Year: 1875

atAppotomattox Court House. Ten years
since the civil war was thus ended-ten
years during which the Republican party
has been reconstructing the Union-ten
years during which that party has had its
sweet will throughout the length and
breadth of the land, and now let us pause
for moment and see what it has done
during all this time towards restoring con-
cord and prosperity to the nation.


If it has not brought about this happy
condition it assuredly was not for want of
power or willingness to exercise it, for in
its desire to accomplish its purposes it has
been regardless alike of laws, constitutions
or expense. All branches of the Govern
ment, civil and military, have been alike
subverted to its purpose, and governed by
code which knew no law except the will
of the party leaders. In the whole civiliz-
ed world there has been no such absolute
rule as this party has practised over the
people of this country during these last
ten years of the nineteenth century. And
we are sorry to say it, but truth compels
us, the country this day, at the end of
these long years, during which no hostile
hand has been raised within its borders
against the Union, is in a worse condition
than it was at the close of the great civil
war.


When the war ceased and Radicalism
found that Andrew Johnson was still i'm
bued, by his early Democratic teachings,
with sufficient respect for the Constitu-
tion and its principles not to allow them
to be wantonly trampled in the dust fer
party sake, it waged against him such a
fierce and unrelenting war as shook the
very foundations of the Government First
the leaders of this party sought to deprive
him of his constitutional power ofappoint-
ment to and removal from office through the
Tenure Of Office act; and when he refused
thus to surrender his powers they deter
mined to remove him from their path and
for this purpose forced the House of Re-
presentatives to present articles of i'm
peachment against him. Fortunately this
desperate means failed through the integri-
ty of some two or three of the conservative
Republicans of the Senate. together with
the small Democratic minority therein.
The Radical leaders then found in Grant
ready and willing tool to serve their pur
poses. He was bold, ambitious and un-
scrupulous. They readily formed an alli-
ance with this successful soldier of for
tune. and through him, for nearly ten years
past, they have wreaked their malignant
will upon this hapless land. They have
made and unmade laws at pleasure. They
have controlled the treasury and emptied
the public purse as they pleased. They
have disposed of the army and navy to
suit their whim. They have even invad-
ed the sacred precincts of the Supreme
Court and packed that august tribunal so
as to obtain favorable decisions They
paused at nothing. All they undertook
was claimed to be tor the safety of the Re
public and therefore the end sanctifcd the
means. All who opposed these measures
were traitors and unreconstructed Rebels
Ignoring the fact that the army was large
" composed of Democrats s-that it was
the financial ability of Democratic New
York that supported the dropping Govern
ment at the beginning of the strife-it was
claimed that it was the Radical Republi-
can party alone which had saved the coun-
try and therefore was entitled to be en-
trusted with the task of its reconstruction
after it had so triumphantly carried ii
through the war. These spccious pretexts
were listened to and for ten years this
party has had its way to do its best or its
worst What is our condition to-day
The close of the war left us with a navy
of which any nation might have been
proud! This. as Admiral Porter states in
his last report, only contains now four first
class vessels, the balance being utterly
worthless. Yet the expenditures of this
department have been steadily increasing
each year. For five years before the war
the expenses of the navy amounted to $685.
297, 1893. .O0-for the five last years the cost
has aggregated $116.919,911.2s.


Our frontiers are boldly invaded and
laid waste by merciless Indians and thiev-
ish Mexican greasers at their pleasure.
Where is the srmy9 Engaged in uphold
ing negroes and public plunderers in power
that they may rob od h5itum honest and
Industrious white men,.


The war left US with a surplus in the
Federal Treasury and ample credit abroad.
1t was but short time since the Secretary
of the Treasury told Congress that there
was an actual deficit of $50 ,OOO, 900 in the
Treasury and that unless some $4O,000,0O0
was raised by additional taxation he
would be unable to carry on the Govern
ment. Why was this done? There were
unissued bonds in his hands. Why did
be not sell them? Alas! there were none
anxious to buy. Ten years of peace and
Radical reconstruction had left our credit
worse than it found it. Yet. after the un-
exampled trials Of the great German war
and the cruel ravages of the Commune,
Paris asked for loan and in one single
day forty two times the amount asked for
was subscribed!