Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-10-30
mAxlms OF JAMES A. GARFIELD.


1t matters little what may be the forms
of national institutions, If the life, free
dom and growth of society are secured.
There Is no horizontal stratitication OF
society in this country like the rocks in the
earth, that hold one class down below for
evermore, and let another cone to the sur
face to stay there forever. Our stratiiica-
tion is like the ocean, where every indi-
vidual drop IS free to move and where
from the sternest depths OF the mighty
deep any drop may come up to glitter on
the highest wave that rolls.
The Union and the Congress must share
the same fate. They must rise or fall to-
eether.
We should enlist both the pride and the
selfishness of the people on the side OF
good order and peace.
We legislate for the people Of the United
States, not for the whole world and it is
our glory that the American laborer is more
intelligent and better paid than his foreign
competitor.
The last eight decades has witnessed an
empire spring up in the full panoply of
lusty life, from a trackIess wilderness.
In their struggle with the forces of ma
ture the ability to labor was the richest
patrimony Of the Colonist.
The great doctrines of the Declaration
terminated in the hearts of our fathers,
and were developed under the new iniiu-
ences of this wilderness world, by the same
subtle mystery which brings forth the rose
from the germ of the rose-tree. UDcon-
sciously to themselves the great truths
were growing under the new conditions,
until, ike the century plant, they bios
soned into the matches beauty of the
Declaration Of Independence, whose fruit
age increased, and increasing we enjoy to-
day.
Twenty years ago this Republic was
wearing a triple chain of bondage. Long
familiarity with traffic in the bodies and
souls of men had paraiyzsd the conseiences
of a majority of our people. The doctrine
of State sovereignty had shocked and
weakened the nobler and most benefcent
powers OF the National Government, and the
prasuing power Of slavery was Selling the
original territories OF the West and drag
ging them into the den of eternal bond
age At that crisis the Republican party
was born. 1t drew it's first inspiration
from the fire of liberty which God has
lighted in every mans heart, and which all
the powers of ignorance and tyranny can
never wholly extinguish. The Republican
party came to deliver and save the repub-
lie. 1t entered the arena when the be-
leagured and assailed Territories were
struggling for freedom, and drew around
them the sacred circle OF liberty, which
the demon OF slavery has never dared to
cross. 1t made them free forever.
The Republican party gave to the coun.
try currency as national as its flag, based
upon the sacred faith OF the people.
1t confronted rebellion OF unexampled
magnitude, with slavery behind it, and,
under God, fought the Gnal battle of lib
erty.
This coming fight is our Thermopylm.
We are standing upon a narrow isthmas.
If our Spartan hosts are united we can
Withstand all the Persians that the Xerxes
of the Democracy can bring against us.
Let us hold our ground this one year, for
the stars in their courses fight for US in the
future.