Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-09-16
GEN. JOHN A. LOGAN.
His Eloquent and Thrilling
Answer to Judge
Trumbull.
He Conclusively and Ably Refutes
Every Argument Advanced
by Trunlbull.
The Fraudulent Returns Made by
Southern Census Emu
merators.
miscellaneous Political Notes.
GEN. LOGAN'S SPEECH.

At republican rally at Galesburg, ILL.,,
on the 2nd inst, Gen. Logan spoke as fol-
| lows:
Mr. PRESIDENT, LADIES. AND GENTLE-
MEN: In discussing the question whether
or not we will continue in power the party
now controlling the affairs of the govern
ment, or change that control into the
hands of another party, we naturally in
quire for what purpose is a change de-
sired? Is the republican party admins
tering the government in accordance with
the principles which underlie republican
institutions? Are our financial and rev.
enue systems of satisfactory character?
Are the business interests of the people of
the whole country at this time satisfac-
tory? If we answer these questions in the
negative, then in what particular will
either of the party organizations opposed
at this time to the republican party pro-
vide more desirable substitutes? In order
| to Judge, it is well for us to examine some
what into the history of those organiza-
tions, what they have accomplished in the
past, and what they intend to do at pres
J ent and in the future? The democratic
| party being the oldest of the three, its his
| tory is well known to all reading men of
| the country. 1t was organized on the the
| ory that this government was a compact :;
that each state was supreme in itself; thas
| the government was not sovereign, but wat
the mere agent of the states. This theory
was adopted by the Kentucky and Nir-
ginia resolutions of 1898, and indorsed by
| the democratic party, and in 1852 made a
| part of their political creed. The latter
portion of the first resolution upon which
this theory is based, is as follows:
compact was not made the exclusive or
final judge of the question of the powers
| delegated to itself since that would have
made its discretion and not the constitu-
| ton the measure of its power; but that, as
in all other cases of compact among par
ties having no common Judge, each party
has an equal right to judge for itself, as
well of infractions as of the mode and
measure of redress.
Upon this theory, and with slavery as
its cornerstone, it was aggressive and
moved forward, enunciating the doctrine
that slavery was universal and freedom the
exception; that the constitution, by its
own force, carried slavery into any of the
territories of the United States, and that it
could only be excluded by state action. In
1S54-56 this doctrine became so offensive
to the people of the North in the attempt
of the democracy to force slavery upon the
states of Kansas and Nebraska, that the
republican party was organized. Its
fundamental principles were hostility to
the further extension of slavery and to
the doctrine of state sovereignty. In 1860
this new party, with Abraham Lincoln at
its head, made war uncompromisingl
against these false theories of government,
and, by reason of that warfare, elected its
candidates for president and vice-presi-
dent of the United States.
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF ALL THE SOUTH
ERN STATES
combined, and then promulgated the doc
| trine of secession, and eleven states seced-
ed and organized armed rebellion against
| the federal government, and for four years
forced their armies into the field desper-
ately, remorselesly, for its overthrow.
| During this whole contest every act of
the loyal people of the North for the de-
fense and perpetuation Of the national
government was opposed by the democracy
of the country. The raising of troops by
voluntary enrolment Or draft was opposed,
| the enfranchisement and the arming of ne
groes were opposed. the issue of treasury
notes and bonds for the maintenance of
the national credit was opposed and de-
clared unconstitutional, the establishment
of the national banking system, was opposed
and declared unconstitutional. By resO-
| lutions of their national, state and county
conventions. in their public prints, and on
the stump, opposition was unrelentingly
waged against the measures adopted and the
| laws enacted by the republican party for
the overthrow of the rebellion and the
preservation of the union. Mr.. Buch
anan had declared in his presidential mess
age that there was no power in the federal
government, even for its self-preservation,
to coerce the people of state, and this
| theory was everywhere indorsed by the
democratic party, North and South. The
republican party, on the other hand, in
sisted that the constitution conferred
power upon the government to protect it.
| self from violence, either from unorganiz-
ed mobs or organized armies under the sane
tion of isurrectionary states. The whole
theory of the democratic party was staked
on the issue of this war, and that party
lost. The theory of the republican party
won; aud because it won the political or
ganization which advocated and defended
a national Union preserved and thus far
perpetuated, is entitled to popular conf
dence until it can be shown that it has
| abused the great trusts confided to it.
TO SUM UP OUR INQUIRY
| in a single sentence. let me ask, what was
this rebellion? 1t was nothing more and
nothing less than the democratic party of
eleven states solidifed, organized armed,
with treason in their hearts, and murder
in their hands, making war for the de-
struction of the best government that man
ever enjoyed Ex-senator Trumbull on
the 30th of August, at Belleville, Ill,
makes the statement that the republican
party is not entitled to the credit of either
suppressing the rebellion or abolishing
slavery. This statement, coming from a
man SO recently a member of the repub-
lican party, who claimed great credit
during the war for his opposition to the
democratic party, makes it necessary for
me right here to answer that statement
l think his declaration will astound the
democracy, especially Of the south, as
much as it will his former political asso-
ciates of the north. If the republican
party, through its state and national ad-
ministrations, did not raise the armies,
did not vote the supplies did not pass the
laws necessary for the preservation of the
union during the war. ask him to answer
me: What party did? At what time did