Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-09-27
INDIANAPOLIS, ND, SATURDAY MORNING,

States, the Democratic party has no new
principles to enunciate, no new LOYALTY TO
pledge Ii has always been, as il is, the party
of the Constitution. In all its career, the
Constitution has been irs only creed. Ii has
been depressed by defeat and elated by sue
cess. land has at times mistaken the true path
of duty. But it has never lost sight OF the
Constitution, or wandered far from its ways.
It's history chronicles devotion to the Con-
stitution, and sympathy with the spirit of
the people, as just and steadfast as human de-
votion and sympathy can attain. If not al
ways right, it has not been often or long
wrong. Human history can say no more for
any party, in any age or country. The Dem
ocratic party needs to-day no platform but Its
history. But in this unprecedented and ter
rible crisis. IL becomes US 20 consider the ap-
plication of old principles to new conditions.
The Democratic party has outlived many
antagonists. The Federal party, the National
Republican party, the Whig party, have sue
cessively struggled with it, with varied sue
cess; but have successively disappeared from
history. This was not accidental. The Dem
ocratic party was as subject TO accident "a its
rivals. Ii has been frequently defeated. But
it has survived all its defeats, while its ancient
enemies have not survived occasional success.
The reason is apparent. II was founded on
the true principles of our Government, and
guided by true sympathy with the spirit of
American institutions. They rested in mar
rover comprehension of the genius of the
American people, and in mistaken views of
the principles of the Constitution. They died
the death of error; it lives the life of truth.
The history of the country is the. history of
the Democratic party. With occasional in
termissions, it has administered the National
Government and guided the mark of Ameri-
can history. Under its influence, the true
spirit of the Constitution displaced the mar
row and un-American comprehension of our
system of Government which originally pre-
vailed, and gave tone to the Administration
of the elder Adams Under its influence the
commercial and economical interests of the
country were emancipated from the hot house
system of tariffs and currency, which bound
American energy and skill in the chains of
European theory. Under its leadership, the
American flag was carried in glory through
war, and sent in peace floating in security over
all the seas of commerce. Under its leader
ship the area of the country was almost
doubled, and new fields of enterprise were
populated by prosperous American commu-
hlttts. 1ltutl tllt 1uludHCc vi uO OJutT party
was any great stride made in civil or COM
mercial prosperity, was war ever waged
with foreign enemy, was an acre OF territory
ever added to our vast domain. The Demo-
cratic party led the country from its feeble
and poor condition at the beginning of the
present century, to the great and glorious
empire of freedom, the unparalleled political
and material prosperity, in which it met with
its last defeat in the Presidential election of
1860.
Such defeats of the great party of the
country never before carried with them per-
manent evil to the nation. The old opponents
of the Democracy took the Administration of
the Government upon its defeat, and surren-
dered it again upon its success, the Constitu-
ton and the Union remaining unimpalred.
The ancient antagonists of the Democracy,
whatever their sins of doctrine or action, were
national parties, resting upon no sectional
policy, representing no sectional constituency.
When in power, they administered the Gov
ernment upon the policy of majority of the
whole country. When in opposition they
spoke for a minority of the whole country.
They were loyal because they were national.
The Union was safe, because they were loyal.
Their success was harmless to the Constitu-
ton, because 1t was the defeat OF consttu-
tional party, and not of the spirit of the Con-
stitution itself.
Continued tomorrow.