Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1861-10-26
HOu. q. r. HaDlett % Parties Daring
the WaY.

addressed letter to Mr.. De Silver, who
invited him, which we publish nearly
entire for the consider ation OF our read
ers:
You are in the field, not as Demo
rat, but at the call Of citizens who are
~ longer Democrats, Wings or Repnb-
means, but minute n.ea'' TOR the battle
Of the Union!
There is upon US one grea: absorbing
oecessity. We must get the old Union
back under the Constitution and to
talk of party now is as discordant and
out Of place AS WAS the clsmor OF John
ny Hook for the price OF his beef 10 the
amp OF the Revolution. When we
have measures to discuss parties are ~
oace, but when the lie OF the nation is
At stake the party man is his conntry's
pest lie who cannot, to-day, IN his
country's extreme peril, lit himself
above party, and take his stand on the
high ground Of Constitutional national
III, is unfit for the public service, and is
not larye enough to represent anybody
but himself,
Parties without country! What
are they, and yet who can be sure to-
dav that he is to have for his country
The country of Washington and Jefferson
and jackson!
Whoever, until we have ended this
var, shall dare to come before the peo-
pie with party rally for Democrats,
Repubicans, Wings or Known othings.
| say let hun be driven out Of the tenn
pie, not by scourglng but by the force
Of public opinion Let the cry of every
true man be, "Gice me back ny coun-
try and then acW choose my party!'
There is no issue but this one great
test SHALL THE CONs1nUTIoN BE THE
upREME LAW OF THE LAND IN EVERY
STATE AND TERRITORY Eleven States
have rcpudiated it by Secession. We
must take care that the Free States do
not abrogate it by abolition. Both are
alike heresics to the Union, and both
must be driven ont of our Eden, or we
can have no Union, and no peace in it
II we had Union.
The Democratic party, in its high ma
liona.ity has always followed the "Flag."
1t struck down notification with Jack
son, and it defeated Abolition, and
would have made it powerless, SO long
AS the South adhered to the Union.
There has been their great wrong to
themselves and to us. They broke the
power of the Democratic party to give
item equal rights in the Union, and now
hey complain that Northern Democrats
DO not follow them out OF the Union In
to treason and rebellion.
| say the Democrats OF the North
have done their whole duty of brother
mood by the South. ANXIOUS to pre-
serve that equilibrium OF power upon
which the Union rested between North
aud Sonth, again and again they have
advanced TO meet them, almost at the
verge of Secession, to save the Union.
For twenty years. to my personal kno"l-
edge, at every Democratic Convention,
H. ~.:~-..l l'etf~.,., h"e lnnn framed
with the most liberal view Of affirming
every Constitutional right to the South,
! and conceding even every abstract right,
up to the point OF a severance OF the
Northern Democracy. always sad,
tat though sound in principle, yet
whenever the positive protection Of
slavery in the Territories, by law, was
made part Of the Democratic platform,
It voud render the Northern Democra-
CIV powerless, AMI the South must tall
with them.
have firmly believed, and uniform
y acted upon that behef, that the pres
crvation OF this Union depended upon
preserving the Union Of the Northern
and Southern Democracy. The South
never elected President alone; the
Moth never elected a President alone,
uuul it was done by an exclusively
Northern patty, in 1860, and then our
eountry, always before united aud pros
porous, fell TO pieces. stop not to ask
by whose fault, but there is the awful
act. And now, where is the cement TO
compact II together again? Not in the
Republican party, for they are sectional
not in the Democratic party, for the
Democratic party South is Secession,
and the Democratic party North, with
out the South is powerlcss.
We have tried parties, therefore, unti
they have severed this Union, and in
volved the country in the horrors OF
civil war and 1t is plain as the stars in
he blue field of the Union, that party
divisions at the North can never restore.
the Union. Nothing can DO it but all
parties laying aside party for the Con
stitution and the supremacy of the Law S.
Who will do it, is the question of pa
triotlsm.
There is lingering but mistaken idea
in the minds OF some Democrats that
they must keep up the party during the
war, in order that it may lie in position
TO make peace with the Union men OF
the South !; and that, if Democrats do
not commit themselves in this matter.
they are somehow TO receive The pecu-
liar favor aud sympathy of the South
when the Union comes together aga n.
| want to see that idea thrown over
board. 1t finds no response from the
South, for those who acted with US as
Democrats at the South, and who com
bne the talent, the craftsmanship, and
the effective political power of the secc-
ding States, are now dominant in the
Confederation a d AL they will now
accept from us is separation and Dis
union forever. If we would aid the
j II MON men oC the South II can host ha