The Tiffin tribune. [volume] (Tiffin, Ohio) 1848-1859, 1858-09-17

Tho Ratrograde of DemooraoY.

aware that the public heart Il noe 80 much given
20 heed logical reasoning aud good sound phlos.
ophy, as aiier an unsuccessful contest yet, we
hope to claim The attention Of tho public, Demo.
crnts, Republicans, and "tho rest Of mankind" !"
for the space Of few moments. The meaning
Of words forms the subject Of an important study
I not more M tSs coruor than the latter day
for the unbiased philosophical mind In fact IL
s study by which every reader would profit
Words that we're once innocent In their u1e, be-
cone 20 motamorphosed that their uueranco is a
spccrs of blackguardism. Words too, once so
popular that their sound WIS a talisman for rous
ing multtudes to action, often 30 change their
siruihca ion, that they are used only ne epithols
Of degradation and basenesa. Il Is unnecessary
here for MS to quote extensively from variousau.
thoriues IN proof Of this fact, for its we'll known
Ito every intelligent reader The word Aistoora-
10y, Ia its primitive use, meant the government OF
the best and tho wlsost Of the community, aud
Aristoorat was one who governed wisely aud well.
But by the frequent abuse Of power, AristOcrut
has become SYNONYMOUS with upslart, tyrnnt and
dcspot, aud Aristocricy has corresponding sig.
nldcadou The word Democracy had likewise,
originally, IN the Grccian Republics, where W.
believe {, was iirst coined, popular use which
stirred the hearts Of the people. Il meant the
government of the people, aud has iu best and
cloarost exposition, according TO the original
sense, Ia our Declaration Of Independence. A
Democrat was one who aided Ia governing The peo-
pie, by sustaining government based on the will
Of the whole people. Such has heretofore been
the meaning attached 10 these words, which has
made them the rallying cry for the million. For
a man 10 profess allegiance TO Democracy and
call himself Democrat, was enough 10 win bis
way TO POPULAR favor. But thogo popular words
have boen aud are so abused by great political
party who have monopolized their use, that they
IRE fast becoming distastofu to the people, and
will soon be as odious In the popular estimation
az Aristoorat, Tory or Fedcrallst.
Democracy, as exhibited in the principles and
acts Of the party assuming tho uame Of Democrat,
who no longer respects the equal rights Of all, but
has become an instrument for extending system
of caste more exclusive and demoralizihg than
that which obtains sanction among the Hindoos
or any other oriental people, It divides tho In
hnbitauts Of a state or commonwealth into labor
ors aud monopolists or In the plain language Of
southern Senator into slaves aud slavcholders --
And this division Is made without regard 70 color
or nce; for according 10 high Democratic author.
| ity, there are In the United statos, whether Ia
those which are called slave states, or in those
which are nominally Free States, but two classes
between which thero Is an ever-widonng aud In.
superablo bmreri the laLoreu, whether white or
black, who are all substantially slaves, and their
masters aud owners, who are all really slayehold.
ere. We arc well aware that this exposition OF
Democracy, as given by senator Hammond, and
other Democrats, will be bitterly repudiated In
words, by many who belong TO the so called Dem.
ooratc party but, at the same time, they will, by
their actons, In sustaining the party and lis lead
ing men aud measures, prove that the foregoing
exclamation OF the modern use Of the wORn o Is the
true one As the words Congress, Senate Assem-
hly aud hundreds oC others have, In this country,
become Identified with certain legislative bodies,
aud acquired a specific meaning, so has the word
Democracy, by long claim and general consent,
become. as Il we're, identified with political par
| ty, and acquired a specific meaning correspond
ing to the course OF that party We do not deny
that the word Is theus by right Of possession. II
Is their party designation, aud they cannot be di.
vested Of Il. no more than one christian can be
robbed Of that name which dlstlni ulshes him
nom another But In keeping the name, this
consequence follows by an inevitable law Of Ian.
guage that as the party to which the name be-
longs deyiato5 or departs from the original prin,
clples Of freedom and equal rights Il once pro
iessed, the me anlng Of the word, In It's customa.
ry use, will undergo a corresponding change
This process Of change will go on, however loud
the party may be In lis professions OF adherence
to ts original principles It will be determined,
not by professions, but by practice. The reason
Of this IL, because The word becomes identified
with the party, and the latter imparis life vital
ity and meaning to the word
Demagogues may continue 10 harp upon thu
word Democracy, after It has lost every vestge
OF its original meaning, and come TO signify, a
many O.her words have, something directly oppo
site. 1t may, for years to come, influence the
| ignorant and the unthnkmg to do the very things
that bind their own free limbs in the chains Of
slavery, which they fancy they are only helping
to lasten on the black men. Il is even possible
that the Democratic party may continue, for want
OF general education aud public virtue, to sway
lhe dystinies Of these United States, until In the
rame Of Democracy they shall have established
and confirmed what is now in It's ineiplont STAGE,
great slaveholdug eonitdsracy Of De'potsm,
IN which the whole population, white aud black
shall be divided into two great olasses--one con-
sistng Of laborers, servants aud s'avesi che other
, Of masters, owners aud shareholders Should
such period ever arrive In our history. which
God forbid, then will Democracy become, IA the
g, es Of the ma ses, lwhen they begin 10 realize
their condition, and the Successive stops by which
they have been gradually drawn into actual sla.
very,l hated and loathsomc thing. They will
gnaah upon il with their teeth, and eSccrato Il IN
their hearts Blood aud revolution will follow
,iu Democracy, which has become Dospotlsm
Is oyerthTown, But We wond not anticipate fol
our country such fearful destiny Recurring {,
our former train Of thought, Il is clear that N,
name OF Democracy has been applied 90 such un
holy pses, tina, nothing In time, can sayo It IRON
becoming word Of popular desecration. IN,
party who nsoribO thot name upon their fAg