Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-06-17
AN ADDRFSs
delivered by Comrade Elder David Nation,
Decoration day-May 30. 1891, Medicine
Lodge, Kansas.


The G.. A. r. of this city appointed a
committee to have the following address
published. The committee handed it
in TO the Cresset, which refused to pub
lish it. 1t was then brought to the
INDEX, the peoples paper. We are
sorry we cannot publish it in full in
one issue. 1t Will be finished next
week:
Comrades Of the G. A. R. and g. Of VS..
LADIES AND GENrLEMEN:-when this gov
eminent was formed by our patriot sires, its
| grand object was home for all the oppressed
| of every nation and cline, where all could
worship God under their own vine and hgtree
without hindrance or molestation, and as Ar
| temus Ward expressed it, prevent the other
! fellows from doing the same thing" From
that time on to the middle of the year 1866, our
government was on trial. and was tested as no
ether government ever had been before. From
the foundation of the government to the be-
ginning of the year 1881, its progress and pros
] peTity was the wonder of the world, the ad-
/ miration Of the freedom-Ioving people of the
| Old World, and the terror of monarchies. But
an evil crept into our country that soon be-
came disturbing element, and, which at the
returning of every four years, seemed to
threaten the Dermanency OF our boasted nber-
ties.
So much had the subject of American slavery
become the leading thought at home as well
as abroad, that prophets of the Old World be-
gan to predict the speedy downfall of our
country, and politicians in our own beloved
land were not only predicting our own de-
struction, but seriously threatening dissolu-
ton and dismemberment. Newspapers pub
lished in northern states were refused circu-
latton In the south. Editors of suoh papers
were indicted In southern courts for circuIat-
ing incendiary documents. Their ofrense be-
ing that of criticsing the institution Of slavery
and slavery extension.
senator from northern state was assault
ed in the United States senate by a southern
senator for merely criticising the peculiar in
sttution of the south, and an open rupture
was not only expected, but even sought by
many.
In the month of September, 1854, Stephen A.
Douglass, of Illinois, whose greatest ambition
was then, and had been for years, to be presi-
dent of the United States, introduced into
congress bill repeating the Mi ssouri compro-
mise line, and by his almost unlimited infiu-
ence over his own (democratic) party in the
north aided by the solid south, secured fits
! passage. This was soon followed by the noted
"Dred Scott decision of the supreme court of
| the United States. This threw fire brand into
the arena, equal to the political cyclone which
struck Kansas last fall. 1t led to the aboli-
ton of the old wing party, and q re -organiza-
ton OF the democratic party on platform of
slavery extension, and the formation of all its
| opponents in opposition, not only to the extern
sion of slavery, but in favor Of its abolition.
Many of the most talented and popular demo-
! Gratis of the north left the democratic party
aud Joined their fortunes to the new party, in
favor of liberty AID freedom to all.
| BY the repeal OF the Missouri compromise
Kansas and Nebraska, then territories, were
opened to slavery. The bloodshed, ballot box
stutiing and all the long catalogue of crimes
committed against the loyal liberty loving and
slave hating people of Kansas has become
II part of the history of the country. The re-
peal of the Missouri compromise was made
solely in the interest of slavery extension, and
is what caused the war. 1t is no purpose of
mine TO reflect on the dead; but the American
historian will place the blame where it belongs.
From 1854 to 1861, the country was in a polit-
zeal revolution and 80 much unsettled that
the opposition to slavery extension was diyid-
ed and without any settled or fixed organiza-
ton until 1850 True, John C. Fremont was
the republican candidate for president in 1856,
but for the want of Union and Q proper or
ganization, was defeated by James Buchanan,
the candidate of the slave power. Buchanan
was compelled, even before his nomination, to
pledge the south that in case of his election.
the south should control his administration.
And If am not mistaken, 1T was during the
first year of his administration that Kan sas
was afflicted with a multiplicity Of governors
After being appointed and coming to Kansas,
their conscience would not allow them to
| sanction the many crimes committed around
them In the name of slavery, and hence they
turned republican, and were at once removed
| to give place to another governor who soon
did the same thing.
In the winter of 1901 Abraham Lincoln, of
Illinois, was invited to deliver an address in
Cooper Institute, New York City, on the ''situ-
alton of the country" In that address, he, in
substance enunciated principle given by our
Saviour, more than 1900 years before, In these
words: "a house divided agaist itself cannot
stand" Mr. Lincoln said: "This government
cannot permanently exist part slaye and part
free; it must become all slave or all Free"
This statement Of statesman startled the
country, and it was quoted in the newspapers
laughed at by a few and studied by all. Mr.
Lincoln then had no idea of the near fulfill.
ment of his prediction. nor the important part
he was soon to take in bringing it about. Thi,
statement coupled with his great a bility and
honesty, made him the candidate of the repub-
lcan party for president in 1890.
| The democratic party was now worse diyid-
ed than tine republicans were in 1855. Stephen
| A Douglass was the candidate OF a faction;
| John Bell Of another. and Breckenridge of an
other faction. The south refused to unite on
Douglass. he had done their bidding for SO
long and they knew him too well to trust him.
They would not trust man who lived north of
the dividing line, not even the man who did
their bidding. Things were bow approaching
crisis. The speech of Lincoln at Cooper In.
stitute was circulated in the north as one of
the most mastery efforts of an American
statesman, to secure his election, and at the
same time it was circulated in the south to Sc
cure his defeat. The underlying principle of
that address was not then properly understood
by even the ablest of the biblical scholars of
the land. Open rupture and even secession
! were talked about and threatened on condi-
ton of his election. But this species of south
ern tactics had lost power; people went to tho
election for the first time in years and voted
their honest sentiments. The result was the
election of Lincoln, and now, for the first time
what had been looked upon as the annual
threat of the south, by the north, as mere bun
comb, began to be serious. Congress assem-
f. bled and with it the work of secession and dis
union commenced. The munitions Of war be-
| longing TO the government ana in the hands Gf
a southern traitor were speedily transferred to
| southern forts and armories.
Southern states began to secede and south
eru members of congress began to resign and
| return to their homes TO take part in the great
revolution, and the nation, for the first time
since the war of 1872 assumed very serious
proportions; committees we're appointed by
northern members of congress to wait on
southern members and also on the president
to see what could be done to save the shedding