d
in the success of Republican measures, and, especially, in the
abolition of slavery."

I said that the Republican party, within six years after its
organization, overthrew the powerful dominant Democratic party,
and for twenty-four years afterwards conducted the operations of
a great government in war and peace, with such success as to win
the support and acquiescence of its enemies, and could fairly claim
to be worthy of the confidence and support of the great body of
the people. The defection of a few men in three Republican states
had raised our old adversaries to power again in the national
government. I continued:

"Some of the very men who boastfully threatened to break up the
Union, and, with the oath of office in support of the constitution
fresh upon their lips, conspired and confederated to overthrow it,
waged war against it, and were the cause of the loss of half a
million of lives and thousands of millions of treasure, have been
placed in high office again, in the very seats of power which they
abandoned with scorn and defiance. Two members of the Confederate
congress, and one man who sympathized with them, are at the head
of great departments of the government. I saw the Union flag at
half-mast, floating over the interior department in sign of honor
and mourning for the death of Jacob Thompson, whom we regarded as
a defaulter and a conspirator. This country is now represented
abroad by men, who, within twenty-five years, were in arms to
overthrow it, and the governing power in the executive branch of
the government is in sympathy with the ideas of, and selects the
chief officers of the government from, the men who were in war
against it. This strange turn in events has but one example in
history, and that was the restoration of Charles II, after the
brilliant but brief Protectorate of Cromwell, and, like that
restoration, is a reproach to the civilization of the age."

I referred to the "solid south," and the means by which it was held
together in political fellowship by crimes, violence and fraud
which, if continued, would as surely renew all the strifes of the
Civil War as that the sun would roll around in its course.

In referring to the Republican party and its liberality I said:

"The Republican party was certainly liberal and just to the rebels
lately in arms against the country. We deprived them of no political
power, no blood was shed; no confiscation was had; and more generous
term