Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-04-28
DEMooRAcr is usually defined to be govern

=
ment by the people. In theory. 1t attributes all
power TO them. processes perfect subsection In
their will. and ascribes unerring wisdom to their
instincts and Judgments. In practice. Demo
craoy is quite another thing All that il dues is
contriwed by managers and tscticians. who claim
for their own selfish schemes the approval of the
masses. and thrust them forward as the acts Of
the people. A meeting may be called for any
purpose the leaders plan it's action in advance !;
they assume the management draf the resolu-
tions and direct the deliberations fnot unfrequent
ly indirectly accomplishing results that The I'M
initiated never dreamed Of and then under tho
imposing head Of 1.-The voice of the people pub
lish so much Of their proceedings a. IT is polite
to disclose. Even in the most important aei oi
self government. the election of President. dem
ooratie people are compelled TO play the pnrt Of
mere machines. II they permitted 10 ex
press preference at all in The primary meetings.
which ia rarely allowed, the practice of requiring
a two thirds vote IN the nominating convention
effec,ually stiles their choice. In proof Of this
il may be confidently asserted tha.,as IN original
exercise of sovereign pleasure.the messes Of the
Democratic party have not elected President
since the administration Of jackson. Van l,u
ren's nomination was contrived hy the poti
clans, himself being the great magician who Sc
creily worked the wires. Folks nomination took
the whole country by surprise, and thousands OF
tbs. acyerfign masses were compelled TO inquire:
WHO is James X. Polk 7" Pierce. it may be-
safely declared, was not the choice Of hundred
men out Of New Hampshire. For none of ,hese
men was there any great popular demands. rising
up from the masses as there was for jackson
Harrison aud, Tag Tor. The politicians manage
every thing for the Democracy. They namo n
Presidential candidate and leave the ma. ses
under the necessity of supporting him or having
candidate of an opposite party elected. The
people are given DO choce-but when the plans
are arranged by The busy-oodies who assume the
lead, the people are charged by their fealty to
party to come forward and prevent the calamity
of defeat. But what is most remark able about
all this is that they who habitually and systemat.
icay manage in this way should profess to be
the democratic porty-the peoples party the
party that ascribes all power and wisdom to the
pcople-while they tount their adyersaries with
acting on contrary principle, with being atis-
tooraea and with having no respect for and paying
no Difference TO the will of the mnsses What
the factsl The Democratic people, ms we
have said, have not elected President since the
days Of jackson. How has it been With their
political adversa,iesl Was not Harrison PEG.
pies man! Was not the nomination Of Mr.. Clay
in IA In obedience TO the will of the massesi
Was il not again in IS-when the veteran
hero of Buena Vista called 10 exchange the
sword for the soeptre! Had not Scott in SO
world wide famc-was he not known to and ad.
mired by every citizeD of Tho country-and was
IL not in Difference to what was believed TO be the
popular regard for him that he was nominated
And now IN So can it be doubted TINT Mr.
Fillmore is the first choice OF very large ma.
jorty of those who sustained the administration
Of 1.-The model President :" None of these po-
siiions can be controverted. A consideration Of
them ought to satisfy any one that the party
calling itself democratic is SO only in name
while that which has been jeered MS paying no
Difference 10 the will and intelligence of the peo-
pie is in fact the only democratic party of tho
country. 1t is time that the imposiure 81 sue.
oessfully practised should cease and that the poll
hcians and demagogues who have SO long jug.
gled the people, under the name of Democracy,
should be stripped of their borrowed plumage.