Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1859-04-28
Progressive Dem" oroo7z

Progressive Dem" cracv
It's common 10 ho' people talk abou
progressive dem" cracy; as ifit were
principle cor SANITY expanding, achiey
ing new IDEAS of humanity and apply
ing them practically in the matter o
government. Such is the ideal which
many sophisticated persons have Of on
American demecracy never stopping
to study its history, and aquaint them
selves With the multiform changes it hal
undergone. So far as it regards TIT
rights of man, and the enlargement o
the area of freedom, democracy has moi
been progressive, but rctrogressive.
Ithas repudiated the doctrines on which
its political action was once protested,
ly based, and has espoused.new theories
suited to the demands ofslayery.
As nations have eras in their history
marking impor tant events Of political
advancement, or ofgovernmental decay
so have parties in their history, periods
indicating progress or reuogression
The now so called democratic party,
has within the past forty years, under
gone transformations so radical, as to
leave scarcely any traces Of its original
platform Of principles. So to say moth
ing Of the different phases it has assum.
ed on many Of the great political issues,
1t has within the period before mention
ed, taken at least four distinct positions
on the subject Of slavery each in sue
cession for the worse; each being a wi.
der departure from the principles of our
early American Statesman. Once the
democratic party professedIy occupied
the ground of Jefferson, which secured
Territorial freedom everywhere. An
adherence to this faith would have con
fered blessings on the country; it would
have been carrying out the intent of the
original trainers of the constitution q.
But the democracy gave away at length
TO the requirements of the slave power,
and consented to the Missouri Compro-
mise, by which a part Of the Territories
were given to freedom and a part to
slavery. This was the first important
concession to the Entertainments Of the
slave power.
AT later period, the democracy made
another retrograde movement; the par
ty consented to the abandonment ofthe
barriers which had been erected against
the advance Of slavery beyond given
me, and opened all the Territories Of
the United States, to competition be-
tween the friends of freedom and the
advocates of human seryitude-placing
liberty and slavery on an equality Of
rig hts, throughout the entire territorial
domains Of the American government.
This backward movement ofthe democ-
racy, has been the source Of exciting
agitations, distracting interests and in
not few instances Of bloody conflicts.
TO this act of the democracy, is charg-
able all the discords in Kansas, and
most of the bitter agitation Of the slav.
cry question throughout the country,
during the past few years. The 4th.
and last change of the democratic party
is its endorsement of the vagaries ofthe
bred Scott decision, which carries sla-
very everywhere irrespective Of the pop
ular will.
These several changes and transfer
nations of the democratic party, are a
part Of the history Of the country: they
are N alters of record. What a mis-
homer therefore is" progressive democ'
raey," when applied to the modern par.
ty called by that name. It's numerical
Strengths CONT ding power and in
fluence, is in the hands Of tho slave
interest What there remains of the
democratic power in Congress, is rep
resented by the slave holding states.
The progress of the democracy has been
rear ward, until it has fallen into the
crushing EN- brace of the slave power