Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-01-05
From the Chicago Herald. The Democracy and the Opposition.

Those who for some years have been careful observers of the political "sgns of the times, J the felcitations and calcu lations of our oppon. ents are truly amusing. Unused to success whenever anything in the shape of good for. tune happens to befall them, they become SC agreeably excited, and so outrageouslv agreed. bie that they hardly know what to do with themselves. Their exuberent joy, though in- nocent, and under the circumstances quite ex- cusable becomes trouble to themselves and sometimes an annoyance to their neie hbors and friends. Not that anybody wishes to deprive them of the few and questionable pleasures to be found in the way of the transgressors: but because we know that their expectations will perish, and that their calculations of long life and continued prosperity will all end in smoke. It is the misfortune of the amiable class of in. dividuals to whom we refer, to have little or no faith in the intelligence and wishes of the peo- pie. They are out-and-out political n6dels habtually indulging in the absurd idea that others are as great fools as themselves
 We are half inclined to confess that we are sometimes in danger of having our confidence in the intelligence of mankind impaired by the successes of political chartons; but we are gen. eraly brought back to the good old orthodox DN second thought of the people," Democracy. like any other eternal truth though crushed to earth, will rise again; and the people, afore- said, though liable to be bam boozled, deceived, and cheated by the brazen-faced mposters of the world, are as sure to come out right in the end, as they are to understand what is actually Tor thelr own best good. Our form of govern ment IS based upon the broad principle of sell nshhess' that Is to say, 1t is adapted to the end of securing the best good and happiness of every individual an actual interest in it; and in laborng to support it, every iabors for him. self. But, in seeking for common good, we differ in opinion as to the best plan for securing it. This is the privilege of every mothers son of us; and as Greeley said, or somebody for him, no one is obliged to exercise common sense if he does not happen to haveit.
 The recent elections have exhibited a state of things which, if the world had seen nothing of the kind before, would have produced a vast amount of astonishment. A little while ago. sectonalism, with its new name of republican, ism, was screeching at the topo it's voice, "No more slave states; no more slave territorest' But that humbug was exploded when the re- publican members of Congress, with entire unanmty, voted for the admission of Kansas StllI. with the odlum of this qualification resting upon them, abandoning what little of principle they had before possessed, forming all sorts of ali- ances with all sorts of people, they have secured what they call success in most of the northern states where elections have been held, and now exult over the d, mocracy of the nation, And belng elated beyond expression, they now look forward to 1860 with the assurance that at that tune they will have control of the general go- vernment, and be able to give new turn to the affairs of the nation. But, at he risk of m"derating their joy, and diminishing their confluence Tn their own power to carry out their decepuons, we are tempted to refresh their re- collection by referring to certain historical remi- nlSences, ot which they seem to be happily oblivlouS
 After the first year of General Jackson's ad- minlstration, intrigue, disaffecton and disorgan- zation were the order of the day The defec. tons and demoralizations of that period were altogether more ex ensive and more deplorable than those of the present day. And, during every subsequent administration, just as soon as matters began to shape themselves adversely to the hopes of presidential aspirants, there have been just such demurazatous and up- heavals of popular sentiment This has been the case, not only with democratic adminstra- tons, but with all others. Those of Harrison and Tyler, and Taylor and Fillmore, were not exceptions to the general rule In the last Congress but one, the democrats had not sin gle member in the Ohio delegation, only two in that of Indiana and only five or six in Penn. syvana. Of the fifty seven members of Con- gress from those three states, only seven were democrats. la the next Congress they will nave nearly three times that number
 In the very dust and ashes of our humila- ton, therefore, we cry out to the factions not to whistle before they are fairly out of the woods We have something before Is, previous to 1860, and we trust that before the final struggle. the masses will see the dangers to which the coun- try Is exposed, and return to that party which has never betrayed them, or been untrue to their interests. Long before that day, the plots oi the schemers will be fully and fatally ex posed, h.rmony will be restored to the demo- cracy ol the nation, and all will be well again