Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-08-18
t.YNCHBURG IIRGINIAN.
MORNING. AUGUST Is 1885.
sanatcr BENJAMIN and the pemootaoy.


Senator BENJAMIN andthe Democracy.
The Hon. j. p. Benjamin. a distinguished
Whip Senator from Louisiana. has recently writ
ten a letter ON public affairs IN general aha
Know No,hingi-m in particular, which has gwen
great delight to the Southern Demoeraey'thooeh
.s we shall presently show, the senators epis'Ie
affords them precious little al ! and comfort
Mr.. BENJAMIN states that his experIen't dur
ing the last Congress as United States senator
has convinced him that the Wing parry A. VA
tional organization. Is no more. and thai no WIZ
;.in in no attempt to revive il. lie considers
,ha, the controversy between ihe North and
south in respect to the subject Of 'layer Is eye
~ day assuming more alarming aspect, and BE-
favors the formation Of an exclusively southern
party to resist the aggressions Of Ahoffi"ni'"
The greater portion Of Mr.. Benjamin ieit''
is devoted to this topic.
In regard to the American party the Lonlslana
Senator states briefly the reasons why he cannot
cooperate With Them, but as there Is mol phft'
Gle of originality in his objections. we deem 1t
unnecessary 10 quote or TO comment upon them'
They ARE precisely the same arguments which
were urged every day by the Democratic press
which were commented on in the columns of this
paper throu ghout campaign OF five months
We have no sort of inclination 10 return to thc
discussion OF these hacknied and threadbnrc TOP
les.
Bnt a. We before remarked, the Democratic
.nress are immensely delighiedat Mr. Benjamin
nronunciaInenio against the Know Nothings.-
They laud the distinguished senator to the skies
mud snpesr 40 regard his letter as n first rate
Democratic document.
Now we believe il i an established rule inJn
ii ciol proceedings, rulo founded ON the plpinest
nrinciples of reason aud of justice, that one part
Of witness testimonyia entitled to an equal
degree of credit with enother, aud TINT the legal
tribunal is bound to receive the whole or none 81
itas true If We apply this rule to tho case al
Mr.. Beniamins letter we shall fluid that the Dem
oerstio PARTY have little 10 gain by calling this
gentleman TO the witness stand. 1t his testim'
nv is unfavorable 10 The Know Nothlngs 1t also
bears hard on the Democracy. After dlsposing
of the Wing aud American parties. Mr. BenJa'
min goes on to say
Although the Democratic party IS not yet :"
thoroughly disofganized as the Wing party, 1t re-
cannot mainia ain itself as national party. The
few truly national Democrats who remain ut The
North have been reduced to minority SO lhsls
nifoant that their struggles become more ann
mora faint aud their voice is now scarcely heaid
in the roar Of the popular clemor Tor what Is call
ed 'Freesol." The dissatisfaction engohdefed ny
the conduct of the present Administration nus
thoroughly disheartened the party whlch brought
/, into mower. They are unable longer 10 cope
successfully with the growing ianateism and IN
tolerance of tho platform. nit, AS party,
have little hope fer the South aud neither its iai
ure nor its success in the ensuing election would,
in my Judgment, retard ON advance the crisis now
impending
Now we should like to know how Southern De
mocrats relish these reflections DO they ad'
init that their party Il national organization Is
ON The verge ofdissolution-thatt heir faithful al
Ii es in the North are an insignificant minority
a nd that there is no hope for the South IN the
National Democracy If they are not prepared
o make these admissions--ifihey rcpudiato Mr..
Beniamin's sentiments on these points, then we
insist that they shall cease to quote that gentle
man as authority against the American party
MIR. Benjamin's opinions initiate Just as
strongly against the Democratic party as they
do against the Know Nothings, and II southern
Democrats choose to set him up us teacher in
Israel they are bound TO accept the whole of his
doc tsine instead of adopting only such parts ct
it may suit their own party purposes they are
bound to dissolve their Northern connections and
unite with the Louisiana Senator in the organ
cation Of n strictly Southern party.