The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1863-07-31
"sThe Curse Of Party

ing to party. Ittakes very good care, however,
to direct its remarks only to Democrats. It
never once recommends its own political friends
to abandon their party organization. That trite
and homely, but nevertheless true and compre-
hensive adage, ''What is sauce for the goose, is
sauce for the gander," seems to have been forgot
ten by the editor of that paper. Itwould be
very gratifying to him, we make no doubt, to
have the opponents ofAbolitionism ground their
arms and permit the party which maintains and
defends their ruinous doctrine, to secure such
local and State offices as will enable it to per-
petuate its adherents in power. 1t would suit
him exactly to have the political opponents of
the present State and Federal Administrations,
close their mouths and suffer the Constitution
to be violated, the rights Of the States and the
people to be trampled under foot, the public
treasury plundered. and even our gallant SOL
diers defrauded of their clothing and their pay.
1t would be his delight to see Democrats aban-
don their opposition to such men as Fremont and
SIutiCl anu WuOll IGolliSub was
forced to send into retirement on account of
their corruption and incapacity. And as for
Gov, Curtin, under whose auspices the infa-
nous ''shoddy" speculatous were made, at the
expense of the comfort and life Of Pennsylvania
soldiers it would suit this Abolition scribbler
most admirably if all criticism of the official
acts Of his exeellency would be hushcd, as the
aforesaid Curtin, it's now thought, willcertainy
be renominatod by his party.
But let us inquire, for a moment, who ciings
to "party' with the greatest tenacity and whose
fault it is that the opposition to the men in
power is so strong and irresistible.
When the Cotton States were about to secede,
a compromise alike fair, equitable aud honora-
bic to both sections, was proposed by Mr.. Crit
tenden. Petitions from all parts of the country
asking the adoption of the compromise, poured
in upon Congress. The prayers of the nation
went up in its favor, and its venerable author
with tearsin his eyes, impored the "RepubIican"
Senators to accept it, but all in vain The creed
of the "Republican' party, was in the way and
the "Republican' Senators would not abandon
their Chicago Platform for the sake of the Crit
tenden Compromise and peaceful and undivided
country. They preferred to cling to their par
ty, even at the risk of civil war and social and
political anarchy.
When the war broke out, although the Exec
utive and majority of Congress, were anti
Democrats, the Democracy rushed to arms to
maintain the authority of tho Constitution and
the laws.
But no sooner had the Democrats entered the
army and Democratic statesmen committed
themselves to the war, than Congress repealed
the resolution in which it had declared the OBJ
ject of the war to be the vindication of the
Constitution and the restoration of the Union,
and the President, influenced by Abolition par
tizans, proclaimed emancipation, thus introdu-
cling into his war policy the doctrine always
odious to a large majority of the people of the
North. In this the President and the majority
in Congress clung to their party dogmas, aud
literally drove conservative people from their
support
When Gen. Mcclellan saved Pennsylvania,
from invasion and after the battle of Antietam
compelled the rebel army to fall back into
Virginia in spite of the prayers of the people
and the entreaties of the soldiers that gallant
General, at the instance of Abolition politicians
was removed from his command by the Pres-
dent, who again clung to his party against the
best interests of the army and of the country.
The "cursc of party" deprived the army of
the Potomac of its a5lest commander and to
this day keeps him in retirement. Thus we
might, multiply instances of the close adherence
to sparty" on the part of the opponents of
Democracy, but it is unnecessary to do so. Ev-
cry body knows how virulent and bitter arc the
adherents of the present Federal Administration
in their opposition to all men who do not give
that Administration an unqalfed support in all
its measures and acts Did not these men when
the war began, set neighbor against neighbor,
on account of politics? Did they not threaten
to hang the Democrats and did they not destroy
Democratic printing presses and mob Demo-
cratic meetings. Why, their partizan rancor led
them to the most shameful excesses, to riot,
arson and blood-shcd. The 'cursc of party" has
been their curse and to this day they have not
shaken it off
But, to conclude, if the Inquirer is so earnest
on this subject of abandoning party, why does
it not recommend its own political friends in
Somerset, Allegheny,and other "Republican"
"stronghods, to withdraw their tickets and al
low the people OF those counties to elect men to
office without reference to politics! ''The proof
of the pudding is the eating of it," and when