EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS OF THE AMERICAN REPUBLICS. 139 EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS OF THE AMERICAN REPUBLICS, 1892.- Continued. Mexico Mexico Nicaragua. Managua.. Paraguay Asuncion Peru...... Lima..... President. Secretary of Foreign Relations, President. Minister of Foreign Relations, President. Minister of Foreign Relations, Salvador...... San Salvador.. President. Minister of Foreign Relations, Worship and Justice, Minister of Finance, rior. San Domingo... San Domingo. President. Minister of Foreign Relations, Minister of Finance, Minister of Public In- United States.. Washington... President and Vice President. Secretary of Uruguay..... State, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of War, Secretary of the Navy, Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Agriculture, Postmaster General, Attorney General. Montevideo.... President. Minister of Foreign Relations, Minister of Finance, Minister of Public Instruction and Justice, Minister of War and Navy, Minister of the Interior. Venezuela....... Caracas... President. Minister of Foreign Relations, Minister of Finance, Minister of Public Instruction, Minister of War and Navy, Minister of the Interior Relations, Minister of Progress, Minister of Public Credit, Minister of Public Works. CHAPTER XVII. THE HISTORY OF POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE UNITED STATES. D IRISH REPUBLICANS. URING the War of the Revolution the people of the American colonies were divided into two hostile parties-Whigs and Tories. The Whigs opposed England, and fought the battles of the Revolution and gained American independence. The Tories adhered to the Crown and Parliament of England and English interests all over the globe and opposed American independence. After the Revolution the Tories became odious to the people; they dropped the name Tory altogether. In the Constitutional Convention two parties sprung up-Federalists and Anti-Federalists. The Federalists advocated a strong national government, and the Anti-Federalists, many of them extreme state-rights men, wanted to confine the powers of the national government within the express grants in the Constitution. The Federalists were the friends of England, and the AntiFederalists the friends of France. Jefferson was the leader of the Anti-Federalists. He was called, in derision, a Red Republican -a nickname then given to the Republicans of France and Ireland in consequence of his friendship for the Republicans of France. He and his followers were afterwards called Republican-Democrats. During the War of 1812 the Federalists were the friends and allies of England. After the victory of New Orleans and the treaty of peace with England the name Federalist became odious and was dropped as a party name. In the presidential election of 1824 all of the candidates for the presidency claimed that they were Republican-Democrats, and the followers of Jefferson. John Quincy Adams was elected President by the House of Representatives. In 1828 the followers of Jackson called themselves Democrats, and the followers of John Quincy Adams called themselves National Republicans. Jackson was the first Democratic president. Subsequently the National Republicans assumed the name Whigs. A third party sprung up, calling themselves Abolitionists. They avowed open hostility to slavery all over the world. They said that slavery was a sin and a crime. In 1848 the Democrats broke up into two parties-Hunkers and Barnburners or Free Soil party. The Hunkers were under the control of the slave pow. er, and wanted to nationalize slavery by extending it into free territory. The Hunkers repealed the Missouri Compromise, so as to extend slavery North and South. The Democrats passed the Nebraska Bill. The Democrats who were opposed to the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, the Kansas and Nebraska Bill called themselves Anti-Nebraska Democrats. In 1856, the Abolitionists, Free Soil Democrats, Anti-Nebraska Democrats and some Whigs fused with all parties opposed to the extension of slavery into free territory. The slaveholding Whigs and their Northern sympathizers joined the Democratic party and became the pro-slavery Democratic party. Henceforth the South became solid for slavery and free trade. The Republicans ran John C. Fremont for president and the Democrats James Buchanan. A new party started, calling themselves native Americans or Know-Nothings; their platform-"Americans must rule America, *** and to this end native-born citizens should be selected for all state, federal and municipal offices of government employment in preference to all others. * * * That no state or territory ought to admit others than citizens to the right of suffrage, or of holding political offices of the United States, * making a continued residence of twenty-one years for citizenship." * Fremont, the Republican candidate, did not receive a vote in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, and but 308 votes in Delaware, 314 votes in Kentucky and 291 votes in Virginia. Fillmore, the Know-Nothing candidate, received his largest vote in the slave states, getting a majority in Maryland. The states that gave Fillmore the largest majorities in the South now roll up the largest Democratic majorities. The Irish have been making the sad mistake that the Republican party is the same as the Know-Nothings. Democratic newspapers and public