Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1858-09-09
Glorylng III Inconsistency.

during a long lifetime he never votec
any other than strict party ticket; thai
he has always followed his parry through
all its phases; he may; in majority O
cases, be set down as being devoid O
any intelligent principles OF action
Such persons very generally suffer them
selves to be led, wherever the part,
pleases, Without inquiry or investiga
ton. Standing by a principle, and stick
ing to a party, are two very different
matters. With the democracy it is re.
garded great political virtue, 20 have
Tor long succession of years borne ;he
name O. democrat" A great many
prefer to remain in the democratic ranks
regardless Of the ever-shifting tenden
cies Of the party, rather than vote Will
some other parry, and by so doing run
the risk Of being called "turn coats
These men forget, or do not seem to
know, that, having for long time been
in the Democratic Party, they have turn-
ed their coats repeatedly in principle; al
though they have kept the old name.
The principles Of the Democratic Parry
are shifted from lime to time, to meet
the exigcncies of given case. These
may be unwelcome truths to some, but
they are, nevertheless, as susceptible OF
demonstration as any other fact Of histo-
ry. Let us take, for example, the histo-
Try of the democracy in Wisconsin. Here
the party has ennnciated doctrines, not
merely local but national; pledged it.
self to their maintenance, and then
abandoned them. Look at the resoIu,
/ tons passed in the Democratic State
Convention held at Madison, September
4th 1849. A few of them read as fol
/ lows
ReSoloed, That we are opposed to
the admission of any new States into the
Union, the constitution or laws Of which
create or sustain Slavery
Reso1oed, That all National Laws,
which sustain or recognize Slavery, ex-
icept when the institution exists as a dis
tinot State right, should be repealed"
Resol0ed, That we believe it TO be
the duty Of Congress to incorporate ,he
provisions OF the Ordinance Of 1887, pro
hibiting Slavery or involuntary servi-
tude into all territorial organic acts
hereafter to be passed, and to oppose the
admission into the Union of any new
Slave States"
''ResoJyed, That we hold and advo-
cate the doctrine Of free and equal suf-
fIage."
The foregoing resolutions were en-
bodied i'll the democratic platform of the
State, ten years ago. What dc the par
ty say to these principles now? O.;
course, they have long since been aban-
doned, the party having undergone va.
rions transformations since these declar.
atoms Of principle, but always hold
ing on to the old name. What is true
of Wisconsin democratic mutability, is
also true Of other States. New York,
New England, indeed all the free States,
have witnessed succession of changes
in democratic doctrines, but ell have
continued to cling to the name-the
shadow without the substance. But
what has induced the democracy TO
abandon its platform from time to time,
and adopt such as are less in accord
ance with the principles of the early
fathers Of the country? The demands
ofslavery eTtensionists, have caused this
yielding; the party has been rapidly
drifting during the past few years into
she current of southern opinions ana in
toFossts, until liberty with it, is being re-
garded as mere sectionalism, ami slav-
ry national-ins tuition. lib 1s