The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-10

beautiful town. was a candidate for Con-
gress. The speech made on that occasion
was to your fathers and grandfathers- ]
hope you are AZ devoted to correct principle
as were they. Every vote they gave was
cast at the dictation of an enlightened
conscience. They were brave, sturdy. stall
troll over their political conduct. They loved
liberty and hated slavery. They were rad
i tbe bns SO wa rcas has b Deee
you know, my pleasure to come here, IN
years that have passed, to breathe the at
moephere of Carthage. am here for that
purpose now.
The most radical and uncompromising
thing is the truth. Conservative truth is a
very few of the men here now to whom 1
spoke in 1854 They have gone to their re-
ward, but the faith, and hope. and cour-
Carthage to bless and purify your people.
Their sole aim was to better the conditions
of their fellow-men, to make them happier,
broader and every way nobler. They gave
no heed to blathering demagogues or
Janus-faced platforms. No party tie was
strong enough to hold them to the support
of injustice, or. to perpetuate a recognized
evil They had the courage of their con-
victions Your town and vicinity were COM
posed for the most part Of the Friends, COM
dices to overcome against anti-slavery move
ments. They had no article in their relig-
iOus creed that taught the divinity of hui
man bondage They did not accept the
common and absurd position at the begin
ming of the conflict. in the attempt to re-
sist the spread of slavery that it was well
it was not They opposed the evil because
it was evil. l agreed with Them and l,
with them, was decorated with that epithet
that was the terror to SO many before the
civil war-that of an Aboitionist- We were
proud of the title then. and are prouder OF
f WED Grant and Sherman She lin" and
Thomas battered down the mountains
of prejudice and opposition to Abolitionism.
A . A 1@x.rIa fI,A
great emancipation, issued his proclamation,
and the curse Of slavery became thing Of
the past, and a newer and better civilization
came in. Until that time our Republic was
not even respectable Our pretenses were
false, and our practices a sham. We had
been claiming to believe. that all men were
born free and equal, and at the same time
we were selling them as chattels on the
block Of the auctioneer. We would be doing
they in the Union had been less brave,
and less radical and determined. This great
Nation to-day, that is now the wonder and
admired of the world If the cancerous curse
her life would be on Lord Saulsburys list
Of dying nations With 1t she could not
have existed another century There are no
more threats Of dissolution of the Union.
No more secession conventions held.
Our national credit is not weakened by the
prospect of civil war and internal strife.
Slavery being the cause of all these dis
turbing elements, with its destruction they
have all disappeared and no longer create
distrust and alarm, and our young Nation
Is passing all others on the great highway
of human progress. You and I have had the
high privilege of having share in its &C.
complishment 1t is a good time to have
lived in the last half of the nineteenth CEN
fury. More has been done during that time
for the liberation and elevation of man than
in centuries preceding it.
I'm all refOrmatory movements this town
of Carthage has not been mere unthink-
ing follower, but an active and aggressive
leader. Carthage has a good name and all
honor to her. I well knew that if / failed
to edify you I would have an increase of
strength and zeal as an American by meet
ing with YOU"