Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1858-07-01
The Hopes of the Opposition.

"
country, our opponents have succeeded
but twice in clecting their Presidents
and on both occasions the Democrat
were disorganized, thus giving the ad
vantage to the enemy. AS well nigh
an army going into battle in a heller
SHELTER condition-one pulling this way
and another that way-expect success
against a we'll disciplined foe, as a pc.
~litical party, in a state of d~isorganlza'
ton, to expect success at the polls
DISCRIMINATION in the ranks of one par
ty encourages the other to increased
activity and zeal, and thus it often hap
pens that the colors are carried off and
the victory won by the party numerical
ly the weakest.
Such being our experience, what fol-
ly it is for men holding to Democratic
principles, to so far forget themselves
to so far forget their duty to their coun-
try-as to permit any stratagom of the
enemy to deceive them. What folly it
is, we say, for Democrats to let them
selves be hoodwinked and captured by
their political enemies. And yet, by
the very mcans-by persuading Demo
Gratis into an opposition to their W
party-our pie-bald and utterly unprin-
| cipled enemies expect to elect their
State ticket in this State the coming'fall
and thus pave the way for a national
victory in 1860. Let Democrats reflect
before they permit a calamity like this
to again happen our country. Let them
consider the great injury they would in
fict upon the Union, by permitting it
to fall into the keeping of the desper-
ate men who are the leaders In the
Black Republican ranks. No man
who has been a Democrat from princi-
pie, and who has sustained that party
from pure and honest motives, will now
forsake its organization and its men,
merely because he dissented from the
policy Of the administration in regard
to the Lccompton Constitution. No
he will, ifactuatcd by a lofty patriotism
acquiesce in the. views of the majority
for this is a cardinal Democratic prin-
cipIe-and do all he can to heat all
heart burnings and MISUNDERSTANDING
that may exist. IF he cannot sanction
every act of the majority, he should not,
and will not, if he is q Democrat from
principle, permit his dissenting opinion
to cndanger the harmony of the party:
he will not, in fine, do anything that
will add to the strength of the hydra
headed party whose objects and schemes
he detests in his heart.
divide and conquer" has always
been the policy of our opponents. They
make little or no pretension as to prin-
ciples, nor are they two years the same.
Opposition to the Democratic party, its
men and its measures, is the only prin-
ciple--if principles it can be cllled that
the Republicans offer to their deluded
dupcs. Occasionally our enemies advo-
cate, for a short time, an isolate dog
ma-but they are soon convinced that
tho people are not with them, and the
subject with which they effected SO much
anxiety is dropped, and never heard OF
after. The prescription of adopted citi-
zcns, and opposition to the Catholic re-
ligion, was their stock in trade for a
couple of years: but soon the good sense
of the people discovered that many of
the men engaged in this prescription OF
certain citizens and a certain religion,
were bad men-many of them were in
fdels and libertines-and that their
aims were mercenary and wicket. They
therefore rallied in their might and put
down Know-Nothings. The Know
Nothings fouudered like fish out of wa
ter for a time, for their editors were
really left without a party. One after
another, however, they commenced to
slip in at the back door of Black Re-
o~ublicanism, when Gov. Ford stood
ready to receive them with open arms
md open purse. Sam was dead and
and Know-Nothing editors were
hen, and only then, induced to advo-
cate the woody principles of his half
brother, SanGo. These principles were
O be varied as circumstances %transpircd,
1t "blecding Kansas. was to be kept
.onstantly "bcforc the people," This
question of Kansas is about to be ended,
nd our opponents, we notice, are
ttcmpting to provide for the c%ontin-
,ency by reviving the old issue of Il {
protective tariff. This was the t
measure of the old Wing party, {
,ut the members Of that party-or many
,fthcm at least-joined the know-Noth- !
ngs, and repudiatcd this doctrine. Now, =,
gain, they pretend to be it's advocates, Z
ut the people understand them and
heir objects and will treat them accor. +
t
ED~ The radical abolitionists of Yer i