The republic., 1851-01-25
what ,s the Democratic Party,

We find in the Union newspaper of yester-
day an elaborate and well-considered reply to
our article of Tuesday on the Democratic party,
and we propose at our leisure to answer certain
questions that it propounds, one Of which we
have placed at the head Of the present para
graph
In answer'to this interrogatory we submit,
that the true Democratic party of this country
at the present writing is the party which sus-
tains the Administration of President FILL
MORE. And here we will reaffirm the princi-
pie upon which we have started, that, under
our institutions, the only possible Democratic
party is the majority. Democracy simply repre-
sents the powsr of the people. The etymology of
.he word furnishes this obvious definition. This
power is manifested definitely through the bal
lot-box it is TO some extent represented through
the press, though of course in more general
and inexpensive way. Where there is entire
civil and political equality, as In this country,
it is political necessity that one majority Just
as distinctly represents the Democratic poi,er,
and the Democratic spirit and opinion, as any
other majority. That is TO say, the majority
which triumphed with General HARRISON and
with General TAYLOR, was just as emphatical-
ly and distinctly the Democratic party of the
country as the majority which, under the direc-
ton of the managing clique at Richmond and
the Albany Regency, elevated MIR. VAN buren,
| in 1886 and Mr.. Polk in 1874. Nothing but
the infinite impudence of these Richmond and
Albany organizations, in claiming for their spe-
cial favorites monopoly of the Democratic
name, and in shouting at the top of their lungs
Democracy! Democracy" has prevented the
universal recognition and reception of this great
truth
''The supremacy of the popular aciu," wrote
Mr. VAN buren, in his celebrated letter to
SHERRoD WILLIAMS, sis the foundation of our
Government" The American people, by an
/ Overwhelming majority, declared it to be their
Twill that General HARRIsoN should be their
President. He was the favorite Of the Demo-
cracy of numbers, but he was opposed to the
pseudo-Democratic organization, which evinced
its respect and reverence for the people, and its
belief in the peoples capacity for self fgoven-
ment, by denouncing, and vilifying him after
his election, and before he had taken his seat
This same Globe newspaper, that is as amiabfe
now "a days as cat with sheathed claws-then
the official journal Of The Executive-told the
people that they had elected to the Presidency
a man of "imbecility" and ''paItry meanuess''
The Richmond Enquirer and Albany .aygus
repeated and re-echoed the libel. The Union
newspaper has told the people the same thing
of General TAYLOR; and yet both General
TAYLOR and General HARRIsoN represented the
will ofthe people, as manifested through those
agencies, and by those processes which it had
been the will of the people to establish, for the
end of ascertaining the Democratic prefer
ence. - =
| The WING party was formed in 1884, and
took in the best portion OF the parties previous
| ly existing. 1t sought and claimed 10 be more
popular more liberal, more republican in its
principles than the party then in power, to
which it very properly applied the name of
TORIES but on its first trial, in 1886, it found
the old Richmond organization, then working
in concert with the Albany Regency, and con
stitutlng the Tony party, too strong for it; and
Mr.. RrrcHIK's sweet little fellow" Mr.. VAN
/ DthrNs oDtiihtu pbnDCIdlt tnuplssutut
from the majority Of the American people.
Then there was doubt in the mind Of the
Richmond clique, and Mr.. RrrcHIE, that the
voice of the majority was the voice Of the peo-
pie, and entitled to speak as Democratic voice
Years rolled on, and in 1910 majority of the
American people had changed their mind with
regard to the two parties, and had come TO the
conclusion that the opinions and doctrines of the
Wines were more liberal and acceptable than
those Of the cabals Of Richmond and Albany.
The majority Of the people acquiesced at length
in the WING view, that this selfstyled ''Dem-
ocratic party" had adopted principles calculat-
ed TO aggrandize the ExEcUrvE at the expense
of the coordinate branches Of the Government,