Year: 1874




then owed but sixty million dollars. The
same bonds sold in June, 1873, as high sas
1921 cents on the dollar, in currency, or a
fraction over ITO in gold, although the
nation then owed two thousandmillion
dollars. Second. The value of annual ex-
ports of domestic commodities increased
from three hundred and seventy-three mill
lion in 1860 to six hundred and forty nine
million in 1873, being an increase during
the period of two hundred and seventy-six
million dollars.


There are those bold enough to assert
that the country is now governed worse in
stead of better tnan formerly. Some may be
found weak enough to believe such asser>
tions But it requires a great deal of de-
clamation to prove that the day is cold
when the mercury stands at SO in the shade.
The mercury won't lie. Men unhappily
sometimes do. And it will require great
deal of rhetoric to persuade this country
that it is being ruined by Government
which in thirteen years has advanced its
credit throughout the money markets OF the
world fully thirty-three per cent, and has
nearly trebled its surplus productions.


LAND POLICY.


But this is not all. Since the advent of
the Republican party the flashing touches
have been given to our land system. 1t was
long ago adiudged that dollar and a





the public domain, Accordingly that was
feXd as the minimum price. That gave to
the Government S20U for quarter section
of land. But Republicanism adjudged
thata farmer was more worth to the country
than 500. and so it has rendered home
stead not exceeding one hundred and sixty
acres to every head of a family who will
make a farm upon it. And in view of a fact
which no State can afford to overlook, to
wit: that a successful agriculture is the
primal necessity and grand inspirati II of
every other industry, and that, to be truly
successful. agriculture, like every other
craft, should be learned prosperous colleges
have been endowed out of the public
domain, wherein field culture may be
reared from the rank of craft to the dig
nifty of science; to the grandeur even of
an art.


But.as establishing the futnre land policy
of The Republican party, the following
resolution of the House of Representatives
is submitted


ResoLred, That in the judgment of of this
Heuse the policy Of granting subsidies in
public land to railroad and other corpora
tons ought to be dscOntinued.; and that
every consideration of public policy and
equal justice to the whole people requires
that the public lands of the United States
should be held for the exclusive purpose of
securing homesteads to actual settlers, under
the homestead and pre- ,emption laws, subject
to reasonable appropriations of such lands
for educational purposes.


THE UNION PREsERvD.


Fellow citizens. when you com mltted the
Union 70 the keeping Of the Republican
party, it seemed on the verge of dissolution:
Many hoped and some feared it had
received an incurable wound. We present
the Z Tni9n to YOU to-day every whit whole.
The Republic is at peace throughout all
her borders; she Is at peace with all the
world. Her rightful authority is disputed
nowhere; her opinions are respected every
where She stands in the very vanguard OF
sovereign States. We challenge history to
produce another instance of a country
raised from such humiliation to such
grandeur in so short a time. And this
Transformation has been wrought not
merely without the aid of the Democratic
party, but inspite Of its utmost hostility.


You have seen the shortcomings Of that
party in administration. Its faults in
opposing have been still more glaring
Perhaps they can be forgiven for allowing
the Ship of State to drift so near the rocks.
But how can they be forgiven their strug-
giles to prevent her from being snatched
from that peril? That charity, which de
lights to think no evil, may excuse their
omission to lift the country, upon the plea
of incompetency. But not charity itself can
see anything but malignancy in their per-
sistent efforts to prevent the country from
being lifted. The world does not resent,
but rather pities, the helpless crew under
whose seamanship Jesus sailed for the
country of the Gadarenes. 1t is plain they
could not still the winds which threatened
to sink the ship; but if they had attempted
to throw the Savior overheard when he
appeared to rebuke those impious winds, the
world would have known no pity for the
crew. And that is the great Democratic
offense which still smells to heaven not
that they did nothing for country, but that
they fiercely opposed everything that was
done for the country. 1t would not be quite
true to say that the Democratic party opposed
the national effort to suppress the rebellion !;
that would have been high treason. 1t
would be quite as far from the truth to say
that they promoted that effort. The rebel
lion could not have lasted two years had
the Democratic party continued n that pa
triotic purpose which Douglas for a season
inspired But Douglas died, and so did
that purpose.


With a sagacity a steadfastness, and a
clearness of vision which, if employed in a
60 ID cause, would be of inestimable value,
the Democratic party found that covert,
narrow, and devious way which lay between
loyalty and treason, and they pursued that
way from the middle of the year 1862 to
the end of the war, always avoidingsthe re-
bukc of their country's laws ana also the
reproach of their countrys foes.


But even for this stinted measure of 10y
atty there may have been some excuse. 1t
may have sprung from lack of faith and not
from want of love. They professed to believe
the rebellion invincible, and if they really
believed so, they could hardly be expected
to display much zeal in a struggle they
believed to be hopeless. The spirits are rare
and very choice who lead forlorn hope
with anything like gayely. But those who
lead real hope, no matter how forlorn,and
do not merely follow dread, are not apt to
look so dismal as these Democrats did when
the rebellion was finally crushed.


Possibly, however, even that singular de-
lection was but the effect of modification at
their own misjudgment and want of prevls-
ion. But when the rebellion WIS crushed
and they were invited TO aid in removing
its cause, as we'll as a cause for future re-
bellions, by abolishing slavery, they re-
fused to do that How can that refusal oe
excused or forgiven? The great act of
emancipation. while it is the grandest Is
history. is also!the least expensive. 1t costs