Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1856-05-07
THE RIGHT SPIRIT.

lowing spirited remarks Of John u. Burr
ESQ.,, one of the Democratic Presidential
electors Of Alabama, before late Demo-
cratic anti-Know-N Nothing meeting, are well
worth perusal by our Democratic friends.
They cannot organize too soon nor too thor
oughly:
ais any argument needed to demonstrate
the advantages of organizing by county clubs
and associations2 What has been the his
tory of party machinery in this country for
the past fifteen years? What was the chief
element in the tremendous success of the
great Wing party of ls4s? Tippecanoe
clubs. I repeat it-Tippecanoe clubs gave
birth to that excitement and enthusiasm
which, with the rapidity of fire across the
dry prairie, swept over the land, well-nigh
consuming the last vestiges of the Demo
cratic party. And by what agencies did
the Democratic party, in 1914, rising Phoenix
like from its ashes, successfully oppose this
enormous Wing strength? Through the in
strumentalty of Democratic clubs and asso-
Citations, established at every county-seat and
cross-road These little clubs, scattered thro'
the length and breadth Of the land, were the
agencies that aroused the people and relight-
ed the fires in 1914 on the altars of Demo-
eracy. The great Wing party of that day
resolved to destroy these altars. 1t drew
the sledge hammer of its might well back,
put its whole heart in the blow, and with a
swinging stroke brought it down to dash
these altars into thousand pieces. Down
it came. 1t fell; the heavy iron bounded
back; and the Wbig party found that instead
of crushing them to powder, the blow had
drawn fire from flint, and had ignited flame
whose more than midday brightness illumi-
mated our vast country from centre to cir
cumference. These are some of the effects
of organization, patent in the recent history
of political parties in this country.
We were opposed last year by the most
completely-disciplined, perfectly drilled, and
effectively organized party which has ap-
peared amongst us since the days Of the
Jacobin Clubs, against which and other sim
liar secret associations, Washington, in his
Farewell Address, raises his warning voice.
How now shall we meet such perfect organi-
zation? Without the associated strength of
organization, how, in the name of common
sense, do you expect to contend with it p
Who affirms that raw militia, under any cir
cumstances, can successfully cope with the
same material drilled and disciplined? No
matter how just their cause, how high their
patriotism, how determined their valor, they
must 90 down before science and discipline.
Where will you find a juster cause, a higher
patriotism, or more determined valor, than
melted our ancestors in their revolutionary
struggle and what page in the worlds his
tory-ransack it well and tell me-wil you
point to, that exhibits a greater number of
defeats and disasters than fell to our lot in
the early days of that memorable struggle
Almost uninterrupted defeat attended us,
until drill and discipline and organization
had done their work for us.
ave must organize for the work that is
before us. Your elector can do but little
singlc-handed, and on his own hook against
the almost perfect organization of our oppo-
nents. Reflect how ridiculous, how supreme
ly ridiculous and abortive-an individual
contending against a combination