Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1862-05-23
Democracy Ke-Orsanized.

democracy hte.OrssIm1ZcO.
The communication in another column i
fair example of the sophistry and misrepre
ssntation with which the leaders of the Demo
cratic party seek to misead and influence
the people. 1t was written by we'll known
politician in this city, who watched we'll tn
straws before he shaped his course with tn,
Union wind that swept oyer Iowa year ago
His astonishment a. the editorials in the
JOURNAL is feigned, as he knows as we'll as
any one that the reorganization of the
Democratic party on a conservative" or any
other basis bodies no good to the Govern
ment. a.
In March 1853, Franklin Pierce, the repre-
sentative of the Democratic party, took the
Presidestial chair vacated by Mr.. Fillmore,
staunch Whig. Almost simultaneously
with the reinstatement of the Democracy
into power commenced that system of slavery
aggression which caused the organization of
the Republican party to meet its encroach-
ments. Now, that the Republican party is
the cause of all this strife and discen-
sion is ridiculous, inasmuch as it was
first called into being by the breaking down
of the barriers thrown around the peculiar
institution" by the Missouri Compromise
That our party would never have existed had
that compromise beenlett alone, is admitted On
all sides and who pretends to deny that it was
the Democracy that destroyed the barrier be-
tween the Territories and human slavery? If
the devil had never existed there would have
been no need Of clergymen, yet who blames
the preachers for the great strife between
vice and morality that has been kept up
ever since Eve ate the apple.
The idea that it was fear of the principles
of the Republican party that led the South to
rebellion is too absurd to attract attention,
when the we'll known "rule or ruin policy "
of the rebelling party is taken into considera-
ton. That paragraph is evidently put in to
fill up.
The next proposition of our correspondent
is entirely without foundation. We ask him,
Is man who pretends to be posted on the
history of this war, if he does not know that
compromises, which it was beneath the dignity
of majority to make to a minority, were Of
fered time and again, and refused as fast as
offered. Did not the State Convention of
South Carolina declare that that State should
never come back into the Union, under any
consideration? The gentleman knows this
to be the truth as we'll as the writer Of this
article, but whether he will have the honesty
to confess it or not we are unable to say.
The people do not need the Democratic
party or any other party to tell them who
"set the ball in motion to the tune of one
thousand million dollars" and instead Of de-
string the guilty party to escape punishment
for its wickedness, they demand that the
traitors themselves shall be forced to pay for
their treason. This can only be done by the
way of confiscation. In regard to the con-
sstitutionality Of the various bills now before
Congress, better lawyers than our friend have
already passed favorable Judgment.
The question now arises whether traitors
have any right to claim protection for their
property from the government they have
sought to destroy. Must we, after expending
millions of money and thousands Of lives to
suppress an insurrection-an insurrection
that has never been equalled, except when
Lucifer arose in rebellion against High Heaven
AN insurrecuon entirely without cause
must we then, the conquering party, bow
our necks to the monster which had liked to
have destroyed us, and swear to cherish and
protect it? The Republican party pledged
itself never to interfere with the institution
of slavery in the loyal States. 1t does not
seek to do so now. All we wish is that those
who dance should compensate the individual
who furnished the music. We claim that
when man or a body of men turn traitors
and wage war against their country that they
have no rights which that country is bound
to respect. To loyal men either in the North
or South extend the strong right arm Of the
governuent and protect them in their rights
and privileges, but traitors never.
The grandiloquent and highly eloquent
manner in which our friend winds up his long
winded article is very beautiful, but like many
beautiful things, it is rather fragile, as far as
argument is concerned. The charges OF ex-
travagance arise from source which we
should think would be rather ashamed to
talk on such subjects When Satan rises up
and rebukes the Democratic party for the
numberless and barefaced plunderings from
the public treasury, then the Democratic
party can rise with a good grace and charge
its opponents with plundering. When a
Republican Cabinet steal the arms, ships,
public buildings and territory of the govern
ment, and then turn upon that government
and seek to destroy it, as a Democratic caoi-
net has done. When Republican President
shall sit quietly in his Presidential chair and
witness the wholesale plundering OF navy
yard, armory, arsenal and treasurj, without
moving his hand to stop it, but sit motionless
and see the government which he sworc te
oversee going t. ruins, as a Democratic Presi
dent has done, then, and not till then, let
Democracy charge corruption upon the only
truly loyal party in existence
MOBILE TO BE TAKEN NExr-Oom. Farra
gut informs the War Department that he is of
for Mobile with his squadron. There is moth
ing to require his further presence at New
Orleans-Gen. Butler having occupied th'
city, and his force being amply sufficient fo
''all the contingencies" The energetic Com
~..z~.... Al. ...co,, ,,,Sh fhro,1oh fhe RiuC