The Kanzas news., 1859-05-14
Party Names--Change of Drag-Ropes.

Party Nsmes--Change OF Drag-Ropes
Horace Greely in late No. of the zri-
6uns says some very sensible things which
honest men of ali parties would do well not
only to read but to heed. The democracy of
the present day is SO nearly of piece with
the Federalism of '98. in its centralizing
tendencies that should the great leader of
the Republican party of those days awake
from his long sleep at Monticello. his first
aud strongest impulse would be to array
himself with the Republicans of '56-and
against the SO called :. Democracy" but
read - F.@,s
The besotted partisan sees constantly an
object of his idolatry which calls itself the
Democratic party, which he says his father
and grandfather before him steadily sup
ported, which he also has always support
ed, and is bound to sustain to the end.
His party is not accepted as means of ad-
vancing or enforcing his own convictions
as to National policy; on the contrary. he
adopts ats doctrines for the time being, and
changes as they change from year to year.
obedient vassal. Yet this party is continu-
ally changing. not only its principles but
its representative men, as a mere glance
backward would convince him, if he would
let himself see.
The two principal and most influential
oracles of what calls itself Democracy IN
our day are James Buchanan and Roger b.
Taney-the former speaking through his
Message and Letters, the latter through the
Dred Scott decision and kindred fulmina-
tions from the bench of the Supreme Court,
which annihilate at once Squat.er Sover-
eighty and the Sovereignty of the States
Yet these two were reared in the strictest
school of Hamilton Federalism, and never
pretended to be aught but the most intense
Federalists so long as there was any Fede-
raj party. Mr.. Buchanan was last elected
to Congress distinctly as Federaiist in Oc-
tober, 1826-long after he had been conspi-
cious in the support of Gen. Jackson for
the Presidency. By no act, no word OF his,
has he ever recanted his bitter opposition to
James Madison and the War of 1919.
In the DAYS of the vehement struggle be-
tween Gen, Jackson and the old United States
Bank, Rufus Choate and Caleb Gushing in
Massachusetts, George Evans in Maine, the
Ingersolls Cat frst) in Connecticut, Josiah
Randall, William B. Reed and Joseph K.
Chandler in Pennsylvania. Henry A. Wise
and r. NJ. T. Hunter in Virginia. William
Preston and the Wickliffes in Kentucky,
Robert Toobs and Alexander H. Ste
phens in Georgia, Thomas L. Clingman in
North Carolina, and Temporarily J. Robert
J. Walker in Mississippi, were leading op-
posers of Gen. Jackson and supporters OF
the Bank They are now called Democrats,
and rally, with James B. Clay and Fletcher
Webster, around the standard upheld by
Buchanan.
On the other hand, Cows. Morton. Banks
and Boutwell, in Massachusetts,, Senator
Hamlin and Gov Morrill, in Maine, Gov.
Cleveland and Gideon Welles in Connectl-
cut, Senator Preston King, Ii. Gov. Selden,
James Wadsworth, William G. Bryant, Da-
vid Dudley Field, Judge Edmonds and hosts
more in New York: David Wilmot, John
NJ. Read. A. H. ReedeI, G. A. Grow, DC,
in Pennsylvania; Gov. Bissen, Senator
! Trumbull, John Wentworth, &c, in llli-
nois; Francis P Blair in Maryland, and his
distinguished sons in st. Louis; Judge
Spaulding in Ohio, Gov. Bingham in Mich
igan, Gov Randall and Senator Doolittle In
Wisconsin, are representatives OF an I'M
mense body who ardently supported Gen.
Jackson through his Bank war, and are now
jealous Republicans.
We first looked on Legislature of our
State in 1885, when the Revulsion of 1887
had reduced the Democratic strength in the
Assembly from an overwhelming majority
the year before to barely twenty eight. OF
this number, we recollect personally Abijah
Mann, Preston King. Richard Hubert.
Charles B. Hoard, and Volney Owen-all
now Republicans. Probably some survi-
vors of the Democratic members that year
are still known as Democrats, but we cannot
recall any.
ANY one who reads and thinks can ex-
tend these "reminiscences indefinitely. If
they should incite any to cast names aside
and regard only principles and measures, it
will be well for the country.