Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-02-18

enough in the party to realize that no
nation can attain to greatness, and retain
it, with free and slave labor side by side.
There was craftsmanship enough in the
party to arrive at the eternal truth, and
stand by it with trenchant blade, that
slave labor is inconsistent with the theory
and practice of republic, abhorrent to
humanity and an ofense to civilization.
There was craftsmanship enough in the
Republican party to maintain the indis-
soluble union of independent States. There
was craftsmanship enough in the Republi-
can party to call the sons of the nation to
arms in defense of the National Union,
and to prevent its Acknowledgement by re-
beilion upon false and viciously-con-
ceived idea of States rights There was
and is craftsmanship enough in the Repub
lican party to estimate the attempt to dis
rupt the republic as a crime, involving in
its awfulness the spilling of the blood of
the flower of the country, and the offering
up of hundreds of thousands of human
lives upon the altar of horrid war.
Yes, it is perfectly true that there is not
sense-of the kind implied-enough in the
Republican party to admit that the act of
the South in declaring war against the
Federal Government was innocent; it has
not sense enough of that order, thank
| heaven, to understand that the war in
| augurated by the South was defensive. 1t
has and had enough of the right kind of
sense, however, to comprehend that it was
a war to perpetuate slavery, so far as the
South was concerned; that the South put
its construction of the Constitution upon
the hazard of the existence of human
bondage, and it had sense enough to know
that when that issue was made the Consti-
tuition must be adjusted to human needs,
that of freedom being uppermost.
1t has sense enough to-day-knowing
that the clamor for the right of secession
was pretense, and not sincerely made by
| LllC I'LL llOlt
the people of the South for their crime
against human freedom and free govern
ment, anu into which they were disas-
trously led by these same chieftains. 1t has
sense enough to know that the black man.
having been placed upon political equality
with the white, is entitled to full and fair
opportunity to exercise his sovereign right
of franchise, unimpeded and without being
threatened or cowed by his late masters or
their descendants.
Taken all in ali, the Republican party
for one that "never had any statesman.
ship" has achieved the most remarkable
State building of which the worlds history
makes record, while in the matter of ma.
tion-preserving it may justly claim a mod
est share of credit, with all due respect tc
the Richmond Dispatch. The Republican
party did not make the grand mistake tc
which it was advised, of refusing to forgive
the men who use the Richmond Dispatch
to revile it; it was more merciful than
statewise possibly when its benevolent in
stincts controlled its ability to mete pun.
ishment to such as the Dispatch who live
to boast of crime forgiven but not for
gotten-against progress, civilization, hui
mainly, and an indissoluble union of indie
| pendent States.
Let not our Virginia contemporary take
trouble to its soul unless all signs fail and
political foresight is delusive, the Repub-
lican party has left still enough of states
manship and sense in the year of grace
1888, to take the DispatcRs ancient and
battered Democratic party by the neck and
eject it from the Office of administering the
affairs of the nation.