Rensselaer Union, Volume 11, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 July 1879 — Twenty-five Years of Republicanism. [ARTICLE]

Twen ty-five Years of Republicanism.

The Republican party has reached its twenty-fifth birthday. In its quarter of a century of life it has accomplished a grander work than any other party of this country in any number of years. Although it was born in 1854, so that it is now twenty-five years old, it took its first part in a National election for President-in In 4854. it; had an efleet oh National politics by electing Congressmen; but in 1856 'lt contended for supremacy in the Republic, and that with great power and vigor. Two years later, in 1858, it captured the organization of the House/ though

it had not a majority. In 1860, its second Presidential contest, It elected Abraham Linooln President, and largely increased its strength in Congress; still, until the South seceded the Republicans did not have numbers enough to organize either the House or Senate. The inexcusable secession of Democratic States gave the Republican party sud control of the Government. From the 4th of March, 1861, till now, Republicanism has had control of the Administration, except during part of Andrew Johnson's term, and has also controlled Congress, except that the Democrats had a majority in the House of the last two (Joofresses, and havo been supremo in oth branches sinco the 4th of March, 1879. v , When the Republican party came into power in 1861, it found the treasury plundered, and the credit of the Nation about destroyed; its army and navy .dispersed; all its defenses broken down; its departments swarming with traitors; many defiant secessionists in Congress; a number of States in open rebellion; its forts, navy-yards, arsenals, ■and public property in the South seized; the Democratic party and its Administration had abandoned all hope of saving the Union, and had announced that any attempt to put down rebellion by force would be unconstitutional; and the Republic seemed to be in the very threes of final dissolution. The Republican party saved the Union. That is an imperishable glory. It created armies; it created a currency;; it carried through to success the grandest war of the present century. It took the Natioj/apparently dying, bankrupt, defenseless, the Union broken into many fragments; and, in five years, it restored the Union, conquered the rebellion, created enormous armies, filled the public treasury, revived the public credit, and made this Republic the most powerful and strongly armed nation of the world at that time. The' Republican party abolished slavery, and made free men and women, and citizens, of four millions of slaves. That is another imperishable glory, which will glow brighter and brighter in history so long as history exists. The Republican party, as the result of its first success in a National Presidential erection, gave to the Republic Abraham Lincoln, who will forever share Washington’s fame for the purity of his patriotism and greatness in statesmanship. That is another imperishable glory, the like of which no other political party has achieved. After the death of Abraham Lincoln, at its next? Presidential triumph, the Republican party elected as President General Grant, who is universally recognized, the world clear around, as the greatest of living Americans in peace, and the most renowed American soldier of our National history. Under the Republican party the Nation has grandly increased in wealth, population and material development. Republicanism has given to the country the Homestead law; the railroads which stretch across the continent; it has opened up our commerce with China and Japan; has paid some eight hundred millions of the public debt; has raised the credit of the United States to the highest point ever attained, and to the level of the richest and strongest nations of Europe; has peacefully settled our controversies with foreign nations; has added many new States to the Union; has marvelously developed our industries by its fostering legislation. To whatever part or portion, interest or institution, of the Republic we turn, the beneficent influence of the Republican party is plainly evident. Its legislation is immovably imbedded ip our laws—aye, at the very rock of the Constitution itself—and always in favor of liberty, intelligence and right. Nothing short of the complete destruction of the Republic can eradicate its marks; and even then some of its great works would survive to be embodied, in whatever new form of government might follow. “ Its name is on our waters—you cannot wash it out;” it is printed deep in our soil—you cannot plow it up; it has become part of our civilization—it cannot be eradicated; it is in all the breath of American fame, in the brightest radiance of our glory, in the very soul of American honor, in the noblest part of American history—imperishablv lodged beyond the assaults of fortune or of time, to endure forever as a party of glorious memory, whatever may be its fate hereafter as a political organization. —Detroit Post and Tribune.