Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1860-08-07

THE WAX TO MAINTAIN DEMOc
RACY.
The history Of the last six years dem
illustrates that the principles and polio,
of the mis- called Democratic party, can
not be maintained in any State wher'
freedom of speech and the press is. al
lowed. Ignorance maysdo much, ant
passion and prejudice, skillfully excl
ted by unscrupulous demagogues5 may
do more to uphold the cheat for time
but the popular heart and conscience
being, in the main, right, the people will
think and talk, aud as the truth breaks
in upon them, will act it out. And hence
it is, that nothing less than brutal force
and mob violence can maintain the
Democratic party. Wherever the peo,
pie are SO far enlightened and resolute
as to make this despotism ON the part OF
the leaders impracticable, the success OF
the party is hopeless.
This must be manifest to the most
! stupid, if they will but look over the
entire country. In the Free States,
where common schools have made the
people intelligent, and the leaders have
not dared to resort to force, the shams
and frauds which they hoped would au-
swer the same purpose have been swept
away, and the Democratic party is every
where repudiated While in the South,
the party is sustained only by the sup
preston of the freedom of speech and
the press, and a ''reign of terror which
makes the very name of freedom a
mockery. Knowing we'll that their
principles and policy will not bear in
yestigation, the leaders, acting upon the
ignorance and prejudices of the baser
classes, are able, through vigilance
Committees and brutal mobs to "put
down. and :'crush out to use their
favorite terms-all who would expose
their tyranny. sq.esa-, s.4 1aa ,.a..'E,.
An instance has just occurred in
Franklin County, Missouri; which illus
trates this:
'.Mr. S. Harbaugh, editor of the G;h-
xen's Public Adcertiser, printed at Lex
ington, Franklin County, Mo-, publishes
/; statement in the Missouri Democrat to
the effect that having put up the names
Of Lincoln and Hamlin at the head of
his paper, he was called upon the same
day by mob of pro, slavery men, who
took possession of and9 destroyed his
press and printing Office and compelled
him to leave that part of the State the
same day They declared that the
names of Lincoln and Hamlin should
not go upon the poll books and that they
would prevent any man voting for them
or die in the attempt" -.j s
Suppose the Republicans, in the States
where they have the power, should
take such means to perpetuate it-how
worsld our Democratic neighbors like the
application of their own system to them
selves? Suppose mobs of Republicans
should destroy all Dem ocratic papers in,
say Massachusetts,, where they have as
great majority as the Democrats have
in Missouri, should forcibly break UP all
Democratic meetings-should publicly
insult and mal-treat every one known to
sympathizc with the Democratic party
should violently prevent any one from
voting the Democratic ticket, woul d our
Democratic friends quietly submit? No!
You say you would not Submit to such
treatment. Well, is it not worth reflect
ing, then, that possibly the Republicans
may not submit to this thing much
longer? ~ t-