Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-07-09
FIFTY YEARS
OF HISTORY
SECRETARY OF STATE, HAY, RE.
VIEWS CAREER OF REPuRA.
CAN PARTY.
FIFTY YEARS OLD TODAY
Seml-centenniaI Celebration is Held
Today at jackson, Mich, Where the
Party Was Organized Half Gen.
fury Ago-Many Addresses.

Jury A9o-Many Addresses.
Jackson, Mich, July 6. = JACKSON is
today the scene of one of the great
est and most unique celebrations in
the history OF the nation-the semi
centennial of the republican party.
Fifty years ago, in this city, the anti
slavery leaders met in convention and
organized the republican party, which
has grown into the dominant political
body In the United States. The main
speech Of the occasion was made by
Secretary Of State John Hay and ad-
dresses were also delivered by Russell
"A. Alger and Senator Fairbanks, Speak.
ar Cannon and Senator Burrows. The
attendance was large and the enthusi-
asm boundless.
Secretary Hays Speech.
The address Of Secretary Hay out
lined the history Of the party during
Its eventful fifty years, showing its
record Of progress and success. He
said in part:
A Century In History.
A century is but moment of his
tory; 1t has often happened that sew
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 tfmes-of intense action and
spiritual awakening single genera
tion may form an epoch; and few per-
Eiods of equal duration in political an
mails have been so crowded with great
events as the fifty years we celebrate
today. Under the oaks of jackson on
the 9th Of July, 1854, a party was
brought into being and baptized,
which ever since has answered the pur-
poses OF it's existence with fewer fol
lies and failures and more magnifi-
cent achievem ents than ordinarily fall
to the lot of any institution of mortal
origin. And even the beginning of the
end is not yet. 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
ed usefulness and glory with emotions
of thankfulness and pride; we confront
the future and its exacting problems
with confidence born of the expert
,ence Of difficulties surmounted and
triumphs achieved in paths more thorny
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
its light take heart for what lies be-
yond.
A Notable Origin.
The republican party had a noble
origin. 1t sprang directly from an
aroused and indignant national con-
science. Questions of finance, of po-
litical ecnoomy, of orderly administra-
ton, passed out of sight for the NOM
ent to be taken up and dealt with later
on. But in 1854 the question that
brought the thinking men together
was whether there should be limit
to the aggressions Of slavery; and in
1851 that solemn inquiry turned to one
Estill more portentous, Should the ma
tion live or die?" The humblest old
Republican in America has the right to
be proud that in the days of his youth
in the presence of these momentous
questions he judged right; and if he is
sleeping in his honored grave his chill
dren may justly be glad of his deci-
sion.
It was not so easy fifty years ago to
take sides against the slave power as
1T may seem today. Respect for the
vested rights of the southern people
was one Of our most sacred traditions.
1T was founded on the compromises of
the constitution, and upon long line
lof legal and legislative precedents
The men of the Revolution made no
defense Of slavery in itself; Washing
ton, Adams, Jefferson and Franklin de.
plored its existence, but recognized the
necessity of compromise until the pub
lie mind might rest in the hope of its
ultimate extinction. But after they
had passed away, improvements in the
culture and manufacture of cotton
made this uneconomic form Of labor fol
the time profitable, and what had beer
merely tolerated as TEN porary neces
sity began to be upheld as perma
nent system. Slavery entrenched it
self in every department of our public
life. It's advocates dominated con
gress and the state legislatures; they
even invaded the pulpit and grotesque
ly 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
End Of Passive Submission.
If the Shareholders had been conten
with their unquestioned predominance
they might for many years have con
trolled our political and social world
It was natural for the conservative
people Of the north to say: eve de
plore the existence of slavery, but We
are all to blame for 1t; we should no
cast upon our brethren in the south
the burdens and perils Of its abolition
We must bear with the unfortunate
condition Of things and take our share
of its Inconvenience" But the slave
holding party could not rest content
The ancients said that madness was
the fate Of those judged by the gods
Continual aggression is a necessity o
false position. They felt instinctivel.
that If their system were permanent!
to endure it must be extended, and t.
attain this object they were ready tt
risk everything. They rent in twail
the compromises which had protected