Year: 1870

ueuI DelleI Inal the people VIII main
tain the National Banking system, a
the best and safest they haveever had
Its establishment is an honor to tn


Republican party, and great bless
ing TO the nation.


LAND GRANTS TO RAILROADS.


Both the Republican and De moerat


ie Conventions united in denounein.
grants of land to corporations am


mOnOpOlies. If these resolutions r0fe


to the immense number Of scheme


which have been placed upon Con,


gress during the past two years, to aiC


local railroad and other corporation


they are wise and oppOrtune. SeOrei
Of such bills were. introduced at tn,
session though very few if any Of then


were passed. 1t is well for the peOpl,


to warn their representatives agains
the mass Of such bills which are now
pending in Congress. For myself ]
never introduce nor voted for such {
"a bill. But if these party resolutions
are intended to condemn legislation


which has given land to aid in tht
construction of the great continental
railway between the Atlantic and the
Pacific, they are not, in my judg-
ment, either wise or OppOrtune. The
I opening up of that vast wilderness on
I both slopes of the Rocky mountains
to settlement and civilization was
nearly or quite impossible without
I these great roads. Within the last
fifteen years both the political parties
( have recommended In their national
] conventions the building Of a Pacific
I Railroad. More than ten years ago
William II. Seward made a speech on
I the passage of the first Pacific Rail-
road bill through the Senate in which
occurred this striking and suggestive
/ passage.


''I want it to be known, / want il
TO be seen and read of all men here
and elsewhere, that at the very day
and hour when it was apprehended
by patriotic and wise men throughout
the land that this Union was falling
into ruin, the Congress of the United
States placed upon the statute book,
for eternal record, an act apprOpria-
ting ninety-siX milliOns-the largest
apprOpriating ever made-tO bind the
Northeast and Northwest, the South
east and Southwest, the East and
West, and the North and South by a
physical, material bond of indiss0lu-
BILE union.


The bill TO aid in the construction
of the Union Pacific Railroad became
a lay in 1852. In 1864 the bill was
passed to aid, by a grant OF lands, the
building of the Northern Pacific road.
Both political parties We're divided in
regard to these bills; put the compile
ton Of one of the roads has fully vim
dicated the wisdom of the legislature


The most important law passed at
the late session Of Congress relating
to grants Of land was an act amenda-
tory Of the law of 1864 in regard to the


NORTHERN PACIFIC ROAD.


Il allowed the company to issue
their own bonds and mortgage the
lands already given to them, but
it enlarged the grant but little if any.
On the passage of this amendatOry
act both parties were divided as they
were in 1862 and 1864. l have stated
these detailes for the reason that at
tempts have been made to represent
that at the last session large grants Of
land were recklessly made to railroad
corporations.


The remaining resolutions of the
Democratic platform, concerning the
taxation of the bonds; the enforce
ment of the 18th Amendment; hOstil-
ity to Great Britain and Spain; prais-
ing the conduct of their Congressman
&C., are but the stuffing and padding
which have become so cheap and so
common in such conventions, but
which accomplish far less in influence
the popular mind than politicians
suppose,


In reviewing the ground gone oyer
there appears to run through the ca
reer of the Democratic party, both be-
fore, during and since the war, mall
ignant consistency in oppOsingeveTy-
thing done or attempted by the Re
lican party. They were unwilling to
have the Union saved If il were to be
done under tie lead ofthe Republican
party. They denounced us for keep
ing the Southern States out so long
but opposed reconstruction apparent
ly because Republicans proposed it.
In all their efforts, they seem to be
moved by their hates rather than their
loves. This makes them a party Of
negatiOns, of destruction and revolu-
LlOlls All bAlt 6uDoALAALAdsA hACdouACo
they recommend in their platforms
are reaetiOnary and violent. All the
debris and rubbish of tine rebellion has
fallen like foul sediment into their
party. The shattered hopes and brOk-
en- purposes Of the rebels have added
bitterness to the Democratic spirit,
and they seem almost wholly desti-
tute of both sweetness and light, those
heaven-bOTn qualities which a great
writer has described as the two angels
of civilization.


! know no political party in mod
ern times whose record is so high and
noble, that has so little to be ashamed
of and so much to be proud of rs the
Republican party. It's faith and eOur-
age since the war, in meeting and con-
quering prejudice and passion; i'm act
ing firmly on the conviction that
nothing is settled until it is settled
right, have been even more admira-
bic than its faith, and patience, and
valOr during the war. The upheav-
ing of the rebellion brought To the
surface OF political life, some lad ele-
ments which have begun to show
themselves in political organizations.
Some corrupt men have found their
way into the Republican party, and
some mistakes have been made. But
the head and heart of the great party
are sound and true, and it is still not
l. ~r.f ~ IL