The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-05-13
ON TO OsAWATOMIE

on next Wednesday the Republican
Editorial association of the Second
con ressional district of Kansas will
meet at Osawatomie to celebrate the
birthday of the Republican party at
the birthplace of the Free State party.
Colonel Q. E. Learnard of Lawrence,
who was chairman of the Free State
convention of 1859, which was ad-
dressed by Horace Greeley, will pre-
side at the meeting next Wednesday,,
and D. w. Wilder will be one of the
secretaries. The list of vice presidents
includes many Of the early settlers of
Kansas. The old platform of 1859
adopted at the home Of old John
Brown, is a ringing array of Republi-
can, principles which were subsequent
ly adopted by the national party and
upon which the party put Kansas on
her feet, fought out the war, freed the
slaves and saved the Union. Greeley's
speech was set up in the Lawrence
Republican office, and the proof sheets
of which, as corrected by Greeley him
self, remained posted up in that Office
TO puzzle and astonish printers until
Quantrel burned the place in 1868.
Among the many prophetic and glow
ing. sentences of Greeley's speech were
these memorable words:
"Freemen of Kansas I would inspire
you with no unwarranted, no over
weening confidence of success in the
great struggle directly before us.
have passed the age of illusions and
no longer presume a party or cause
destined to triumph merely because
know it should. On the contrary, when
I consider how vast are the interests
and influences combined to defeat us
the three thousand millions of property
in human flesh and blood-the subserv-
iency Of commerce to this great source
of custom and profit-the prevalence
of ignorance and of selfishness affect
ing the many millions prodgally Law
ished by the wielders of federal au-
thority-the lust of office and preva-
lence of corruption often regard the
struggle Of 1860 with less hope than of
steady diffusion of intelligence-the
manifest antagonism between the
slavery extensionists and the interests
of free labor-when 1 consider how
vital and imminent is the necessity for
the passage of the free land bill
when l feel how the very air of the
nineteenth century vibrates TO the pull
sation of the great heart Of humanity
beating higher and higher with aspira-
lions for universal freedom. until even
barbarous Russia is intent on striking
off the shacl1les of her fettered millions
I cannot repress the hope that We
are on the eve of a grand beneficent
victory. But whether destined to be
waved in triumph over our next great
battlefield. or trodden into its mire
through our defeat, 1 entreat you to
keep the Republican flag flying in
Kansas, so long as one man can any
where be rallied 10 defend it. Defile
not the glorious dust of the martyred
dead whose freshly grassed graves lie
thicllly around us, by trailing that flag
in dishonor or folding 1t in cowardly
despair on this soil so lately Redeemed
by their patriotic blood. If it be des-
tined, in the mysterious providence Of
God. TO so down, let the sunlight
which falls lovingly upon their graves
catch the last defiant wave of its
folds In the free breeze which sweeps
over these prairies; let 1t be burned.
not surrendered, when no one remains
20 uphold it; and let its ashes rest for
ever with theirs by the banks OF the
Marais des Cygnes."