The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-05-18
what Is staIwartism.

We frequently encounter says the
Germantown Telegraph, the term,
stalwart in print, as applied by
Democrats ard Independents to
those leading Republicans whose
course in public affairs is clear,
plain, unqualified, robust and Wig
orous. Properly understood, it is
not a word of reproach, and yet it
sometimes appears to be intended
as sort of polite substitute for
radical, extremist, zealot and fanat-
ic. These partisan changes seem to
mark gradual softening Of the
harshness Of political life. After
the Mexican war somewhat simi-
lar distinction was made between
the followers of Taylor and Scott,
who were Wings, but not ultra
Wings" and the adherents of Clay
and Webster, who were ultra Wings
avowedly. In the ensuing conflict
the Wing party perished, without
benehtipg the Nation thereby. Per-
haps some of those who now make
such free use of the word stalwart,
expect or hope to force history TO
repeat itself in the destruction of
the Republican party. But the
cases are not parallel. There was q
desperate oflort made in 1872 to
make the cases appear similar, but
the people secuted the IDEA. The
radical leaders, Sewaft, Chase, John
son, Greeley, etc, all went over to
the enemy III regular succession,
under the belief that as they had so
largely helped to build up the Re
publican party, they could destroy
it. But the history of the last fif-
teen years proves that the emanci-
patton of the slaves was far from be-
ing the only mission of the party.
The stalwarts began with Thaddeus
Stevens, and in the current era are
alledged to be represented by Grant,
Sherman, Garfield and Blaine. They
have produced the very ablest ora
tors, legislators, financiers, soldiers,
statesmen and party leaders of
which the Nation can boast. The
ordeal of the Mexican war did not
enable the Democratic party to pro-
duce military heroes or high-elass
statesmen. Those honors were
monopolized by the Wings. What
then is there in the history Of the
past fifteen years that should be
reproach to the Republican stall
warts, or Justify the efforts II di-
vide the triumphant party on ac-
count of their leadership? If it be
an ofense on their part to insist
upon the right of the majority of
the southern people to govern them
selves by the free and untrammeled
use Of the right OF suffrage, without
distinction of race, color or previous
condition OF servitude, we may can
didly confess that our own heartiest
sympa:hies are all together with
those who demand and insist upon
that consummatiOn, no matter by
what party name they may call
themselves. The peace which has
settled upon the Southern States is
well-known to be in sheer disregard
Of the right of the majority TO gov
ern, and in at least three of those
Southern States the minority governs
by the sheer force of unblushing
and undeniable terrorism.
We do not understand the stall
wart Republicans to invoke the ar
bitrary use of the National Power to
overturn those usurped governments,
ner would it be desirable at the
present time to inaugurate measures
looking to a change. But it may
be as well to have the question re-
main in abeyance and to endeayor
by peaceful means to establish the
rights Of the freedmen everywhere
throughout the South, not merely to
vote and to hold office, but to hold
all the rights of citizenship guaran-
teed to them by the National Con-
stitution. So long as such an out
rageous state of things shall prevail
in South Carolina, Alabama, Miss
issippi and Louisiana, it is the merest
moonshine for independent gentle
men to expect Republicans or peo-
pie of the North generally, to aban-
don their attachment to the party
and the principles rendered grand
and memorable by the mighty con-
tests of the last 10 years.
If there be among our readers,
therefore, some who want to know
what Stalwart Repnblicanism really
is, we answer unhesitatingly that it
is the robust, vigorous, manly and
honorable adherence of Union men
to the great principles that came so
triumphantly out of the Civil War,
and who think that emancipation
would only be left half done if the
liberated race should be abandoned
to a condition of helpless serfdom
and caste bondage, in which, depriv-
ed of the legal right to defend
themselves by the means made use
Of by our own race, they have not
even the selfish friendship, sympa-
thy and protection of those masters
who formerly cared for them as
property. The importance of this
issue has not been diminished by
time, nor can it sink out of sight
by any process known to US short
of the final triumph of humanity,
law and justice.
Where was the Deacon.