The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1904-07-16
YE GOLDEN JUBILEE.
THE REPUBLICAN, PARTY CELE-
BRATEs FIFTIETH BIRTHDAY.
Secretary Of State Hay Sounds Key
note Of Campaign-senator Fair
banks Speaks on History
Of the Party.

IEOmlS park NJ JdChsou, uiSh', oh Soiy
s, to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary
of the birth of the republican party I'm
der the Oaks in that city July Q. 1854.
1t was there on that date that the first
state convention acting under the name
OF republican" was held. The state
ticket nominated on that dey went
through a heated campaign to election
day success.
A tremendous audience was present
when Senator ]. G. Burrows, Of Michi-
gan, introduced Secretary of State John
Hay, the orator of the afternoon. Secre-
tary Hay said in the course OF his re-
marks:
"a century Is but moment OF history;
1t has often happened that several 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 generation may
form an epoch, and few periods of equal
duration in political annals have beer
so crowded with great events as the SO
years we celebrate to-day.
"Under the oaks of Jackson on the 9Th
Of July, 1854, party was brought into
being and baptized, which ever since
| has answered the purposes Of its exist
ence with fewer follies and failures and
more magnificent achievements than
ordinarily fall to the lot of any institu-
| ton Of mortal origin. And even the be-
ginning of the end is not yet. This his
toric party is only now In the full matur-
ity of its power and its capacity for
good.
1.-THE republican party had noble
origin. 1t sprang directly from an
| aroused and indignant national com
science. Questions of finance, Of pot
litical economy, of orderly administra-
ton, 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 whether
there should be a limit to the aggressions
Of slavery, and In 1861 that solemn in
quiry turned to one still more porten-
tous. Should the nation 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 II he is sleeping in his honored
grave his children may justly be glad Of
his decision.
ut was not so easy so years ago to
take sides against the slave power as 1t
may seem to-day. Respect for the vested
| rights Of the southern people was ore
of our most sacred traditions. 1t was
founded on the compromises of the con-
stitution and upon a long line of legal
and legislative presidents.
"If the Shareholders had been content
with their unquestioned predominance
they might for many years have con-
trolled our political and social world.
'They felt instinctively that II their
system were permanently to endure il
must be extended, and to attain thi:
object they were ready to risk every
thing. They rent in twain the com
promises which had protected them sc
long. They tore down the bulwark:
which had at once restricted and de.
Tended them; and confding in their
strength and our patience they boldly
announced and inaugurated the policy
Of the indefinite extension of their
peculiar institution
"Yet the most wonderful feature OF
that extraordinary campaign which
then began, and which never cease
until the land was purged of its dead
ly sin, was that even in the very tenn
pest and whirlwind of their passion
the great leaders of the republican
party kept their agitation strictly
within the limits of the constitution
and the law. There was no general
demand for even an amendment to the
organic instrument.
"They pleaded for the repeal OF un.
just statutes as inconsistent with the
: constitution, but did not advocat;
their violation. Only among the NOR,
. obscure and ardent members of tn,
party was there any demand for thu
: abolition Of slavery, but the Who'll,
party stood like rock for the princi
pie that the damnable institution mus
: be content with what 1t had alread!
got, and must not be allowed to pol
: lutte another inch of free soil.
"On this impregnable ground the.
made their stand; and the mass con
9 vention which assembled here in 1854
| while the vibrations of the thunder o
the guns and the shoutings Of tn
birthday of liberty yet fingered In tn
!. air, gave a nucleus and name to tn
new party, destined to q great an
benefcent career.
Before the month ended the anti
slavery men Of Ave more great state
adopted the name republican an
: under that banner congress was car
ried and two years later a nationa
party assembled at Pittsbnrg and nom
Q mated Fremont and Dayton. VIII
failed by few votes Of sweeping tn
north.
"who Of us that was living thel
: