The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-07-05
ITS FlFTlETH ANNIVERSARY.

publican party, an event that will be
fttingly observed at Jackson, Mich,
TO which town is now conceded,5t the
honor of being the birthplace OF the
party.
More or less controversy has ex-
listed as to the exact time and place
at which the party came to life, but
1T has been accepted as an accurate
historical fact that the Michigan city
is right in it's claim. Recently a
history of the republican party was
published by Francis Curtis, in which
it is stated that there had been gath
erings of republicans and the name
had been used prior to July 6, 1854
ebut because of the fact that, in for
NAL convention assembled, a platform
was adopted and a full state ticket
nomir ated on July 6, 1854, at Jack
son. Mich, that day and place must
be considered to be the birthday and
birthplace Of the republican party
"A few months ago the veteran n
venerable statesman, Galusha A. Grow
of Pennsylvania, wrote a letter to
v r. HCy-o;%1| oE MinhiOon in
which he related some of the histori-
cal events that led up to the forma-
ton Of the republican party. Seven
days after the passage OF the act re-
pealing the Missouri compromise a
mass meeting was called at Detroit
to protest against that measure. A
committee was named at the meeting
to call a mass meeting of citizens, all
citizens OF the state, irrespective OF
party, to meet at Jackson; July 6,
1854. Generous response was made
to the call and no hall could be found
.E
large enough to accommodate the
meeting. AN adjournment was taken
to the "Oaks," and there it was re-
solved to call the new party the ire
publican party" At the same time
q full state ticket was nominated,
headed by Kinsley s. Bingham for
governor.
This was the first state ticket nom
mated under the name of republican
after the repeal of the Missouri com
promise.
February %, 1855, at Pittsburg, Pa.
was held the first meeting of delegate:
to form a national republican party
They called a national convention t.
J. meet at Philadelphia June IL, 1856
At this convention General John c
Fremont was nominated for presiden
and William L. Dayton of New Jerse
for vice president.
The party was formed as a protes
against slavery. Those who brough
it into existence could not foresee tn
immense work before it, neither coul
they see far enough into the futur
to behold it's great work for the go'
eminent and the preservation of tn
nation itself. They thought little, pc
haps, that the party organized by the
would successfully prosecute the mo
stupendous war known to. history, tn,
it would overcome the slave pow
of the south and abolish slavery ar
transform this from a part free al
part enslayed people to one wholly al
absolutely free. They sought only
arrest the advance of slavery, n
to abolish ii. The abolition sentime
was even then existent, but mo
years were required to crystalize
into the concrete form it subsequent
assumed and in which it was trump
ant. The most glorious pages in t
history of the nation have been VIZ
ten by the party, of which a writ
Gays:
From its birth to the present d
1t has stood for all that is best
true Americanism and has been I'll
in its opposition to every moyeme
ana every measure that would tend