The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1852-10-07
WHY | AM A WHIG.
REPLY TO AN INQUIRING FRIEND.
BY HORACE GREELEY.

BY HORACE GREELEY.
The Democratic party enjoys certain
vast advantages in contest over any
which can be mustered against it. In the
iirst place, il has the more popular name
one which the most ignorant comprehends,
in which the most depressed finds promise
of hope and sympathy, and which the hum
bic and owly immigrant, just landed from
his Atlantic voyage, recognizes as the
waichword Of liberty in the beloved land
whence he is, for lbcrty's sake, an exile
OF course, he rallies under the flag so in
vitngly inscribed, aud suffers his preJndi-
ces 10 be enlisted on behalf Of one party
before he knows wherein and why it dii.
ers from the other. No, one e-toufth oil our
voters 0! European birth ever primarily
considered the claims Of the two parties
respectively TO their support, and gave al
impartial judgment between them. They
we're never fairly IN position 10 do so.-
Here are half million votes to begin with
secured TO the selfsty!ed Democracy BY
their name, aud there are al least as manS
natives OF our soil who vote the regular
ticket because Of its name, and would al
least as heartily support Protection IL
Home Labor, River and liarbor improve
ments, &c, as they now oppose them, II
The democratic label were taken from the
ne side, aud affixed to the other. This
naturally attracts ihither large class Of
young lawyers and other aspirants wht
are more anxious TO be on the winning
Than on the right side, aud whose gaze il
fascinated aud fixed BY the prospect d
judgeships, seats in the Legislature, &C..
&c. Thus the party termed Democratic
commences a struggle for ascendancy with
nearly or quite ono-ihrd of the votes at,
,ached to its standard, mol by any enlighi
ened, unprejudiced judgment that the
Country will be benefited by irs success.
bu, by considerations quite foreign 10 this
whilst its antagonist obtains few or M
votes but those OF reading or thinking
men, who, judging from experience. anf
the doctrines propounded and measures
promoted on either side, earnestly believe
the asccndancy Of that selfsty led Demo
cratic party fraught with evil TO lhs ma
tion. And vet, il spite otits immense ad
vantages aside from the merits ofthe case
in spite also Of the prestige of former tri
nmphs, almost unbroken, that Democratic
party has been beaten in two Of the three
last Presidential elections, and barely sue
ceedcd in the other. Could such have
been the fact. ii its distinctive principles
and practices had not been decidedly ad
verse to the plain requirements Of The pub.
lie veal!
Let me here briefly Indicate, according
10 my understanding of the facts, what
those distinctive characteristics are:-
/. The party styIing itself Democratic
is, as regards Foreign Powers, the more
beIlgeren, and aggressive party. il takes
delight in sinking its fists in the face Of
mankind in general. |; made all the for
eign wars in which our country has been
involved since her Independence was ac.
know edged In its secret councils the
Wrestling Of Texas from Mexico, and heI
Annexation 10 this country, were plotted
There the Mexican War was precipitated
By the absurd claim that Texas extended
10 the Rio Grande del Nor,e, and by send
ing General Taylor down to take post in
the very heart Of Mexican department
under the guns of its capital. In those
councils peace was refused to Mexico after
she had been beaten into a concession Of
lbe Rio Grande boundary, unless she would
further consent to soil us Tor money vast
arens of territory which il was not even
pretended that sho owed us-whicb, by OF
fering her fifteen millions therefor, our ru
lers plainly confessed that we had no just
claim 10. In those councils were plotted
the several invasions of Cuba, under the
pretence that her nhabi,an,s pined for de
Iiverance from Spanish ascendancy-a
pre,ense thoroughly exploded by The event
Thence originated the mob gatherings il
our cities, to raise men and money ~ alf
Of Lopez; thence also the shameful riots IN
New Orleans, wherein the property o
peaceful aud harmless Spanish rcsiden,'
was destroyed, their safety endangered
and their consul barely saved from IA vic
lent death by taking refuge in prison =
For these shameful ontruges Democrac,
had never word Of regret, though il wa
eager enough to drive our government in
to hostile demonstrations against Spain
] because her war-s.camer had compelled
our Falcon TO heave 10 and satisfy then
,ha, she was not engaged in landing inva
ders on the Cuban coast This harm'es:
act of maritime police, which no captain
of war steamer, under like circumstan
COS, would have been justified in emitting
a nd which none who carried the American
flag would ever have thought OF emitting
had Spaniards been the invaders and ou
coast the scene of action, has been trump
Ietol through tho land as a wanton ant
l,Yyipsa ouu-acsiou f1r whi,h tho allies