speakers have been making this assertion, which is false and fraudulent. The KnowNothing mobs were the bloodiest in Louisville, Baltimore and New Orleans. In the presidential election of 1860 the Know-Nothings joined the Democrats in the solid South. Bell was a native American in principle. The Whigs and Know-Nothings were absorbed by Democrats and Republicans in the North. The people of the solid South have always been opposed to emigration. They fear the foreign element will unite in the South with the colored people; that the native born will lose their political monopoly. They are hostile to Italians, Bohemians, Austrians, Hungarians and Poles. The Know-Nothings are particularly hostile to emigrants from the south of Europe. This spirit caused the disgraceful massacre of Italians in New Orleans. Since 1828 the South has been in a chronic state of rebellion or resistance to the laws of the United States. The South is the storm centre of revolution, lynch law and mob law. Of late the Northern agitators, for party purposes, have been urging the foreigners to participate in resistance to the laws. Let the native Americans desist from mob law and violence to persons and property and the foreign emigrants will respect the laws as much as native Americans. The law-abiding citizens should vote against the party that threatens resistance to the laws. In 1860 the Republicans ran Mr. Lincoln for president. The Republican party has been the friend of the foreigners as appears from their platform: "The Republican party is opposed to any change in our naturalization laws or any state legislation by which the rights of citizenship hitherto accorded to emigrants from foreign lands shall be abridged or impaired, and in favor of giving a full and efficient protection to the rights of all classes of citizens, whether native or naturalized, at home and abroad." Thus the Republican party has pledged itself to maintain the freedom and civil rights of its citizens that the rights of American citizens shall not be denied or abridged by the United States, or any state, on account of race, religion, nationality, color or previous condition of servitude. In 1860 the Democratic party broke up at the Charleston Convention. Mr. Douglas was nominated for president. The slaveholders bolted the Charleston nomination and adjourned to Baltimore and nominated John C. Breckinridge for president. Another wing of the Democratic party nominated Bell for president. Thus the Democrats had three tickets in the field and Mr. Lincoln was elected president. After the election of Mr. Lincoln in 1860, the slaveholders claiming that a state had under the Constitution of the United States the right of peaceable secession, President Buchanan in his message to Congress declared that the Federal Government could not coerce a state. Several of the Southern States passed ordinances of secession and formed a new government, called the Southern Confederacy, with Jefferson Davis president. The Southern Democrats plunged intą treason, rebellion and civil war. During the War of the Rebellion thousands of Irish volunteers fought on the side of the Union. Shields, Meagher, Corcoran, Mulligan, Sheridan and other brave Irish-Americans fought the battles of the Union to put down treason, secession and rebellion. After the War of the Rebellion Thomas Francis Meagher and other Irish Nationalists openly avowed themselves Irish Republicans. Conspicuous among the Irish Republicans was Patrick Ford of the Irish World. The Irish Republicans told their countrymen that England aided the Southern rebels to break up the Union. That free trade would surely build up English factories and ruin American factories, American workingmen and the trade and commerce of the United States. They said that the Republicans were protectionists and the Democrats anti-protectionists. That by breaking down the American factories it would build up the English factories and increase the wealth and power of England, enabling the English Government to rivet the chains of slavery on the downtrodden people of Ireland. They told the Irish workingmen in America that if England should, by the aid of the Democratic party, prevent the Americans from manufacturing for themselves it would keep the American people under the financial, manufacturing and commercial dominion of England for ages. That England, having the control of the American market, would raise the price of her goods. That articles manufactured in England gave employment and wages to the English and not to the American workingmen. Several young Irishmen, who were educated in the national schools in Ireland and in the public schools of the United States, belonging to the Fenian organization, became Republicans and independent of the Democratic bosses. After the Civil War some dissatisfied Republicans affiliated with independent Democrats and formed the Greenback party. Their principles were opposition to the national banks. They wanted that the Government should issue all the paper currency necessary for the wants of the people. In 1875, the Greenback party elected Governor Allen of Ohio. Both the Democrats and Republicans traded with the Greenback party for local offices, which proved the political death of the Greenback party. The Democratic bosses made a fierce warfare on every Irishman who voted the Greenback ticket. Their argument was, "Stick to the Democratic ticket or you will let the Republicans in.” The