Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1861-12-06
OIL Al K s " lille,
Friday, December 9Th, 1851.
Sag We see in some of the Northern

in some of the abolition States and the question
naturally arises-what good are those victories to
achieve in behalf of the North the South, or free
conservative government? The democracy of the
North vies with Repubcanism in its efforts to pres
ecute the war against the South and in bitterness
of feeling against people intent upon defending
their rights and their fresides. The democracy of
the North has submitted as passively to the viola
tions of the Constitution and bent as supple knee
to the behess of tyrant as the Republicans them
selves, and yet, even in the South there is dspo-
stion to rejoice over democratic victories in the
North.
And what has democracy done for the whole
country, in times past that its continued existence
as party organization, is so much to he desired
1t has by its radicalism, broken down all the land
marks of conservative government and substituted
practices dcduced from the widest theories of un-
restrained freedom. 1t has taught aud acted upon
the unqualified doctrine of mans fitness for self
government-ignoring the fact that virtue intei-
gence AMI a substantial interest in the administra-
ton of affairs prerequisites for that high trust.
1t has inaugurated and carried out the policy of
throwing open the ballot-box, with merely nominal
restrictions, 10 every foreigner who claimed access
to it--ignoring the fact that natural right and
sound policy would restrict the right of governing
the country to those born upon its soil. 1t has
acted upon the assumption that to the vctors belong
the spoils-ignoring the fact that the minority are
no less interested than the majorityin wise ad-
ministration of the government and that merit
not party association is the only proper recommen-
dation TO positions Of responsibility and honor 1t
has broken down the brrricrs erected by patriotic
wisdom TO preserve the purity of the judicial err
mine from contact with the corrupGng influences of
party politics, and by levellirg downwards. has
dehlsed the people and the government until the
former have proven utterly incapable of governing
themselves and the latter has tumbled to pieces
from sheer rottenness.
These are some or the things democracy has done
for the country in times past, aud for which its
memory ihdst be cherished, or its resurrection
prayed for. In the South it ftsns to be dead, but
as cunnngly as it ctsts part it betrays symptoms
or obstinate vitality whenever and wherever it is
whispered that spoils to be won and distributed
The dcmagogucs it has trained and rewarded act
ing under the combined influences of habit and the
dictates of that selfshness which so strongly
marks the absence of honest patriotism, are found
riding upon the topmost waves of revolution, steer
ing by the same chart and driving towards the
same breakers upon which was dashed to pieces the
proud ship from whose wreck we are struggling to
save the dearest rights of man. Separati from
the North may free US from sectional domination
and some Of the evils of association with merce
nary and degraded people, but the independence o
= the South is only one step towards that national
prosperity and greatness so fondly anticipated 10y
those whose individual aspirations come not in com.
petition with the best interests of the country In
throwing off former political associations, we shall
have made little progress in the right direction
less we discard the tyranny Of party and the cor
. ,rupt means by which ii is upheld. The people
must learn TO erect higher standard Of merit than
that Of party association, and they must also learr
that rational liberty can not long exist in the ab
scnce of those wholesome restraints which it ha
a been the policy OF democracy to remove. The sta
, bilty of free government pre-supposes intelligence
enough to discriminate between liberty and lcen
ciousncss, and integrity enough to pursue the righ
= in spite Of the suggestions Of prejudice and tn,
allurcments Of ambition. II the majority are no
n thus.qualifcd for self government, party will usurl
q the place of Constitution and laws and the selfsl
plnderers to the hascst passions of the human
heart disregarding the rights and interests of tn
minority, will ultimately resolve the people into
: lnwless mob and erect a despicoble tyranny upol
u the ruins of rational liberty This fate the Sout
T. may possibly have avoided by aseparation from tn
North, but viii never be secure against it until oil
J. land marks are restored and efficiently protecte
against the devastating nroads ofmoiern democroc
Past experience has taught us this invaluable trutl
and II we would have prosperous future, let part
J. be buried beyond the reach of the hand of resur
! rection, and the trade of the demagogue no NOR
lbo known among u.s.
These remarks have been dictated by no un
q grounded prcjudices that may be supposed to hav
It survived past contests with long dominant part,
g but by an earnest desire to see the people Of tn
-" South united as brolhcrs yieing with each other i
laulahe efforts 10 advance the interests Of III
country. The revival of parties viii bring int
active play the corrupt political machinery and d,
!, hosng passions which first dishonorcd and the
F. dissolved the Union and surely no true patriotan
X honest man can desire to see re-cuacted the di
y pustng scenes of each recurring election or agai
= see the Freedom Of opinion crushed by the tyranu
IS of party aud the integrity of the people subject,
's 10 the magn influence of the practice aud teaching
h, of uuprincipled dcmagoges 1t is true that "
hear nothing now about the time-honorcl prime
pies Of the democratic party, but we occasional
mn see It's machinery at work, turning out ofic
30 holders of(et the old pattern and making Genera