The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-05-02
4 Little American History.
Gambler Recalls the Career OF
Republican Party.

Atlanta. Ga April u The obser-
vance of Memorial Day in Atlanta was
made notable by speech delivered
by the Governor of Georgia, IN which
be scored Republican fanatics" aud
criticised the war in the Philippines
The speech was made at the pre-
eentation of crosses of honor to the
Veterans and was loadly cheerhd
Governor Chandler said in part !:
s.You fought not to promote the
ambition of crowned head, not for
conquest, not to force your Govern
ment upon an unwilling people, but
for the God given right of local self
government
s.You rebelled against the domina-
ton of sectional political party, led
by fanatics, who did not and do not
believe in this cardinal doctrine, and
who were the sworn enimies of you
and your interests and your ins:itu
ton.
blinded by fanaticism the leaders
of this party either could or would
not do you aud your section justice
You were maligned and abused and
.eviled and slandered.
cit is singular fact, as was justly
said by a distinguished Republican
Senator few years ago, that the
Northern conscience was never
auickened to full realization of the
enormity of slavery uutil their own
had been converted into gold, and the
gold had found a safe Judgement
deep down in their pockets
.The Southern people were goaded
into secession in spite of their love
for the Constitution and the Onion
..Perhaps both sides sinned as the
conflict grew fercer Let the ques
ton rest where the legend on the
beautiful badge you are to wear
places it, Doe Vindice Let God
irdge between us.
Il do not mean to disparage nor
;mpugn the motives of the gallant
men who confronted US on hundred
battlefelds, nor of the great mass of
the people of the non seceding
states
..I am denouncing the fanatics who
presided at the birth of the Republi-
can party and nursed the bantling
into vigorous manhood, and taught
it the doctrine of a higher law and
to disregard the limitations of the
constitution, reverse the precedents
of hundred years, and who, disre-
garding the golden rule, preached
from the pulpit the doctrine of hate
instead of peace on earth and good
will to men,
"This breed of fanatics has not run
out None of them were ever killed
in battle. for they did not go. They
are still! in congress and in the pulpit,
and are preaching the same unholy
gospel They still dominate the
party of Lincoln and Seward aud
Chase, which denied to you in 1860
the blood-bought right of local self
government, and which is today
waging war Of conquest against an
onofanding people 10000 miles
away, and denying to them the
rights for which Washington and
Marion and Sumter and the Lees
fought or the fields of Camden and
Yorktown and Cowpens and Kings
Mountain, and for which you fought,
as no men have fought in two thou
sand years, at Manassas and Shiloh,
Gettysburg and Cbickamauga The
same party, drunk with It's excesses
of usurpation, are in violation of the
spirit oe the constitution, holding
million people on the isfland Port
Rico in state of vassalage and tax
ing them without representation, as
they held you and taxed you in the
days of reconstruction 1t is 3
healthy sign, however, that some of
the ablest and most patriotic men of
this party are protesting against this
usurpation Of power and this aban-
donmens Of the teachings of the
fathers and the traditions of the re
public"