Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-11-23
POLITICAL.
/ CHdPTER or HLNTORY
AN ADDRESS TO DEMOCRATS
BY THE AUTHOR OF "BEN HUR."
Delivered by Gen. Lew wallace before
the "Iien 1Iur Club" Of CrnwfOrds-
vile, Ind, October, ISSS.

U
Fellow citizens There is no office ol
nomination for Office in your gift which
want If, then, you ask what / am ant
why here, this is my answer | am az
| American Of the class that believes with
all my heart and soul that our country i.
| the greatest that is or has been Of tn,
class which does not allow day to pas,
without thanks for birth and life "A free
man Of the United States There is u,
country like our country, and. in anticipa
| tiou of the election, the morning of which
may be almost seen in the sky, ! am here
to speak for the Republican cause. | wish
! to be brief and for that purpose, after not
| a little thought. have determined to con
| fine myself to one toplc-the Democratic
| party and the solid South. | was once Il
! Democrat of the strongest sect For thir.
/ teen years, as Democrat, ! made battle
| with every ism that showed hostile
| pennon in the opposite horizon. Recollec
tions Of these years and of the many
who were my friends in that time, some Of
them now dead, will keep me in respectful
| speech While Indifferent to political hon
ors beg YOU all to understand that am a
candidate for the good will and respect ol
everybody. ! remember also that at giv
ing consent to speak ON this occasion it was
on condition that my old Democratic friend,
should he specially invited to come and
hear me
The origin Of the Democratic party is
not altogether clear in history Thomas
jefferson is its reputed father let it be so
held There were Federaiists aud anti
Federalists Each nicknamed the other
The anti Federalists called their opponents
arlstocrats, and were in turn branded as
Jacobins. The Federalsts disappeared with
Aaron Burr, after which we hear certainly
and dlstinctively Of the Democratic party
and 1t satisfies me now to divide its exist
ence into two eras, 1861 being the close Of
the first and the beginning Of the second
If it be true that political parties. like men,
are good or bad according to their deeds,
then, speaking judicially, am bound to
say that, while amenable to objections, the
Democratic party was great and fairly rep
resentatve Of the American people during
the first era Of its life Indeed am bound
TO 20 further and say that in my opinion, it
WAS necessary to our country. My Repub
lican friends may be astonished at my lib
erality aud want an explanation. There
we're three events, each Of infinite moment
in shaping our affairs nationally, and each
To- be set down to the credit of the Demo.
cratic party. The first one was the pur-
chase in lSU2 Of Louisiana from Napoleon
The movement was bitterly opposed by
the Federalists Nevertheless. jefferson.
supported 10y the Democracy in and ont Of
Congress, succeeded The amount paid
was SD, 600 900. The advantages have
since proven immeasurahe We obtained
hy It, first, the Mississippi river entire.
Next, "A stretch of country indefinitely vast
came 10 us peaceably, and out Of It We have
,'nVc ''va'e' 'he S'u'e7 VI l,u's'aia' AT
kansas Missouri minnesota, colorado Ne
oiaSh", ana 'esVh, "Vn uNe territories
remaining III I"a' nay Napoleon was
ming Iehvh '"l"h'a' uo'nlnl"h III 'he
"esV anu "'oua'.! se' a'ou' us arh'eNe
lhen', u'sIlln'.S ~ o'. l'ou''nS"i lt' sec
