Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-11-28
The North and the SOutb-FnI,ehOodsn aud
Their Elects Address of the Democratic


- Their Ehecu-Address of the Democratic
Club. ID.
NOTEs-The article which follows was
written for our yesterdays issue, but through
press of other matter, was crowded out
Since il was written, the address to which
alusion is made has been adopted. There
is, therefore, no doubt as to the present
position and articles of faith Of the Northern
branch of the States-Rights Democracy, as
il is understood by the Democratic Club OF
Hamilton County. They have gone and
done precisely what might have been ex-
pected.l
When man becomes party politician; !;
when he arrives at that state in which the
end of his self sacrifices and patriotic labors
is to place himself in position to receive
official promotion either distant or imme-
diate, his character undergoes a metamor-
phosis. He parts with the capacity to ac-
quire new ideas or to discard old ones, sub
stitutes tradition and theory for experience
as rules of action, and becomes incapable
. either to learn or to forget. The world may
be full Of philosophy, but he sees it not.
Every event may be big with the germs of
political wisdom, but he passes it by unno-
ticed. If he discovers that things have
changed-that old ideas have resigned their
authority and gone out--so far from adapting
himselfto the new condition his only thought
is how he can bring them back again. He
must play she old game in the old way; that
he may do so. he refuses to believe that the
old order has disappeared; and when the
time of failure comes, attributes his want of
success to the fact that, through the weak
ness Of his associate, he could not play it as
strongly as he desired.
There is a way by which members hith-
erto Of the Democratic party can do a real
good. There is a policy which they might
pursue that would not only do much to
allay the agitation which prevails, but
would fix a strong moral foundation for
future strength in themselves and their
party. The ability to do this is especially in
the hands of the friends of Mr.. Breckenridge.
. They are less shackled than the other fac
ton Of their party by past acts and declara-
tions. Coming as the most of them did
from the conservative margin of the Democ-
racy, they can do this duty with less vio-
lenee TO their personal antecedents, and
d. upon them, therefore, it devolves.
Will they do it? No. why2 Because it
is of that character that it requires honest,
free men, not party politicians, for its per-
formance. We cast our mental eye along
the ranks of the little army of Mr.. Breckin-
ridge, and discover no man capable to come
up to its requirements. They do not see
it-can notsee it and yet it is the most OBJ
vious of things-the thing first in order to
every man who thinks as man should think
of the present posture of affairs. N'.-.i ~
What is it that should be done, and that
our Democratic patriots would be SO re-
luctant toundertake? 1t is simply to disa-
buse the Southern mind in respect to a great
falsehood that has been uttered against the
masses of the Northern people. For years
the people of the North have been grossly
slandered in the ears of the South, by their
own Northern presses and public servants.
Members of the Senate and House of Rep-
resentatives, of the Douglas stripe, elected
by small majorities or even by pluralities,
have stood up in their placesand.told the
bodies to which they were delegated that
majority oftheir own constituents were Abo-S
litionists-that the North was one vast hot
bed of anti-slavery fanaticism. This ground
less and criminal falsehood, which should
have entitled its utterers to reception any
thing but complimentary on their return,
has been repeated day after day and session
after session, ia every form of exaggerated
affirmation, backed also by the declarations
to the same effect Of the party press in their
districts, until it has become matter of
faith throughout the South which nothing
but eounter-declaratio's by politicians and
presses there accredited ,an remove.
The charge is slandel--utter, gross and
groundless; we do not heitate to say it in
the broadest terms. There il no foundation
in truth for it whatever. More, it was
known to be false by those who told it. 1t
has, therefore, all the qualities of malicious
falsehoOd, and should entitle its inventors to
condign remembrance at the handsof a peo-
pie who are now suffering under the effects
of their inventions. Aboltionists at the
North-men who would in any way interfere
with slavery-have always been few and eA-
ceptional; far more so than disunionists have
been in the South. They are so now, in
spite of conduct and policy on the part of
Southern politicians greatly calculated to
increase their numbers; and so they are
likely to continue.
1t is not improbable that these tales have
been told to willing ears, but this so far from
being an excuse for the utterers, is rather an
aggrsvatiOn Of the offense. If the auditors
were weak and credulous, or if they were
enviOus and malignant, so much the more
wicked are they who abused their under
standings or supplied food for their hatred.
In any aspect of the case, the act is crime
in the light of current events it is a high
crime; and, taking into consideration the
motive, the records of treason can scarcely
produce acts sgainst the public tranquility
less worthy to be viewed with Indulgence.
The Breekinridge Club of this city has
recently rebaptized itself by the name of
''The Democratic Club ofHamilton County"
and has, in lis own Opinion-if its conduct
is to be taken as evidence Of its views in that
behalf-placed itself in a position emitting
It to voice in national affairs. 1t is about
to set up claim of title to be accepted as
the true Northern continuation ofthe South
ern Democracy, and proposes to issue an ad-
dracc 10 fI,a Ctofo Dt.l.4. a