The San Francisco call., 1904-07-07

, discussion Of the right and wrong OF slavery
became general; the light was let in. fatal TO
darkness. system which degraded men.
dishonored women deprived little children of
the sacred solace OF home, was doomed from
, the hour IT passed into the arena Of free de-
bate And even If we shut our eyes to the
moral aspects Of that heartless system, and
confined ourselves to the examination Of its
economic merits 1t was found to be wastefuI
I ana inefficient. The Americans once
the sentimental and the most practical
OF peoples-and when they that an insti-
tuition is morally revolving and besides, does
not pay, its fate is sealed.
Yet the most wonderful feature of that eX-
traordinary campaign which then began. and
which never ceased until the land was purged
OF its deadly sin, was that even in the very
tempest and whirlwind of their passion the
great leaders of the Republican party kept
their agitation strictly within the limits or
the constitution and the law. There no
general demand for even an amendment to the
organic instrument. They pleaded for the re-
peal Of unjust statutes inconsistent with
the constitution. but did not advocate their
violation.
BIRTH OF REPUBLICAN PARTY.
Only among the more obscure and ardent
members OF the party was there any demand
for the abolition OF slavery. but the whole
party stood like n rock for the principle that
the damnable institution must be content with
what it had already got and must not be al
lowed to pollute another inch of free soil.
On this tmpregnable grOund they made their
stand; and the mass convention which assem-
bled here in 1854, while the vibrations OF the
thunder OF the guns and the shoutinGs of the
birthday OF liberty yet fingered in the air. gave
a nucleus and a name to the new party, des-
tined to great and benehcent career. Before
the month ended, the anti-siavery men of five
more great States adopted the name ''Repub-
lican. and under that banner Congress was
carried and two years ater a national party
assembled PittsburG and nominated Fremont
and Dayton, who failed by few votes OF
sweeping the North.
Who OF that was living then will ever
forget the ardent enthusiasm of those DAYS >
1t was one Of those periods. rare in the life az
any nation, when men forget themselves and
in spite of habit of interest and OF prejudice
follow their consciences wherever they NAV
lead. In the clear. keen air that was abroad
the best men in the country drew deAper
breaths and rose TO a moral height they Rad
not before attained. The movement was uni
versal Sumner in the East. Seward in New
York, Chase in Ohio, Bates in Missouri Blair
in Maryland, all sent forth their identical sp-
peal to the higher motive; and in Illinois
I whsre the most popular man in the State
whether slavery is voted up or voted down. . A
voice. new to the nation, replied There are some
nothing is wrons"-and Abraham Lincoln CAME
upon the field not to leave Ii until he was
triumphant in death
have no right to detain you at this hour in
recountfng the history OF those memorable davs
Two incidents of the long battle win never be
forgotten One was the physical and political
contest for the possession OF Kansas. carried
on with desperate courage and recklessness Of
consequences by the pro-siavery party on the one
side. and, on the other, by the New England
farmers whose weapons OF aggression were
Bible texts and the words of Jefferson and
whose arms OF defense SharDee rifles
With words that ring even when we read
them, like the clashing OF swords the Slave
State men claimed Kansas their right and
the Free State men replied in the words of
the prophet before Herod. 1T is not lawful for
you to have her" And when the talking
sharpened to the physical clnch. the praying
men Fought with the same ferocity as the men
who cursed