Year: 1867

If we contemplate the blessings of


the great country, the rights and privi-


leges we enjoy, and the struggle through


which we have passed to preserve them


this country, dedicated to liberty, lib.


erty of men, liberty OF conscience, liber-


ty in its broadest acceptance, with its


fertility, its beauty and grandeur, and


ask ourselves to whom we are indebted
for all these blessings, the answer must


be in one word: TO the soldiers. -
From the revolutionary struggle, when


our fathers bore the starry emblem of the
young Republic over mountain nights
and heightened plains, establishing it
among the nations of the earth, down
to the present time, we are indebted to
soldiers for all the rights and privileges


we enjoy. Ifthis be SO, then, it is the
duty of each and every one of us to
meet on days like this, around the fes-
tive board, and send up prayers to
heaven that these blessings may be pre-
served to future generations. 1t is
well to inquire on such occasions what
was the cause that led to this state of
things Why have we these widog
and orphans among us? 'Tis because
of the war that has been going on in
the land, a war between two great po-
ltical elements of this country, Repub-
lican liberty and freedom against a prin-
ciple of aristocracy that claims the right
to exercise all the powers of govern
ment. Not many years have gone by
since we first found treason in this land,
but it was crushed out. For a time it
claimed the right not only to own per-
sons and traffic in human blood, but to
extend its institutions over the whole
land. 1t was this idea that caused the
bloody rebellion through which we have
passed. 1t is not true that the war
was produced by agitation on the part
of Northern men. 1t is not true that
the principles Of liberty and justice to
all men, which runs hand in hand with
Christianity and virtue, ever produces
war and bloodshcd in the earth It's
oppression that brings about war 1t
brought about this war. When the
power passed from the hands of those
men who had controlled the Govern
ment for an age, they were unwilling
to take back seats for little while, and
they rebelled against the lawful Gov
ernment. But we ask any soldier if he
ever found man of the Republican
party who was rebel, or who commit
ted treason against the Government?
Some one would say, "Why, you were
Democrat yourself" That is true,
and there were great many Demo
Gratis that are not Democrats now, thank
God. Let me ask again if you ever
saw leader in this rebellion who was
not a leader in the Democratic party.
If you never have, if these things are
so, it ought to be a sufficient reason for
every conscientious man to leave that
disloyal, rotten and disorganized party
In 1916 the Democratic party claimed
to be war party. Whenever an out
rage was committed against the Gov
ernment, and up to 1860, there was
hardly a Democratic orator in the North
but would wind up his speech always
with something glowing and glittering
in reference to the permanency of the
Government. was glad to hear it al
ways. | used to adopt such language
myself But let us see what their con
duct was during the war; There were
two great parties, one Democratic and
the other Republican. The leaders Of
the Republican party, rank and file
everywhere, went through the country
saying there was no peace and could
be none until the rebellion was put down
by the strong arm Of the Government.
They told you that they were willing
to give men and money for the purpose
of the preservation of the Union intact,
not for the purpose alone of uniting the
States again, but for the purpose of
furnishing treason and making it odious
in this land; for the purpose Of preserv-
ing the Constitution and the flag of our
country, and requiring each and every
citizen Of this land to yield willing obe-
dience to those laws enacted by the
representatives Of the country. The
Democrats said peace cannot be restored
by war; that four years of war had failed
to bring peace and denounced the Union
party, and declared it wrong to fight
the men of the South because they were
contending for principle, the same as
we were. We thought differently.
We thought this country was worth
saving, and we didn't think rebels were
worth saving. You say there were
Democrats in the war as well as Repub-
lcans. Nobody denies it. But the
Republican party saved the country,
and no Democrat can deny it, because
in 1864 the Democratic party, in SOL
emn convention, declared the war
failure, and that it ought to cease If
it had caesed then, the country would
have been divided and the Republic de-
stroyed; and if they saved it from de-
atruction, are they not entitled to be
trusted with its preservation now? But
they say the States were never out of
the Union. / will not discuss this with
Democrats further than to say that, if
the rebel States were not out of the
Union, it is very evident that the Union
was all out of them. And there is an
other thing. If these States were not
out of the Union for nearly five wears.