Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-08-30
GEN. DURBIN WARD. one

GEN. DURBIN WARD, one of the can
.dIdates for nomination for Governor, at
the last Democratic State Convention,
la his speech at Gallon. Ohio, last week,
after speaking of the vastness of FEEDER
al territory. its material resources, its
gold and silver, grains, fruit, stone. iron,
Coal. timber. animals. birds. its rail-
roads, telesraphs, canals, rivers, noun
tains, lakes; the intellectual and moral
power of its inhabitants-its churches
and colleges, its free speech, free press,
free thought, and free commerce, &C.,
&c. asks the mOmentOus question
What party but the Democratic party
could rule the political destinies of
such country
We had supposed that the intelligent
voters of this country had settled that
question long since. But Gen. Ward has
been sleeping the Rip Van Wrinkle sleep.
and has just woke up, and unlike Rip,
doesn't seem to know that things have
changed, or that the people at TIE ballot
box, ever since the late "unpleasantness," :"
have many times answered the ques-
tion. what party could rule. and what
party shall rule the political destinies
"of the country" in tones loud. clear,
ringing. Where has Gen. Ward been
whilst the class has Teen reciting? He
does not seem to have heard the nations
responses TO this question of his, SO
often submitted to the people. Has he
been across the water, or closeted with
Hoadly, while the people were deciding
it in the elections of Lincoln, Grant,
HAYES, and Garfield?
General, doGt try Ia make the people
believe that they have been asleep, and
that while asleep, they walked 10 the
ballot-box and elected these men. and
declared that the Republican party
was the 'other party that could and
should rule this country. 1t has ruled
it for almost twenty-five years. and will
rule it for at least twenty-five more.
The General tells the people in the in
terest of IIoadly that "all other parties
but the Democratic, are evanescent or
ganizations, which deal merely with
the accidents of our progress" but do
not develop and harmonic the national
go but the Democracy alone, and So the
Republican party must pass away.
The General, evidently, is on the
scripture run, that one with faith can
chase Thousand, and two can put ten
thousand TO flight the difference being
that he has undertaken 10 read history
back ward. He gravely informs us at
this late day that Slavery was one of the
accidents of our progress" which would
have perished without abolition, secss-
sion, OF war.
We agree with you, General, that the
Democratic party did not trouble itself
about this particular accident of progress
Slavery except to perpetuate it, and
that the Republican party, contrary to
Democratic policy and votes. awoke to
the necessity of abolishing "the acci-
dent" that the Union should be pre-
seryed-amid the madness of Secession
and the horrors of a war unprecedented
in the history of the civilized world,
both of which was inaugurated by the
Democratic party, as measures essential
to the protection of slavery.b Gen. Ward
declared TO be IAN accident of progress" !"
but by the South declared to be abso-
lutely necessary to its life. because in
terwoven III the very vitals of its insti-
tutions, social and political.
/ Yes, the Republican party, through
the policy of its administrations, extin-
guished this small accident" root and
branch, and time has shown the wisdom
of that policy. The accident" was the
curse of the Republic-its destruction
was the Republics life
1t is remarkable, that as intelligent a
politician as Gen. Ward, she uld attempt
to hoodwiRk the people with such soph-
istry, by reading to them a chapter of
his own make, absolutely falsifying the
facts of history, which have been burn
ed into our Nations life.
l The Republican party, the General
will find to he that "Other party" to
which tie people will entrust the Ma
tion's destiny, and which will prove it
SELF AS in the past to be trustee that
can give an accounting at all times, and
thave its accounts honored by the court
of last resort-the tribunal of the people.