The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-03
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY,s nFIeHr,n


The Republican party came into
existence fighting the South, and it cannot
quit.-New York World.
The World is right, in one respect at least.
The Republican party was born into Eight"
of the making of which it had no part. The
eight was sectional, because the South was
poisoned with slavery and saturated with that
bane of the Nation, States rights. In a
larger sense the fight was partisan one, and
was carried on in all parts of the country
wkere Democracy was synonym for treason
and rebellion. A part Of the war was
fought in the streets of New York city,
when Southern sympathizers precipitated
the draft riots Of 1863. The loyal
people of Indiana slept on their arms during
the war, in fear of Indiana Democrats, who
were no less reasonable but only less bold
than the rebels in the field. The Republican
party accepted the gage of battle, the issue Of
war, and made gallant and victorious fight.
At no time from Sumter to Apponattox,
was there any doubt of the attitude or pur-
pose of the Republican party. It's defeat
meant a divided country Southern Confed-
eracy, nation the cornerstone of which was
human slavery. The defeat of the rebels
was understood to mean the overthrow
of all the rebellious South fought for and the
frmer establishment of the principles of the
TT,o.o - III
black and white. should be free and equal.
This was the dividing line between the two
sides, and when Appomattox decided that the
South must yield, the loyal people hoped that
it would really yield, and that when its arms
were laid down they were not to be picked up
again. Due allowance being made for the
subsistence of passion and the temper
ing of the disappointment over hopes
defeated, it was the expectation
that the South would some day fully and
freely acknowledge the logic of war and recog-
nize that the Union was reality. No one,
we think, will deny that this is what was
fought over IF the South will not admit that
it was settled twenty years ago, and has not
been settled since, nothing remains but for the
Republican party to go on with the eight" until
it is. If the Union was worth blood and treas
ure from 1861 to 1865, it is worth something
to-day The oft-proclaimed sentiments Of
rebellion and States rights INDUCED in before
the war did much to hasten the war and to
make it bloody actually. Precisely
the same sentiments prevail to-day among
such men as General Grant said had not got
enough Of fighting. While the new South
turns to industry and is making giant strides
in wealth and progress, the old South, the
jeff Davises, the Lamars, the Keileys, and
others, insist that the war for the Union was
a failure and that the principles for which the
South fought are too sacred to ever be allowed
to die. It is against these fellows and the
heresies they teach that the Republican party
must continue the eight" They are the
enemies of peace, the sewers of discord and
danger. So long as they can proclaim
of all parties they are doing incalculable
harm. According to Republican doctrine it
is dangerous to encourage any one in speak
ing against the Union. The Nation has had
costly experience in this direction and the
Republican party would spare its repetition.
If the Republican party is wrong in saying
that these sentiments have been promulgated
with the consent and encouragement of the
Democratic party, it ought to be an easy
thing to show it. 1t is also an easy
thing to spike Republican guns
in this direction by removing the
cause. From experience we insist that trea-
sonable utterances and reasonable men are en-
couraged by the Democratic party. The only
men in the South thus far honored by the
existing Democratic administration are those
who were not only active in rebellion, but
who have not yet given evidence of having
abandoned the heresy of State sovereignty.
The Republican party has no choice but to
continue the eight until patriotism shall be-
come as honorable as treason, and the princi-
Piles of the Union shall become as popular as
those at the foundation of the Rebellion.
-
SOMEBODY has started story to the effect
that Hon. Levi p. Morton, late minister to
Erapoa apI ,,a,y +.l ~ &c oood;do+o e.