St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1862-07-17
1.-THE Union as it Was"-When

Although the fallacy of this expression,
so much used as catch penny by the Re-
vived Democracy, has been pretty thor
oughly shown up, yet the following arti-
Gle on the subject from the Grand Rapids
(Mich } Eagle is we'll worth reading:
We are for "the Union as it was,' at a
certain period, and in certain respects
We are not for taking the Union back, in
civilization, in power, in its war policy, in
its foreign policy. or in its internal dcvel-
opment to any past period. That would
be retrogression from its advancement.
The Union has been and has acted as a
third or fourth class power, looking to for
eign sources, to great extent, for inter-
national law, and being more or less hum
BILE and modest in the presence of the great
powers of Europe. Its naval power has
been neglected ; its armies a mere jest
In short, the Union has been, until now,
in its minority and we don't want to see
the Union go back from the strong, full
grown, resolute man to the child or the
oyergrown boy again. We want to see it
take and maintain its Legitimate place as
the foremost power as we'll as the most
prosperous nation Of the earth. We want
to see its flag not only loved and revered,
but also respected and feared, wherever it
floats
The Revived Democrats arc continually
harping upon "the Union as it was; yet
none Of their organs have vcntured to de-
fine the precise period to which the "was'
refers. We should like to be told, if they
want the Union "as it was" restored, what
they mean by the phrase-"as it was
when
Do they want the Union as it was when
Calhoun was the leading spirit of the South
and qualification fourished like green
bay tree? Do they wish the Union re-
stored "as it was' when Aaron Burr found
the South west ripe for his reasonable
schemes, and Murrill, the land pirate, drew
about him host Of thieves, murderers
and burglars? DO they want the Hart.
ford Convention times again? or the Ma.
tional Bank excitement? or the wrcckers
Of Barngat and the coast of Maine? or
do they want the free soil movement, the
hard cider campaign, or the Mexican war
to return or do they desire the Missouri
Compromise to be restored, which they
have swept away? Or do.they refer to the
Kansas war times, and old Bucks admin
istration? Do they refer to the years just
preceding the war, when a Northern citi.
zen's lips we're padlocked, and mob-rule,
lynch-law, shooting school-masters aud
whipping school. mistresses was the rule in
half the Republic? Do they sigh for the
palmy days when a pro-slavery mob threat
ened death to the representative of Massa-
chusetts-a distinguished and venerable
citizen. on peaceful and loyal errand p
Or do their hearts yearn for the ''good
old times" when our present pure, upright
and beloved President could not visit the
National Capital except in disguise and
secretly, from fear of assassination Dc
their souls thirst for "the Union as it was''
when Douglas was rotten. egged, abused
and insultcd in tho South as "a Id Ab.
olitionist?" Or is the beautiful peace and
harmony Of the Charleston Convention
period memory Of blissful pleasure, to be
longed for once more? u .'.-'
Tell US how and when you want "the
Union as it was," Mcssrs, Revived Vallan
digham- Democrats. To what particula,
features do you want it restored? W.
want its territorial integrity preserved w
want its authority again acknowledged in
all the States; but We want its authority
also enforced and obcyed. We want the
Union as It was in theory, when the con.
stitution VI, adopted but VIC do not want
! Ia SEQ IL as II u,as II nraoficn h,,t hnffn,