Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1859-06-14
A New Fest Of Democratic OrthO-
NOxy.

SaOXy. .
Ii has been rather a difficult matter of
late years. to understand what WAS meant
by National Democrat" All Demu-
! Gratis profess to be National" but por-
lion Of those claiming to be Democrats
have been denied the right to the prefix.
TIE common idea of National Demo
crat," just now. is one who deems James
Buchanan a wise patriot, and slavery so
"Divine" as to have n pre-emptive right
to e. where it plea es
This idea, one would suppose was sui
ficiently Illuminating to- suit the mont
'"umble" Dough-face in the land. But
it is not. The "National Democracy" Uf
Illinois, in an address which they have
just issued, find Clover deep" -.
They say: .........
by the term National Democracy, We
mean those who hold that the metu bers
Of the party are bound to acquesoe IN
Whatever course the purity n,uy deem
proper. urder tile guidance Of its Ieyutariy
constituted authorities to pur ue, wlGh"ut
regard to local prejudice or pelso"sl ca
price"
This is plain speaking, and it tells tile
whole story SO clearly and So simply that
not sure that the definition is not lis Just
and truthful as it is lacid. It's meaning
might, perhaps, be made a trifle more lau-
gible by paraphrase, thus:
"a National Democrat is one who has
no mind, principl or purpose Of his own
who has neither the wish nUr The right
to crticise either the ptlicy or the nlea>-
ures of his party-wLo allows others t'
think for him, without troubling himself
about what they think--who does what le
Is told, without caring about purpose or
tendency-who goes where he is driven,
follows where he is led and swears to the
lnfalllbity Of the constituted authorr~
ties of his party" Blu. to paraphlase the
idea of the text is like gliding refined
gold" There 1t stands-a monument of
Democratic progress, and an eloquent
refutation of the old fashioned idea that
the sublimity of simplicity can only be
found under A bsolutism. The Sultan or
the Car, Napoleon or the Pope, has no
more subservient subject than is portrayed
in this picture Of a "National Democrat"
1t is not strange that a parry vince
the principle of unQuestioning submission
is SO distinctly recognized, Is SO easily
managed and SO ready to assume new and
discard old principles
Only convince men that they are linked
to intalllb lity--that those they look up 10
are not only potent but pertec.--aud that
it is a moral sin as well as great Jolly to
either hesitate or question whatever mtal-
libility may propose--and they are ''sure
fire. in every emergency. This is tho
doctrine now sought to be incorporated
into the Democratic creed.
1t is desperate remedy sought to be-
applied to desperate disease. All the
evils which at present beset the Demo
cratic party have grown out of the fact
that the idea OF iniallibility has not yet
generally attached to any party tribunal.
When Buchanan discarded all the doc
trnes and principles of the Fathers of the
Republication he prostituted the pow
ers conferred upon him by the constitu-
ton to Crush out" and ''subdue" free-
dom upon free soil, aud when he brazenly
proclaimed that slavery was no longer
local but a national insLituton--a great
many Democrats considered him ''blind
guide aud refused TO follow him. The
result is seen in the wreck Of the Demo
cratic party; and unless the remnant
which remains" of that party shall rccog-
nize some tribunal as inlalible, and trust.
with unquestioning subScrvency. to its
guidance" it may very we'll be doubted
whether All omnibus load Of National
Democrats, as defined by this Illinois
College of Cardinals, can be sclaped to-
gether at the close Of the contest Of
d" 60. .'--Albany ,IoarnoI.