Bisbee daily review., 1904-07-08
ADDRESS OF MIR. HAY.

A century is but a momert sf his tory; it has often happened that sey- eral of them have passed away. since men began to record their deeds. with little change in the physical aspect or the moral progress of the world. But at other times-of intense action and spiritual awakening-a single gem eration may form an epoch; and few periods of equal duration in political annals have been so crowded with great events as the fifty years we cele- brate today. Under the oaks of Jack son on the 9th of July. 1854. a party was brought into being and baptized. which ever since has answered the purposes of its existence with few CT follies and failures and more mag nificent achievements than ordinarily fall to the lot of any institution of mortal origin. This historic party is only now in the full maturity of it's power and its capacity for good. We look back upon past of unparalleled usefulness and glory with emotions of thankfulness and pride; We confront the future and it's e&acting problems "itU d NOHuuttCe DCT1 O1 tHG tApEE- j. fence of difficulties surmounted and triumphs achieved in paths ore thorny and ways more arduous than any that are likely to challenge the courage and the conscience of the generation which is to follow us It is meet that at this stage of our journey we should review the past and read it's lessons and in it's light take heart for what lies beyond.
 The Republican party has a noble origin. It sprang directly from an aroused and indignant national con- science. Question of finance. of politi- cal economy, of orderly administration, passed out of sight for the moment, to be taken up and dealt with later on. But in 1854 the question that brought the thinking men together was wheth- CT there should be a limit to the az gressions of slavery; and in 1861 that solemn inquiry turned to one more portentious. Shoud the nation live or die? The humblest old Re publican in America has the right to be proud that in the days of his youth in the presence Of these mo- mentous questions he judged right; and if he is sleeping in his honored grave his children may justly be glad of his decision.
 It was not so easy fifty years ago to take sides against the slave power as it may seem today. Respect for the vested rights of the Southern peo- pie was one of our most sacred tra- ditions. It was founded on the com ica nf ttn irrftf a ong line of legal and legislative precedents. The men of the Revolu- ton made no defense of slavery itself: Washington, Adams. Jefferson. and Franklin deplored its existence, but recognized the necessity of compro- mise until the public mind might rest in the hope Of it's ultimate extinction. But after they had passed away, i'm provements in the culture and manu- lecture of cotton made this uneco- homie form of labor for the time profit able, and what had been merely tol-' erated as temporary necessity began 10 be upheld as a permanent system Slavery entrenched itself in every de partment of our public life. Its ad- vOcates dominated Congress and the
 
 the pulpit and grotesquely wrested a few texts of scripture to their purpose. They gave the tone to society; even the Southern accent was initiated in our schools and colleges.
 If the slave holders had been con tent with their unquestioned predomi- nance, they might for many years have controlled our political and social world. It was natural for the con- servative people of the North to say: We deplore the existence of slavery, but We are all to blame for it; we should not cast upon our brethren in the South the burdens and perils of abolition. We must bear with them the unfortunate condition of things and take our share of it's inconven- iences." But the slave holding party could not rest content. The ancients said that madness was the fate of those judged by the gods. Continual az gression is a necessity of a false posi- ton. They felt instinctiveIy that if their system was permanently to en- dure it must be extended, and to at tain this object they were ready to endure everything. They rent in twain the compromises which had pro tected them so long. They tore down the bulwarks which had at once re- str.cted and defended them: and con fid ng in their strength and our pa tience they boldly announced and in augurated the policy of the indefinite of their peculiar institution"
 Once embarked upon this fatal en- terprise they left nothing undone which could contribute to the catas-