The Portland daily press., 1883-08-04

mighty consequences as affecting the future
OF the country, it is the hope of the Nation
al Council of the Union League that the
spirit of dissension and bitterness which has
been rife in some sections of the Union dur
ing the past few years, may die away and be
forgotten.
There is no section of the Republican par
ty whose advent to power in the States and
the Nation would be as disastrous to the
best interests of the country as would that
of the Democratic party. There is no shade
of opinion held by any respectable number
of Republicans in the United States that
does not breathe the spirit of liberty, of
progress, and of good government in fuller
and better sense than the best utterance,
the best inspiration, and the best sentiment
OF the Democratic party of to-day Para
mount to all considerations of personal ag-
grandizement or the advancement of fac
tons, is the demand the country makes upon
the Republican party to see to it that the
reins of government be not wrested from its
hands.
Therefore it is that, reiterating the utter
anceS OF our constituents, we appeal to the
Republicans of the country that factions
cease among them, that the potent voice of
the people speak to the waves of dscord ev-
erywhere and command them to be still
we utter no word of elimination against
our brethren of any phase of political senti-
ment. We neither discuss nor decide any
question that has been one of difference be-
tween us. We look upon them all, whether
aiming at personal preferment or represent
ing diversity of political views as immateri-
al and unimportant when weighed in the
balance against the consequences of Demo-
cratic ascendancy.
1t would be thrice-told tale TO re-state
| the political errors, failures, blunders and
crimes of the Democratic party. 1t brought
the Government to the verge of bankruptcy
at the close of its last administration. 1t
| promulgated and fostered, through the great
| body OF Its adherents, the fatal doctrine of
State Sovereignty, and the right of seces-
| sion; and that portion of the party which
did not join in the open support of this her
esy did not raise its voice to rebuke it,
Owing to the unpatriotic and criminal
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of the Democracy. the
Republican party found shattered and
wrecked Union; a Constitution detied and
despiSed in eleven of the States; hostile ar
mics arrayed against the life of the Nation
upon the soil of the commonwealth. The
Democratic party had debauched public
sentiment; it had made patriotism disrepu-
table in large portion of the country; the
public credit was ruined, the industries of
the country paralyzed, the flag of the ma
ton despised abroad and degraded and pow
erless at home. The Democratic party had
proclaimed itself the champion Of slavery
and declared that that blighting and mon
strous institution should 90 into all the free
territories OF the country, and it ostracised
the members OF It's own party who raised up
their voices in opposition to these dogmas.
We point to this record only to add that
during the past quarter of century, not
outstanding that each one of these PERM
cious doctrines has been oVerthrown either
on the battlefield, in the legislative halls of
the country, or by the greater tribunal, the
voice OF a free people, nowhere has the Dem
ocratic party apologized for or retracted any
OF Its opinions upon these great questions.
The Democratic party was directly respon-
sibe for civil war, and for the blood of more
than quarter of million of the best citi-
zens of the Republic; it placed upon the Ma
ton the fearful burden of great debt, and
steadily strove to bring about substantial re-
pudlation of the obligation Of the Govern
ment to pay it; its demand now to be put in
charge OF the Government implies that it
will come into power proud of its record,
apologizing for nothing, repEdiating moth
ing.
II is enough to say of the Republican par
ty that it has made powerless for harm eyery
principle that the Democratic party has ad-
vocated during the past quarter of a century,
1t has stood in the gateway of power. with a
drawn sword in its ha9ds, beating back the
aggressive forces of Democracy, and shield
ing the Nation from the baleful influences
OF the vicious principles of its opponents; it
has restored nationality; it has re-educated
| pubic opinion; 1t has fe-established LOYALTY !:
| it has made Liberty universal and eternal (: it
has obliterated all distinctions from among
men before the laws of the United States it
| has lifted up the downtrodden; it has en-
| couraged the weak; it has rebuilt the waste
| places of the Nation; it has spread abroad
| prosperity like mighty canopy
Under the benign influence of the teach
| iBgs and admin stration of the Republican
| party, material growth has come to us, such
| as no ether nation ever experienced on
| earth; we have grown mighty in population !;
we have grown mighty in wealth; we have
| grown mighty in education, in intelligence.
| in virtue and Christian civilization; our for
| mer cIlcumscribed commonwealth has spread
itself out to the very waters of the Pacific,
until the steady march of population and en-
terprise has peopled every foot of soil over
which the American flag has jurisdiction,
adding farms. villages, cities and States to
the material strength of the country
The history of the Republican party is all
brilliantly studded with the gems Of righte-
GUS government; it has punished miscon-
| duct in its own ranks; it has demanded
faithfulness TO the country; it has restored
the credit OF the nation until it stands high
er than that OF any other On the earth; it
has discharged its sacred obligation sto bind
| up the Nations wounds, to care for him
who has borne the battle, and for his widow
and his Orphan it has lifted the Old Flag
to place of higher dignity and grandeur in
the great galaxy of the Nations.
The Republican party hiss not b ssitated to
remedy its own mistakes; it has not been
blind to its own errors; it has not been COW
ardly: it has never lodged behind devices
for temporary effect; it has always met the
| great, diversified and growing questions of
| the day and hour in the spirit that brought
1t into existence; it has settled every ques-
ton BY the touchstone of its own birthright
liberty, justice, freedom and equality.
The Republican party stands to-day the
champion and protector of free ballot and
pure elections and demands the security by
law OF the right of every man to vote in ac-
cordance with his own convictions. The
Democratic party has been and is the polut-
er of the ballot-box, the enemy of free cleo
tions, and the promoter of dishonest election
returns,
Under the administration OF the Republi-
can party America has opened wide her
doors, and the down-trodden and oppressed
OF other countries have come here to seek an
asylum and protection from tyranny and
poverty abroad; it has restored the civil ser
vice OF the country to the plane of honesty,
capability and faithfuIness from which ii
was degraded by Democratic cupdity; it has
fostered education; it has protected the la.
Dor of the country.
by It's legislative enactments and by the
protests of its conventions and the grand in
telligence of its press the Republican party
has stood for years, and it stands to-day as a
wall of fire against the determined assaults
OF the Democratic party upon the industries
Of the country, with its pernicious heresy of
tariff for revenue only" that dogma which,
wherever it has been tried, has Frustrated
and destroyed the interests of free labor.
The Republican party is the only shield to
day that protects the industrious, the edu-
Gated, the intelligent masses of American
laborers from the blighting influence of the
cheap labor and degraded habits of the pau
per millions of foreign lands.
On this one great issue the Republican
party can well afford to ask judgment of the
American people, while the Democracy in
their press and in their conventions palter in
double sense, and fear to challenge the
popular verdict by a candid avowal of their
Q.fr Tn noIs Id Al.