Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-09-01

the republican ticket just because your faith
er votes it. Don't vote the democratic tick
ct even Il he does vote it. Laughter.1 But
let me give you this one word of advice as
you are about TO pitch your tent in one of the
great political camps: Your life is full and
buoyant with hope now, and beg you when
you pitch your tent pitch it among the liv-
ing and not among the dead. Applause. If
YOU are at all inclined 10 pitch il among the
democratic people and with that party, let
me 90 with YOU for a moment while we sur
vey the ground where l hope you will not
shortly lie. Laughter. 1t is bad place.
Young man, for YOU TO put your young life
into. 1t is to me far more like grave yard
than a camp for the living. Look at it. Ii
is beloved all over with graves of dead issues.
of buried opinions. of exploded theories. of
disgraced doctrines. You cannot live in
comfort in such place. Laughter Why,
look here, Here is little double mound.
| look down on it and read: SACRED to the
memory of Spuatter Sovereignty and the
bred Scott decision" A million and half
OF democrats voted for that. but il has been
dead fifteen vears-died by the hand of
Abraham Lincoln. and here it lies. APP
plause Young man, that is not the place
for Won.
But look little further. Here is another
monuments black tomb-and beside it
there towers TO the sky monument of four
million pairs of human letters, taken from
the arms of slaves, and read on its head
stone this Sacred TO the memory of
human slavery" For forty years of its
infamous life the democratic party taught
that It was divi.e. Gods institution. They
defended it. they stood around at its grave
as mourners. Blu. here it lies dead by the
hand of Abraham Lincoln. Applause.
Dead by the justice of Almighty God. Great
applause and cheers.] Don't camp there,
young man But here is snother-s little
birthstone tomb [laughtcrl- and l read
across its yellow face in lurid, bloody lines
these words: Sacred to the memory of
State Sovereignty and Secession" Twelve
millions OF democrats mustered around it in
arms to keep it alive; but here it lies, shot
to death by the million guns of the republic.
Applause. Here it lies shot to death by
the million guns of the republic. Applause.
Here it lies, its shrine burnt to ashes under
the blazing rafters OF the burning confeder
acy. Applause. 1t is dead !, | would
not have you stay in there a minute, even in
this balmy night air, to look at such place
Laughter. But just before | leave it
discover a new-made grave, little mound
short. The grass has hardly sprouted over
it, and all around it | see torn pieces of
paper with the words fiat" on them laugh
ter and look down in curiosity, wonder
ing what the grave is, and read on it
"Sacred to the memory of the rag baby
laughter rocked by Thomas Ewing.
George II. Pendleton. Samuel F. Cary, and
few others throughout the land" But it
died on the LIST of January, 1879, and the
Sl.4O0,0 900 Of gold that God made, and not
fiat power, lie upon the little carcass to keep
1t down forever. Prolonged applause.
On, young man, come out of that. Laugh
ter That is no place in which to put your
young life Come out, and come over to this
camp of liberty, of order, of law, of justice,
of freedom Amen" of all that is glorious
under these night stars. Is there any death
here in our camp? Yes, yes! Three hun
dred aud fifty thousand soldiers the noblest
band that ever trod the earth, died to make
this camp a camp of glory and liberty for
ever! Tremendous applause. But there
are no dead issues here, There are no dead
ideas here. Hang out our banner from under
the blue sky this night until it shall sweep
the green turf under your feet! 1t hangs
over our camp. Read, away under the stars,
the inscriptions we have written on it. 10 !
these twenty five years. Twenty-Five years
ago the republican party was married to
liberty this is our silver wedding. fellow
citizens. Loud applause. |
A worthiiy married pair love each other
better on the day of their silver wedding than
on the first day of their espousal; and we
are truer to liberty to day and dearer to God
than we were when spoke our first word
OF liberty. Read, away up in the sky across
our starry banner, that first word we uttered
twenty five years ago. What was it? ''Sla- |
very shall never extend over another foot of
the Territories of the great West" APP |
plause. Is that dead or alive? Alive. thank |
God, forevermore. Applause And truer
to night than it was the hour it was written |
Applause. Then it was a hope, promise,
purpose, to- night it is equal with the stars
-imm' rial history and immortal truth ZAP !
plause. Come down the glorious steps of |
our banner Every great record we have
vindicated with our blood and with our truth |
1t sweeps the ground and it touches the stars |
Come, then, young men, and put in your
young life where all is living, and where |
nothing is dead, but the heroes that defend |
ed it. Applause. | think these young
men will do that. "Ot course they will
Speech at C2ereland 1879.
The editor and publisher of The Spirit of
the Times n Y RncL rso1