The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-17
AN UNWITTING EULoGIsT.

| ton, last week, Henry Watterson unwilling
ly, but not unwittingly, paid handsome
| tribute to the Republican party. 1t is I'M
| certain whether he was sincere in his utter
| ances, or simply talking against time and
seeking to evoke applause. If it be that he
meant what he said, and it is ungenerous to
declare otherwise, he has proved himself an
accomplished eulogist of the party he feigns
to hold in contempt. When he thanks God
that the South is simply a geographical ex-
preston he praises the browning triumph of
| Republican achievements. To the Republican
party and none other is due the credit that
| we have one harmonious republic in America
instead of two antagonized, and, of necessity,
perpetually at war, with marvellous fertility
| of resource. Mr.. Watterson glbly talks of
| the curse of slavery that God, in His mercy,
removed from the people of the South. Let
us be reverent enough to own that it was the
| spirit of God that moved forward the awful
events that eliminated in the deliver
ance of the South from herself; but
in Gods hand that brought about
this wished-for consummation. 1t is no
light thing to move forward even when the
God of heaven commands 1t is thing to
be remembered that the Republican party
bore the brunt of the conflict poured out
rivers of blood and paved the South with the
graves of the best and bravest the North pos
sessed. tits a glorious thing to be able to
over these great events. There is a grim sar-
casm i'll the fact that the orator of this occa-
sion never by word or deed or wish
did any service in behalf of what he now
thanks God for. In view of the fact that
Mr.. Watterson never misses an opportunity
to abuse, vilify and denounce the Republi-
| can party, it is not unfair that the people
should know who he is In the year of
grace 1888 he is the prosperous editor of
leading Democratic paper. He claims, and
is admitted to prominent place in the coun-
ellis of his party. He enjoys all the advan-
tages that the regenerated South enjoys
in common with the whole coun-
try. At the time the Republican
party was marching to the rescue of the
South from what he now denounces as the
| curse of slavery, Mr.. Watterson was the
editor and proprietor of blatant little
paper vehemently in favor of secession and
the warm advocate of unrequited servitude.
| AS the lines that wv thrown ahOnt tho
sacred institution" were driven southwark,
| Mr.. Watterson moved with them, keeping
company with his friends until all
went down into irretrievable ruin as dis
Cincinnati, penniless, ragged dirty and for
| lorn. That ne is what he is to-day is due
| the generosity and wisdom of the Republic
an party. Not one of the grand achieve
| is due TO any but the Republican party-not
| one. Mr.. Watterson himself admits in his
unguarded enthusiasm that 'the South new
er knew what independence meant until she
was taught by subsection to subdue herself"
1t would be ungenerous to thus remind
any one in our republic of the bitter
| past; but when the blood-written
facts of history are distorted by ungrateful
partsans to further their selfish ambitions, it
is duty to show them up. 1t is no marvel
that Republicans cannot remain silent when
they are illuminated by such men as Wat
terson on account of the deeds for which he
so ostentatiously thanks God. No innocent
man or party can be expected to remain
silent and make no return when assailed by
man who helped try to steal
eleven of the States from the
Union. If the Republican party should
steal the whole city of Washington, the sub
| treasury at New York, and every federal
building in the land, it would be as an angel
of light compared with the Democratic party
and its infamous attempt to assassinate the
nation and carry off halfits possessions. Mr.
Watterson is but a genteel-looking sand
Dagger, elbowing his way into public to pour
fulsome praise upon the South redeemed
while seeking every opportunity to slug the
party and the men who made her all that she
is 1t is natural to rejoice over these
better things, and the Journal rejoices with
the South and with Southern men; but it
has no patience with men who would soothe
with one hand and attempt to throttle with
the other. Mr.. Watterson will turn from
his speech of gratitude to curse the hand OF
the deliverer. Against the very men who
made his eloquent speech possible he
audaciously and without cause brings charges
of corruption and theft. The cry would