of Gideon, more than thu
| sword of Michael it was the sword of Trutl
from the armory of the God of justice. But i
cerned universal humanity and all time t.
come. 1t was one of the great events of his
tory. AS we recede from tin the perspective
of the ages, it will rise above Pyramids, abov
the Himalayas, above the stars. Then tn
clock of time struck ~. Then, if ever, tn
morning stars sang together, and the sons
God shouted for joy. In this jubilee of hu
mainly there was one note of discord on
voice of lamentation. To the Democratic part
the light was darkness. No wonder that in it
counsels the war was a failure. What to it wa
the Union without slavery?
In this great chapter of events which make
our age heroic, ask what patriotic act or ut
cratic party? There were Democrats who wer
patriots, but their patriotism found voice an
action outside the party. The more they wer
patriots the less they were Democrats.
| Why 60 back? How can the spirit, tendenc
Of party, its moral force, direction ard pun
pose be judged but by its history? These ar
not changed in an hour, by resolution, or
setting up fgure-head for office. I charg
that the Democratic party has been false to th
Union, false to freedom, false to humanity. II
claim to administer the Government which
was willing to abandon or eager to destroy
monstrous-a satire on patriotism, reason an
sense. Nothing in its life would become it Liz
the leaving of it.
Why go back2 The Democratic party itse
gives the challenge. It invites no statute
limitations. It comes into this canvass Aaun
ing its traditions, proud of its identity. 1t al
peals to its followers as ''The Old Democrat
party!" The distinguished gentleman wi
presided at its late National Convention COZ
graduated that body because it contained
many men who were in the convention of s.
which nominated James Buchanan, and toe
hope that the party would again succeed al
restore the administration of the Governmel
to Democratic principles. Think of that! I'll
administration of the Government of the Unite
States brought back to the point where jam
Buchanan left it
DEMOCRACY DlSSECTED.