The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1859-05-05
Is'the Democratic Party Progressive.

Is'the Democratic Party Progressive.
1t is the boast of its adherents that
the Democratic party is party of
progress. They plume themselves, up
on the fact that while other political
organizations adhere to certain well
defined principles of government, the
Democratic party alone adapts itself to
the exigencies and the advancing spirit
of the times. We accept the statement
with this single qualification, namely;
that the movement is retrograde in
stead of forward one. For the last
fifteen years slavery extension has been
the leading issue in our politics. All
other questions have been subordinate
to this, and, so far as they have been
settled at all, it has been with direct
reference to their bearing upon this.
The founders of the Democratic party
regarded slavery as a moral and polit-
ical evil, to be tolerated only until some
feasible mode could be adopted for get
ting rid of it. They recognised in the
African man endowed with the same
inalienable right to life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness" which they
claimed for themselves; and how to
place him in the enjoyment of that
wrongfully withheld right, occupied
their most earnest thought. Hatred of
slavery constituted no small part of the
original Democratic platform, as hatred
to anti-slavery is its leading character
istic now. If it be progress to have
passed from that to this, then is the
Democratic party prominently par
ty of progress, for it has made the jour-
ney.
Numerous dogmas have been inven-
ted to bridge over the intervening
chasm. Some of these pertain to the
work of extending the system into new
territory, in order that its power in the
general government may be strength
ened, while others have direct refer
ence to the system itself. ''Non-inter-
vention," "Popular Sovereignty" are
among the former-the latter may be
summed up in the assertion of the right
of the white race to reduce the black
to the condition of property. This is
the last stage of Democratic progress.
The next step will be the revival of the
African slave trade under sanction of
the federal government.
| Speaking upon this subject the Chi
cago Press and Tribune pertinently
asks - How can it be otherwise il
progressive Democracy continues
in the ascendant Admit the right OF
property in the African race, and
whence the authority of government
to interfere with the African slave
trade? If the negro is on the same
footing with horses and mules before
the law-if property in one is of the
same nature and of the same right as
; property in the other, then the govern
ment has no more power to prevent the
importation of negroes from Africa thar
of horses from Arabia, or mules from
, Malta. .
Step by step the Democratic party
has been led on to its present position
: Under the specious claim of national
: lily" and asserted desire to give to the
South her rights under the Constitution
the fatal, goal been approached. Thu
doctrines of the revolutionary periot
: have one by one been ignored-th
great truth of the Declaration of indie
pendence-that all men are createt
e equal and are endowed with certain in
$ alienable rights among which are life
(. liberty and the pursuit ofhappiness-fat
e ly denies; and here the Democrat
y party stands, admitting the right @
> property in man on the one hand, Will
e on the other, the South is demandin,
a that the right shall be made good b
+ the removal of the restrictions agains
!, the slave trade. Now what will tn
: Democratic party do? Obviously
a cannot stand still in itspresent position
l. Either it mast go back to the point G
; departures, or it must concede all thu
e the South demands. Which will it do
. DEMOCRATIC LOVE OF FOREIGNERS
e, Another exemplifcation of the fac
r that the Democratic party monopoli2
r the love for foreigners, was shown /.