Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-09-19
HOME SKETCHES.
With thu politics OF the early years
of course | had little to do, though,

E1 an early age had my view,
and expressed them with TIT
hardness of youth, wher
called upon. The campaign
which ended in the election
of Buchanan was in full swing wher
we landed at Pilot Knob in September
Of that year-forty-fve long, and yeI
feeting, years ago! It is said thar
long life prepares one for the end; bur
/ don't know. 1t is true, the mistakes,
the disappointments, the bereavement
OF the years teach the vanity of al
things; but the vain regrets, the
pleasant memories, and the desire for
happiness yet unattained. tie n tc
the world. .'Man is not but aver is te
be blest." Does the blessing come on
ly with the end, disguised in the habil'
iments of the grave? Then how glori.
Gus the final realization! From dark.
ness to light! From despair to bliss!
From living death to everlasting life!
1t is the problem unsolvable, the theme
inexhausti5le, and the longing insatia-
BILE.
The fret local political gathering
SAS Il % WAL "0S p
given Senator John Polk, upon his re-
turn from the legislature which gave
to Iron county its being and carved
out its beautiful proportions. The
Ironton House, then in course of build
ing, was the of the ovation.
Headed by Ironton's first brass band,
hastily organized, loud-toned and full
of vigor, an enthusiastic column of
patriotic citizens which had assembled
down town marched to the hotel and
in no uncertain tones called put the
statesman they had gathered to honor.
The Senator came forth. He was a
rotund, jolly, wholesome looking man,
clad in a claw-hammer coat, q white
vest and a silk hat. / don't mean to
say these were all the clothes he wore,
but they constituted the points par ec-
ceUence OF his apparel. His speech
struck a responsive chord in nearly
every heart. ''Gentlemen. I am proud
and glad to meet you! Let's adjourn
to the saloon and take something!"
Everybody adjourned and partook.
Polk was a popular man in his
day, and a good man, too, though not
averse to the creature comforts.
It was the habit of the Wings, then,
as it is OF the Republicans now, to
sneer at Democrats as being ignorant,
incapable, perverse, and of the COM
monalty altogether toe common" for
the age. In addition to their other
shortcomings they continued shouting
for Andrew jackson, wore butternut
clothes, and sometimes went barefoot
when in season. The Hon. David Z.
Perryman, the local Wing leader. in
his speeches during the campaign
which ended forever the aspirations of
his party, sarcastically advocated the
of the time for holding cleo
tions from November to January, $50
that the id barefooted Democrats
couldn't come out to vote!" A few
years later these political distinctions
were swept out OF sight by the culmin-
alton of argument into blows, of dia-
tribe into blood-letting. New align
ments were made, and Wig and Demo-
crat stood shoulder-to-shoulder against
their late political brethren, even to
the ultimate resort; and after four
miserable years of hell-making re-
turned beaten and victorious, heart
broken and jubilant, to homes that
ought lever have been d~esolated. to
the pursuits of that blessed peace that
ought never have been broken. Even
the plea that the abolition of slavery
was the humane purpose of the war, if
true, would not have justified the
bloodshed of those years; but the plea
is wholly untrue. II the liberation of
the slaves had been the avowed object,
scarcely a corporal's guard of North
against their brethren of the South.
The Republican party of that day We
hemently denied as false and SANDER
GUS the charge that it's purpose was to
abolish slavery; to interfere with the
domestic institutions of the States.
Now, this Sketch is growing more po-
litical than l hal intended; but since
I have gone thus far it is perhaps as
we'll to let the youth of to-day get a
peep at the feelings and principles
which actusted the Republicans Of
1860. He may read the following
declaration, taken from Col. Jas. Lind
says paper, The Furnace, under date
of May %, 1858, compare it with the
latter-day partisan ~vauntings of '.strik-
ing the shackles, " ETC., and make such
deduction al to him seems warranted.
Col. Lindsay was in political accord
with Lincoln, Gardenhire, and other
Republican leaders, and swerved
from his party. Here is that part Of
his declaration, which was headed
.'Our Political Creed" referring to the
question of slavery:
9. We believe that abolitionists are enc
mics to the peace, happiness and perpetuity
of this Union, and that they are the real
enemies of the black man, as well as traitors
to their own race.
10. We believe that the condition of the
African race has been, on the whole, i'm
mensely improved and elevated from the con-
dition of the naked, filthy, low, ignorant de-
graded cannibals of Africa; and that al
though there are some evils inseparable from
the system of slavery, yet that the happiness
of the black race is and will be, through the
Providence of God, promoted thereby.
IL. We believe that, according to the
evident intent of God and Natures God, the
black and white races are not created to as
sociate on equal social and political grounds,
and that the two races must be kept distinct.
II. We believe that no State should allow
colonies of free negroes to settle within their
jurisdiction, and that it is detrimental to the
morals and industry of every community to
tolerate SUCH.
I do not reproduce these things in a
partisan spirit; indeed, there can be
no p~artisanehip in il, for, heaven be