Year: 1879

TIONAL?


1t has always been favorite exercise Wit


Democratic politicians to make this charge


and it is not improbable that frequent repet


tion may have produced species of convc
tion. There never was a more baseless O


unjust charge retailed by partizan malice
The present Republican party was organized
for no other purpose than to keep slavery ou
of the Territories. Its objec: was not aboli
ton, and only the insanity of Southern poll
ticians forced on such an ISSUE But ever
allowing that the abolition of slavery
was among the original purposes of the Re
publican patty, it does not constitute sec
tional party any more than it did the party
that carried through the abolition of slavery ir
the English parliament Allcivilized and chris
tian nations have abolished slavery and theil
acts might with the same propriety be called
sectional. The founders of this nation adopt.
ed the doctrine that all men are born free
and equal, etc. 1t was their first step forward
towards constituting this nation and framing
a government. The Republican party was
the first that in its practices and acts ever
stood forth squarely on the original platform
of the Declaration of independence


How are we to determine that a party is
sectional? If by its principles, then it must
be conceded that freedom is sectional. Did
these political parrots ever look far enough
ahead of them to see where logic would land
them? What is uttered as an opprobrium
proves to be title of honor. when the real
intent and meaning is discovered. If there
is any one just claim for party to deserve
to becalled national in the United States, it is
for most consistently and thoroughly advo-
eating and enacting that all men shall be free
and equal in their rights before the law.
Even the Southern Democrats, unless they
are all hypocrites, have cordially come to be-
lieve as the Republicans did at the beginning,
that the abolition of slavery was the best
thing that could have occurred for the good
of master and slave. No one is bold enough
to express wish that slavery should be re-
established. Is it this great and glorious end
accomplished with the appreciation of
everybody, that fixes the stigma of being
a sectional party upon the Republicans?
Is it because the same party has advocated
free speech, free homesteads, and freedom
of the ballot that renders them deserving of
being called sectional9 If so, there is no
significance to principles, there is no such
thing as propriety in speech.


Again, the Republican party always has
h cid, in the forum and en- the battle field,
hat the United States were nation, one and
indvisible, against the centrifugal doctrines
of confederation and reserved rights of seces
sion,as advocated by Calhoun and still widely
accepted as Democratic doctrine even by
members of that party at the North. Is there
anything sectional in this principle of nation
ality? Nothing in the world could be more
opposite to sectionalism. That
principle is sectional, pure, simple and una
dulterated, that countenances the withdrawal
of any State for supposed grievances 1t
would cut up Il is united and powerful ma
ton into endless sections. That party de-
serves to be called sectional and is in reality
which asserts that the State is
above the Nation and deserves the first
and highest allegiance.


Driven from every foot hold of principle,
perhaps those who make this charge of Sec
tionalism against the Republican party will
seek to defend their usage by saying that
party only has an existence in one section of
he country. Even this pretext is equally
,ntenable. The Republican party is predomi-
liant in North, East, West and middle States,
md if free ballot could be cast by the en-
ranchised blacks the Republican party would
'e in authority even in the South. Are we to
'e told with the expectation that the story
will be credited that the South is solidly
Democratic by the free choice of all its citi-
ems entitled to votea 1t is simply confusion
# ideas anc misapplication of terms to call
be Republican party sectional. The verdict
f history will accord with the conviction of {
II reasoning men of the present day, that I
ne Republican party as it has existed, in t
hat it has professed and achieved, in what
still is to-day and is now seeking to accom- '
lish. better deserves the title of true ma O
onal party than any that has existed since d
le nation began its existence. o


- C.


RIVER NEWS. I