The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1858-09-08
Nationality Of the Democratic
PARTY.

ANY, y
The Boston Courier has the follow
ing Judgment on the Democrats party:
eThe democratic party stiH retains
the sem6Lance Of a National party, 6Hf
1t is the semblance only"
This is a heavy accusation against the
Democratic party. It would have been
more tangible and satisfactory had the
'semblance' of q Irrational party" which
the democracy still retains. Also what
the reality was which, by implication,
it admits the Democratic party once had
which made it a national party; and
when, and in what way it parted with
SO Vital an element. But we deny the
business of the accusation and the sound
ness of the Judgment.
A party can be said to be national only
when its issues, its organization and OBJ
| iects, are as comprehensiv We as our coun-
try. Such o party va have common
interests and purposes that will attract
adhcrents in every State and every To-
cality. Now all this is characteristic
of the Democratic party. 1t gathers,
periodically, from all parts OF the coun-
try, in a grand national council hau
and this representative body is the au-
tboritative e~xpounder of its creed
Such a body made the Cincinnati plat.
form. This, surely, in 1856, was mo
sham or "semblauce" it was reality-so
regarded by friend and foe. Is it less'
reality to-day? Did not the Democracy
of Missouri and North Carolina and
Kentucky stand on this platform and
gailantly meet their opponents? Was
It not by this sign that they conquered?
Look now at the North. The noble
democratic state convention of Ohio
the jealous democracy of Maine-she
gathering hosts of other free states, are
all planting themselves on this national
platform. They consider themselves on
this national platform. They consider
themselves as members of a great ma
tional party. Now go to these States
and say to their democracy, you have
the ssem6Lance9 only of a national party
-you have lost the reality; and the
reply would be likely to be, that even
the suggestion was q libel on their In
telligence and patriotism.
Again: the vote that placed President
Buchanan in office, came from every
Estate and every locality in the Union
There was no semblance here surely.
"a national party and none other did the
work. Now, when, pray, was the party
denationalized? By whom was the deed
done? Is it meant to be understood
that the measures of President Buchan.
: an are not national? Such is not the
judgement passed on them by the
: true democrats north and south, east
or west. They are resolving that he
) has been faithful to the Cincinnati plat.
form, and that his administration is emf
: ~nently worthy of confidence and support
They are coming together as branches
. of a broad national party, to promote
objects as wide as those covered by the
constitution. Is there not meaning il
: all this? or it is mere sham aud sem
. blnnce? What is it but evidence of the
= nationality of the democratic party !?
There is not a semblance of Justice IL
> the allegation that the democratic part.
has parted with its nationality. Il i
D its brightest jewel, 1t is its very lif
blood. The time honored organization
. countrywide in its branches, staDd'
vigorous, aud a landmark amidst tn
floating debris of dissolved parties.-
HAS neyer'-are the words of the vic
President-"died, ducked or doged.-
Its banner, thoughteEn sometimes ha'
never been trailed in the dust. 1t hat
never fed from any question, but hat
always faced the music. 1t was the
6 vital organization in the country tina
possessed historical renown. The tena
city of life and the capacity for grea
> works which this party displayed wer
not owing to chance-to the drift of cir
cumstances. There was a substantial
e philosophy undertaking it. Why. ha'
it survived and fourished amid tn
wrecks of other parties? Because the.
. had tried all questions in the crucible o
: the constitution, aud because, according
to the best of his judgment, it had vii
. dictated equality of birth and of individ
ual rights and the rights of citizens al
o States, the democratic party had SUI
g vived and was now vital, untamable an
d unconauerable." In its ranks must tn
c patriotic gather if they would maintai
the constitution and preserve the Unior
D -B0Ston Post.