of the fathers
of the republic, and destructive of all good government.

Now, the important question presented is, whether it is safe and
wise to trust these amendments for interpretation, construction,
and execution to the party which, from first to last, has fiercely
opposed them. The safe rule is, if you want a law fairly and
faithfully administered, entrust power only to its friends. It will
rarely have a fair trial at the hands of its enemies. These
amendments are no exception to this rule.

What the country most needs, and what good citizens most desire in
regard to these great measures is peace--repose. They wish to be
able to rest confidently in the belief that they are to be enforced
and obeyed. They do not want them overthrown by revolutionary
violence or defeated by fraud. They do not wish them repealed by
constitutional amendments, abrogated by judicial construction,
nullified by unfriendly legislation, State or National, or left a
dead letter by non-action on the part of law-makers or executive
officers. Has the time come when the country can afford to trust
the Democratic party on these questions? Consider the facts.

The new departure is by no means generally accepted by the
Democratic party, and where accepted the conversion is sudden and
recent, and against the protest of a large element of sincere and
inflexible Democrats.

The only State touching the borders of Ohio which has been reliably
Democratic for the last five years is Kentucky. She sends to
Congress an undivided Democratic delegation of two senators and
nine representatives. At the late election, notwithstanding the
heroic efforts of her Republicans under the splendid leadership of
General Harlan, the Democratic organs are able to rejoice that they
still hold the State by from thirty to forty thousand majority.
Where did the Democrats of Kentucky, in their canvass, stand on the
new departure? They marched in the old Democratic path. They turned
no back somersault to catch Republican votes. On the very day that
the Ohio Democracy were wrangling in convention over the bitter
dose, Governor Leslie, addressing the Democracy of Lewis county,
said: "As to the new amendments, I am out and out opposed to them.
I care not who in Indiana, Ohio, or elsewhere may be for them