Year: 1864

we accept IL even as test OF loyalty, III
you will, as a test of fidelity to the coun-
try as test of patriotism" We stood
b. it; we stand by it to-day. We did
more we voted in Congress all the men
and all the money asked for by the Ad-.
ministration to carry on the war. We
certainly met them more than half way.
But how were we treated by these no.
party menl AS the time for the election
campaign came round each year, we found
them organizing their party machinery,
issuing their party circulars, making their
nominations, and all the time talking
about no party. What did 1t mean! 1t
meant, simply, mo party but the RepubA
lican party - They may have pulled the
wool over our eyes Tor a short time but we
have got them open again.


They talked about holding ''country
above patty; as if the Democracy had
ever done otherwise than hold Country
above party as il our organization was
notplanted upon the Constitution; ; as if
we did not own all our success in the past
to the fact that our party was for the
country and was The only party that was





that is our party creed and | believe L
but express the honest sentiment Of all
those Democrats who like you, Mr.. Presi-
dent, have stood faithfully by their party
through good report and through evil re-
port; through darkness and storm and
I adversity as well as in the sunlight OF
prosperity, when declare that we have no
| ahr to nrty q
we deem it necessary to the vlndcatiou of
the Constitution. necessary to the resora-
ton and preservation of the Union, neces-
sary 10 the restoration of the country to
its former condition of greatness and pros
perity. Proud aud glorious as the history
Of that party has been, and as its record


is 10 day, | would see that history and
that record blotted out and forgotten, and
the glorious old party itself swallowed up


in oblivion if believed that the restora-
ton OF the Union to its old status and o.
the country to its former happy and pl os'
porous condition, demanded such o sacri.
flee. But no, fellow citizens; we must
not now look for relief in this dark hour o


the nation's calamity to the sacrifice o
that party under whose counsels the coun


try became great and prosperous; the


Union, the admiration OF tho world ouI
system of Governmen, at once the pride
of the American citizen and the terror OF
the old world royalsts. From the tenn
porary defeat oil that party in its vair
struggle with sectiouaism and fanatcisn
! in 1860, came war and blood and carnage
aud death aud desolation and disaster
came violated and trampled Constitution
: -camo the pros,ration OF the great wri
OF liberty, the peoples only protection from
arrest without warrant, and imprisonmen
without crme-came the suppression o
free speech, and of free press--came
y reign Of terror in this land of boasted lib
= erty came taxation, to the full limit o
c the peoples endurance, upon everything
. we eat, drink, wear, see, feel, smell, ow
; or possess-came an iuheri!ence OF ma
e tonal indebtedness that will cause ou
J chitren's children to curse our memor
l and worse than ali ,and with all, came


broken and shattered Union. TO the sue
cess Of that party in this renewed contes
with the same loo we now look for tn
J triumph of the Union, and "iu this sign "
:, conquer.