Democrats seem to think that they have a mortgage on the Irish vote, notwithstanding that all of the Know-Nothings in the South are Democrats. The Woman Suffrage party sprung up as an independent party. The Prohibition party, or the followers of the "Maine Liquor Law party," became a distinct political party. They opposed the manufacture and sale of liquor, except for medicinal purposes, and that in very limited and restricted quantities. The various trades unions formed a new party of workingmen. In 1884 they ran Benjamim F. Butler for president. The farmers in several states organized a party of farmers called the Grange. They elected a "Grange Governor" in Wisconsin. They established stores and mills of their own. They failed as a political party. The Grange party was succeeded by the Farmers' Alliance. In 1890 the Farmers' Alliance traded with Democrats in Illinois; they voted with the Democrats and elected a Democrat United States Senator. In Minnesota they fused with the Democrats and controlled the state legislature. In 1892 the Farmers' Alliance fused with the Workingmen's party and formed the People's party. They traded with the Democrats in the Northern States. After the Rebellion, in Fenian times, England asserted her ancient doctrine of "Once a subject, forever a subject." John Warren, Thomas Francis Burke, Edward O. Meagher Condon and other American citizens and ex-officers and soldiers of the Union army had been tried in England and Ireland for treason-felony and convicted. James G. Blaine and other Republican members of Congress denounced this barbarous claim of England and insisted upon the doctrine that naturalized citizens of the United States were entitled to the same privileges and protection as native-born citizens. Mr. Blaine and the Republican party insisted that no American, native or naturalized, should be convicted in British courts for words spoken or acts done on American soil, notwithstanding that the Irish in America, with few exceptions, were then persistingly voting against the Republicans. The efforts of the Republicans led to the release of Costello, and an agreement with England which resulted in her abandoning the claim of perpetual allegiance, thus protecting naturalized Irishmen from British persecution and imprisonment. Strange to say, very few Irishmen were then Republicans. During the time that Fenian Irish-American citizens were prisoners in British dungeons, a delegation of Fenian Irish-Americans called on the Committee of Foreign Relations in Congress requesting Congress to intercede with, the British Government for the release of the Irish in British prisons. Thaddeus Stevens was then chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations. The Fenian delegation made eloquent speeches in favor of the Irish and their love of liberty and patriotism. The delegation was composed of nine Democrats and one Republican-John F. Scanlan of Illinois. The delegation wanted the Republican Congress to intercede for the Irish-Americans in British prisons, and implored protection for naturalized citizens. Mr. Stevens asked them: "You are all great friends of liberty, are you?" 66 We are, indeed, sir; we are." 66 You are all patriots-all devoted to the cause of human liberty in America, are you?" "We are!" "We are!" "We are!" Then Mr. Stevens looked at them and bitterly and scornfully said: "You are always deafening the ears of mankind with your whine for liberty-for Irishmen only. You are always snarling at England, but you are ever ready with your ballots to do her work in America. You land upon our shores and find employment in our factories, and you then join the English interest in America to vote for the destruction of the factories. You persistingly voted against the Republican party and you are now voting against the liberty of four millions of black men who never did you any wrong. But your countrymen now confined in the prison pens of England are American citizens, among them gallant fellows who risked their lives in defense of the Government. The Republican party will protect them." Mr. John F. Scanlan, one of the delegates, was an Irish Republican. The blush of shame was on his face. Henceforth he did all in his power to organize Irishmen into the Republican party. In 1879 Mr. Thomas Baley Potter, secretary of the Cobden Club of London, England, visited the United States officially as representing the Cobden Club. At the time of Mr. Potter's visit, in 1879, the Cobden Club had among its members eleven cabinet members of the British Government and two hundred of the British House of Commons. The object of the Cobden Club has been the promotion of England's trade and commerce and the ruin of American manufacturers, trade and commerce. The object of Mr. Baley Potter's visit was to break down the manufactures of the United States by breaking down the American protective tariff system in the interest of "free trade or freer trade" with England. In an interview with the Democratic leaders in New York, he said, "We don't object to five or ten per cent tariff, but this beastly forty per cent-this barbarous protective tariff-is a war with civilization." This was Mr. Potter's favorite argument and has been repeated by the Democratic party. In short, the Democratic party papers and public speakers have been following the arguments of the Cobden Club to the present. Mr. Potter said that England would have closer relations with the United States. |