Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1904-07-06

A century is but a moment of his
tory; it has often happened that sew
eral of them have passed away, since
men began to record their deeds, witt
little change in the physical aspect OF
the moral progress of the world. Blu
at other times-of intense action ant
spiritual awakening-a single genera
ton may form an epoch; and few per
iods of equal duration in political an
nails have been so crowded with great
events as the SO years we celebrate
today. Under the oaks of Jackson or
the 9Th of July, 1854, a party was
brought into being and baptized. which
ever since has answered the purposes
| of it's existence with fewer follies and
failures and more magnificent achieve
ments 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 it's capacity for good. We look
back upon past of unparalleled use,
fulness and glory with emotions OF
thankfulness and pride; we confront
| the future and it's exacting problems
with a confidence born of the exper-
Hence of difficulties surmounted and
| triumphs achieved in paths more
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. 1t is
meet that at this stage of our journey
we should review the past and read its
lessons, and in it's light take heart for
what lies beyond.
The Republican party had a noble
origin. 1t sprang directly from an
aroused and indignant national con-
science. Questions of finance, of poll,
tical economy of orderly administra-
ton, passed out of sight for the mo,
ment, 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 1861
that solemn inquiry turned to one still
more portentous. Should the nation
live or die? The humblest old Repub'
lican in America has the right to be
proud that in the days OF his youth IN
the presence of these momentous ques'
tions he judged right; and If he Is
sleeping in his honored grave his chill
dren may justly be glad OF his decl
sion.
It was not so easy so years ago to
take sides against the slave power as
it may seem today. Respect for the
vested rights of the southern people
was one of our most sacred traditions
It was founded on the compromise 1ln
til the public mind might rest in the
hope of it's ultimate extinction. But
after they had passed away, improve
ments in the culture and manufacture
of cotton made this uneconomic form
of labor for the time profitable, ano
what had been merely tolerated as
Temporary necessity began to be up
held as a permanent system. Slavery
entrenched itself in every department
of our public life. Its advocates doml
mated Congress and the state legisla
lures: they even invaded the pulpl
and grotestesquely wrested few
texts of scripture to their purpose
They gave the tone to society; ever
the southern accent was initiated II
our schools and colleges.
If the shareholders had been con
tent with their unquestioned predoml
nance. they might for many year
lhave controlled our political and socla
world 1t was natural for the conse1
lvative people of the north to say: wv
)deplore the existence of slavery, bu
we are all to blame for it: we shoul
mot cast upon our brethren in the sout
the burdens and perils of it's abolition
1--we must bear with the unfortunat
condition of things and take our shar
of it's inconveniences." But the slave
holding party. could not rest conten
The ancients said that madness wa
the fate of those judged by the gods
Continual aggression is necessity OF
false position. They felt instinctivel
: that if their system were permanent
to endure it must be extended, and
attain this object they were ready t
risk everything. They rent in twal
the compromises which had protecte
them so long. They tore down the bu
warks which had at once restrlcte
. and defended them; and confiding
their strength and our patience the
boldly announced and inaugurated tn
policy of the indefinite extension
their peculiar institution
Once embarked upon this fatal ente
prise they left nothing undone whic
could contribute to the catastrophe VI
on which they were rushing. In
Whig party had gone to ruin in lSs
lon account of the impossibility of con