Litchfield enquirer., 1861-09-19
From Harper's Weekly. A POLITICAL CATECHISM FOR CHILL
 DREN.

DREN. | It is the boast of the United States that ou children imbibe political knowledge almost witt their mothers milk, and that our boys at schoo possess an experience of political affairs whicl is not Surpassed by that of average citizens ot most foreign countries. We are not surprised therefore, that we have received the following political Catechism, which appears to have been prepared by some very sensible American mat ron for the sake of her boys, and we commend it to the perusal of young men of all ages:
 Question-What is a Democrat, mamma 1 Answer-A Democrat, my dear, is defunct species of which you will find fnely-preseryed stuffed specimen at Lancaster, Pennsylvania. h their day democrats were hearty patriots who sought the good of the whole country These democrats have now gone to the wars, and are fighting the battles of the country against trait ors. Nobody calls himself democrat now a days except broken-down politicians who have no honest means of living, and who assume that title in the hope of being able to cheat and steal.
 Question-What is Republican, mamma?
 Ansce1- Republicans, my dear, were people who sought to prevent slavery entering the na- tional territories As the question of slavery in the territories land other places besides, per haps) has been pretty thoroughly settled by the great rebellion of the shareholders under Jeff Davis and other traitors, there are no republi cans left now except a few persons who desire places in the Customhouse.
 Queston-W hat is the Democratic State Com mittee, mamma?
 Ansmer-The Democratic State Committee my dear, is composed of dead bodies which arc so offensive in the sight of God and man that no one has the charity to bury them. In No vember next this unpleasant job will be done by the people at large.
 Quesiion-What is Breckinrdge democrat Ans1ceg-A Breckinridge democrat is a per son who desires to see this Union overthrown and the rebellion of Jeff Davis successful.
 Question-What do the Brecklnridge demo- crats want, mamma?
 Ansacer-A very natural question, my dear. Some of them want offices under Jeff Davis; one wants licenses to sell southern lottery tickets another own slaves and wants to bring them to New York others have money owing them at them are mere vagabonds who want to See an- archy established in the hope of making some- thing out of it..
 Queston-What is coercion, mamma?
 AnsmeT--Coercion is resisting robber who tries to plunder you.
 QuestionWha is compromise?
 A"s~e''-.Compromise is giving the robber your purse your watch, your coat and your boots, on condition that he leaves you your shirt col lar
 Q"estioa.---What is a f~atricidal war?
 InsUeT-A fratricidal war is putting dowr thieves and traitors who happen to be your fel- low countrymen. The United States engaged in a fra!ricidal war when they chased and caught the traitor Burr; and they would have underta- ken fratrcidal war against the traitor Arnold in uncommonly short order if they could have got him.
 Question-What is the liberty of the press?
 Answe7--The liberty of the press, as under right of publishing what you will, provided no one is in jured thereby; but the liberty of the press, as understood by the friends of Jeff. Davis, is the right of playing the sneak k-thief when one has not the courage of a burglar.
 Qucstion-What is neutrality, mamma?
 iqsrer- eutrality, my dear, is meanly shrk- ing your duty as a citizen, and helping the ene- my in a cowardly underhand way. A man who stands by and sees poor fellow beaten to death by rowdy is neutral and the model of those who are neutral in the present war.
 Qucstion--What is the cause of the present war?
 Ansacer-1hs war, my dear, is the last dying struggle of slavery as political power. If you have read history aright you must have learned that all great and powerful systems or bodies die hard. The Roman Catholic hierarcy, the divine right monarchies, the feudal oligarches, all struggled very hard before they gave way to common sense and the rights of the people. Just so slavery, as an e!omcnt Of political power, is now making its last dying struggle and you may depend upon it, it will fight to the last. But if you have read your Bible right, and have the true instincts of a free-born American boy in you, you cannot doubt how the contest will and