Year: 1865

would this day be mourning amid the
broken fragments of once glorious
country. Suppose cessation of hos
tilities had been agreed upon when
the Democratic party demanded it,
where would have been the victories
at Atlanta, at Savannah, and at Rich
mond?


/, therefore, arraign the Democratic
party for taking sides with the public
enemy in time Of war. 1t length
or ed the contest by its opposition to
all means to prosecute the war; 1t
encouraged the South to desperate
continuance of the struggle, by prom
Use and hope Of support which they
had not the courage to render. But
for their promises, the South would
long since have yielded to the arms of
the Union, and all the. blood that has
been shed, and all the treasure that
has been spent since the fall of Vicks-
Burg, and the Waterloo defeat of Lee
at Gettysburg, may justly be. charged
to the Democratic leaders. They said
the South never could be subjugated,
and thus encouraged the rebels to
fight They slandered and vilifed Mr..
Lincolii for every thing that he did,
and for all that he omitted to do
They raised the white flag in the
midst of the contest, in the rear of our
armies. Their afiinlties and associa-
tions are, and have been, with the
rebels. And now, when the war is
over, and a glorious peace has crown
ed our arms, their only hope for res
direction is by league with amnesti-
cd traitors. ..s.


DEMOCRATIC INTENTIONS,


Fellow citizens, the evils this party
have attempted in the past, are no
greater than the evils likely to occur
in the event Of their success. What
assurance will you have if they are
entrusted with power, that all their
old leaders will not again control your
politics, sit in your halls of legislation
and renew this rebellion in some 9TH


er form? They will come back with


all the bitterness Of defeat. The glo-


rious recollectons which form the
pride of our history for four years, will


be the marks Of their defeat. They


will strive like the cavaliers of Charles


the Second to blot from our minds all


these memories. They will at once


form an alliance with the Wade


Hamptons and the Richmond politi.


Clans of the South, and like these par


doned rebels, will demand, as the first


qualification for office, faithful service


in the rebel armies. How long under


o Democratic administration would ii


be before your public debt would be


repudiated, or our country saddled


with the Confederate debtP The reb-


els look upon the vast contributions


of our people to the national Govern


ment as the main agency by which


they have been overthrown, and they


never will agree to pay their portion


Of this debt, unless compelled by the


people of the north to do so. How


long before jeff. Davis or some of his


fellow rebels will be placed in nomin-


alton for the Presidency, as q good


and consistent Democrat? No doubt


many good men look upon this as an


Unfair arraignment of the Democratic


party. But it is my serious conviction


that this party cln only be maintained


as a rebel organization-that its ten.


dency will be to rebel ideas, and that


it will inevitably drift into the con-


troll of the very men whom our SOL


diers have defeated. With such par


ty, no man who has spark of patri-


otism, should form any atiIiation. No


pretencc that it may set up can justify


its continuance. No false issue can


check its tendency. 1t should be bu-


ricd among the things that are passed
and laid in the same grave with the


rebellion, of which it was. but the in


strument


know the instincts ofthousands OF
Democrats will, now that we are about
to enter ON n second stage OF our ma
tional existence, ms Ike them avoid any
contest with such party. Now is the
time to make the choice. M young
man should commence his political
life by attaching himself to stained
reputation. No soldier who has fought
under our flag will act with the party
that refused to vote a man or dollar
, to sustain him in the war, or that
? chooses still for its leaders such men
, as Vallandigham, Wood and others.
r But, my friends, we must not over
look the power of the Democratic par
D ty. 1t is the only political organiza-
4 ton that now contests with us the ad.
t ministration of the State and national
Government. 1t is not well for Us to
: underrate our adversary. We have
: too much at stake in the great issues
' Of the future to allow our enemy tc
o stcal march upon us. We are moi
t only bound to notice the tendency Of


the party, but we must look TO the is
> sues they put forth in their platform
8 OF principles. They are now sailing
$ under false colors. They are trying
r to flank their platform of last year
2 and all their old principles and croeds
o to make with us immaterial issues
0 upon which they hope to catch the
Q popular favor. 1t is true that few
honest men among them dissent from
v this policy. Long and Cory and
: few honest mad men are still disposed
: to cling to their old principles, but
/. tho instincts of the Democratic party
Q are SO keenly alive to the possession Of
. office, that the majority will fall in the
: wake OF the recent Convention. We
0 must therefnra. look to their platform