The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-07-29
WASHINGTON CITY.
THURSDAY. JULY 40. 1865.


THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1865.
AFTER SURVIVING THE GREAT GIANTS, CAN
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY SURVIVE THE LIT
TIE oNEsS t
A great many efforts have been made by its
mics to destroy the democratic party but it is an
strong to-day it was in the vigorous era OF Thomas
Jeferson's administration, when the ship OF State
first put upon the republican tack d
Its course from that time to this has been con-
tnued career of struggle and of triumph. AT times
indeed, it has suffered temporary reverses but it
has risen only the more vigorous after every dis
comfture and paid back with interest the damage
it received from the enemy. a
There is this notable fact in the history of the
democracy---tiat their temporary defeats have
been the achievements Of their natural enemy but have
always been the work of deserters from their own
lines and that these defeats while running the po-
tcal fortunes Of the deserters, have in every
Injured to the enduring advantage of the party
itself. ,,,e4y,--.s.r
1t is an evil which belongs to weak human nature
and is inseparablo from the experience of every
strong and successful party, for the more giddy
of its political leaders to become pulled up with
exaggerated opinion of their importance to the
party to attribute to their agency its successes,
to appropriate its eclat to themselves, and, like
the fly on the wheel to fancy the dust and renown
excited by the great party chariot in its trmphal
progress, to be Of their kicking up Inconsistent
as the pretenson would SEEM there are always to be
found few leaders in the party Who while profess
ing profound sense of the equality of mankind
and asseverating the most humble Difference and
submission to the supremacy of the democratic peo-
pie, would yet make of their party kingdom and
constitute themselves its monarchs OF autocrats.
Forgetting that the democratic organization is a
great commonwealth Of equals, wherein there is no
respect for persons, where the services of all are
valued at the true mark, where monopoly Of merit
and of importance is out of the question, where die
tatoral airs and pretensions sure to be punished
with the guillotine, and attempts to play monarch
or king invariably insure summary dethronement
and ignominious expulsion forgetting, we say,
these essential characteristics of democratic COM
monwealth there are always few men in the party
who insist upon monopoizng all it's merit directing
all its counsels usurpiDg it's entire government and
control, using it for their exclusive advantage and
exaltation, and giving the law to it's chosen officers
The premontory symptoms Of such temper al
ways appear in advance, and mark out the men with
unmistakable certainty, who soon, in trying to
bend the party to their will to be oyertaken by the
destruction which awateth the steps of the proud.
When we see leader, after vigorous and ardu-
ous struggle with the opposition, appropriating to
himself the exclusive honor of success by
the common exertions of his whole party, we may
conclude that a quarrel is sure to spring up very
soon in which the leader is to 60 to the wall
Or whom VIC see, after great and doubtful strug-
gle on great principle of policy party leader set
ting himself up as monopolist of tho guardianship
of that principle, and paragon of orthodoxy in
expounding it, claiming that his authority is to out
weigh that of democratic Presidents and cabinets
senators and representatives, people and press we
may well prepare for struggle; for just
Iy as our grandfathers had to "dcclare independ-
ence'l. of King George and try the experiment of
getting along without him. just so surely have the
democracy fight on hand with the vain leader who
would be their fac fot,m and their king.
These reflections do not apply in detail to the
case of Hugh l.. White, of Tennessee, who claimed
to be better democrat than the whole democratic
party of his day, and sank into political grave
which Immediately opened its jaws wide to receive
him; Of William G. Rves, of Virginia, who differed
with his party on The independent treasury, and
with the monopoly Of orthodoxy on that subject
which he carried off with him, Immediately sank
into the depths of BWotian oblivion; of Martin
Van Buren,, who separated himself from his party on
the Texas question, and has witnessed from his in
land ST. Helena series of party campaigns even
more brilliant than those he had led which he might
have headed If he had curbed the arbitrary temper
which lost him the sympathies ofthe democracy; of
Col Benton, who, presuming upon his vast services
to, and immense influence with, the democracy
threw himself in opposition to his party when it
took position on the slavery question which its
conservative sentiments and national principles oblg-
cd it to take, and which he lost everything by
fusng to take. They apply more fully and particularly
to Judge Douglas, who might have been warned by
the fate Of these sages the achet Of whose shoes he
was not worthy to unloose, of the mere lamentabe
one which betides him henceforth. @
The democratic party survived the detection of
White, Of Rives, of Van Buren, and of Benton, the
ureat O;antaaurelv II will survve the defection ne