ouu s'eP was 70 nav "ee" III l-"u'S'ald
Iai" ~ i'I aI'o'' S',;i
Suih niiH % !" ,"' i""i"" ,'uSs 'a"Ia
ceiu 10 'ue 'n'o hlSs,9S'PP' anu M'''our'
ii" army Pei '',nue"'S S"u'',eu ~ inpst
,ii i e''.'''. ''''.'oi,, ~ WIN
anu ''Pe' "''" pc ~ ''ie i'a'"'' n"u
% 'ue s'e"e VI '"' W" ''-'''S, '"e "'se"
'i''s' anu al "'S" anu ""Pyne" WI" ia'
'c'9 ''",'' "''' 'NP'"N' WA" a" ciu"'
nu'ii"'' vi "uI u"oPS' gu" Nni "e tne
power we VIII ue'i'e from HliltaIi STA
'.oii anu si1"l"E Co'"',! On Tue Nissls
5,IPPi Soula ~, ioo any Inlns I've more eNPiici'
imagine '"'o"o lhuia"s west VI the river
leu ny rrencn'le" 'lhe MohIcaIll anu pu
IIeNue' "''' a'nieu Hi'p supl'lieu ps rIance'
ne sStohu Ire"' uee,' 70, 10 WhIGn nave re-
lerreI was the war "I l'l-' EhgIahh con
r'uue,i our reNo'uI'oh' you VIII reineillper'
ol a'Alip" ie"S''Is our ln"elenuehce. one
even ellponied the a'kno"Iedghent III "
so' Una. u guy Se' We "e'e ny iIee III
la''' we "unlen 10 engage III hahuiartur
ins anu V''I'ile''T, EUROPE was oScuPltu
WIN ~ 'P''eo"' 'o "eI' a''''os' 'ne TnIH
"'u''"'N, 80 ''in, 'ne ''''e a. iaN'' H"'e I"
our H'""''''H- Du' 'he pi' enemy, true ="
us everlasting pou'! u' ho'nihg the "hoIe
talln aS d inarAe' #" oe suPPieu pS num-
"h" N"u"lhs PeTleSty Tue PrihciPIe IhaV
no people can IlNa' MN III manufacturing
'"I eNlS' O"'lon eN'eP' tne9 oe MASTER VI
navy lo[ tar'lhse On tne'r own account,
'''e 'H i'' VI ''"'i as "' "e',ieu
"S tne "a" o' na''ohs' "oa'1en our ShlPs
on Tue n'Sn cas- anu PIuh"ere" 'he'h a1
pressure. Not Topping 'here' ne pore our
Seaihen' n"'iNe an" ioIeleh uorh' from thelr
Iecks ana mustered uheih at ms guns; Al
'aSu the c"nni'ion became lh'"ler"oie
var war parry hsser'T'' lsG,l III Gohsres'-
Calhouh against J"hh hahhoiph henry
south against Ne" England James Madl 4,
son a hSn,1eraIl' resident approved ~ ana
Pu"iiSueo the ueciara'loii oi war linen
iOT the IrsV 'iihe "PPedre" the InoVIo en-
"'aHone, "'i our nag rree traue anu san
ors Ilshls. me Tree IIaue OF that uay'
however hoU 10 "e coui"unueu Win tne
Tree 'ruue Vi Tue present ~ meant sun
Piy as Maulsoh anu Ierr! uhuerSIoou IT, thS
rlghV OIL our people 10 SEM Sn''S 70 sea- ana
'li"' was a' i"' po'''S 'e' '"s uu''eS w
y" imports lo' Pu' 'P"SeS Vi revenue an"
p, pi"'e'ui"h was noV III t'e o"nSiuSi a''oi,
Inc euu was sl"ilVus' our reul liuS Spehu
ehOe H'usV ne Ie,A"iieu ilolil the uaVe VI
Sne 'leaty oi inent' .ya Leo' 81 iolt, hot
from oePI' D. itop' tie ua'e ol Ohe treaty
ol rarls' ny "hirh ,ne revolutionary war
was hn'sheu' ne 'u'Tu great event III
riuue III my reference was the war WIN
mexico am aware ol the pfeJu1lce eA
'sUihs ueuIhsS thaI measure upon Tue l,art
ol many soou anu wise Americans oI'll
insist th Tue war was iheEltaole, some
trlhs oouhd 10 cHme-u not IN lo4o' then
lauer' IL was the iogICai consequence oi
Ine ShheAa'lpn o' leNus' the mo
,irahue' rushins torrent from Ns nrs'
fountains 10 us lnal plunge lnto the gun Is
no" noul''aIy me "i u'l'eul' ooseI vance
"haI was the unsecured lhe 'e'n'nai on tne
south ny the Nueces' IL Is true that the
m"tlNe OF the pelno'ra'lc majority III the
anheNatloh "i ieTas was lhdeiehslnle'
Inc extension oi slavery cannot be sepa
rated from slavery put atter our govern
meht committed ltseh 10 the measure the
question changed the soll became ours
we had To defend IT, Inc people OF Texas
became our people anu we had TO defend
l lnell. In ueNIlnL Win foreign powers
reserve the flsht To oppose polcy down