The Richmond palladium., 1863-10-02
Question Of idenifty.

a iack-knife which was equipped
il las, wear with a rev hanile, and this year
furnished with a new blade, remains tn
ssms Jack knife. A like philosophical
doubt has b-en raised 10 regard to a jacket
which has been patched so often and so lib
erslIy that not a shred of the old garment
remains. Is it the original jacket?
A similar perplexitv has been raised by a
political party that has gradually worked
, itself into new set Of principles, and hav-
ing done this. has obtained new So, OF
mem; .ers. Is it the same party Here for
example. is the Democratic party. which
| puts forth. as its platform. a set of princ-
pies recognizing not single doctrine of
all those for which 1t contended 25 years
since. and these resolutions are either offer
ed or supported by men who were then its
most determined advsrsaTies. With neith-
er the same principles to maintain. nor the
sams meu to maintain them, can it, without
a misnomer, be still called The Democratic
party Is not the oli party extinct. and
this which takes its name a0- impostor
The case is even clearer than that of the
jack k nife or the jacket. II the handle fit
tel to the new blade Of the jack-knife had
been borrowed of another knife, which had
lost its blade, might not the knife from which
the handle was obtained fairly claim to be
the original knife, if the claim could be
made BY either? So, il an old red jacket
ha1 been patched by pieces taken from an
old blue one till the original red disappear
ed. might not the blue garment dispute the
title of the red to be the primeval jacket :?
These suppositions bring the case nearer to
that of the democratic party. so-called.-
That party has been SO patched from other
1T. 81.
tive Americans and the Whigs-that those
who attend its conclsves look around with
surprise upon set o! people with whom
they once held no views in com non. They
look about, also, for the old doctrines of the
democratic party. and find altogether new
set Of doctrines in their place. What pro-
priety is there, then. in keeping the old ap-
pellation
1t is curious TO observe what strange ir-
ruptious have been made into the party
which calls itself democratic, within few
days past. 1t was the so-called democratic
party which got up the rebellion at TIE
S,uth. Here is-a list of leaders in that tres
son, and members OF that party, at the time
OF the secession, all Of them old Wings
Humphrey Hump IN, Marshall. Ky, R7ssrt Be- r.. Toonss Ca
Robert. N: : Haa,er, Va. judah B.nj min, La,
Alexander Bot Ter. Va. Chas A Wicxline Ky.
Zebu en- Vance, N. c.. Garrett DA is, Gun } Ky.
In our own state the leading democrats
are. we believe. mostly old wings. The
old red garment has been patched SO liber-
ally from the blue. that to the outside OBJ
server the blue seems to predominant, though
it still goes by the name OF red Here is
an imperfect list Of them--shall we, or shall
we not, add to them the name of ex.Presi.
dent Fillmore2
Washing. Hunt. Eds.rh G. sutherland.
Ertstus Brooks, James 5. ThAyer,
+ A Taimsdge. James Kidd.
Daniel b ST John, Jacob HsrieIburg.
solomon G. Haven. J mes Henry,
Joseph Benedict, Jane. W Barker
samuel b Johnson, Eli Perry,
Marcus l.. Cobb, George W Morton.
A curious sort Of democratic party it is
with such POLITICAL guides. A good many
Of them at one time it will be remember
ed, enrolled themselves with the Native
the present day has been Increased very
Know No,hings. the following list of lea
ders in the now-Nothing party, nov DEM
ocrsts, has been handed to us. with the re-
Stephen B. Gushing. late Attorney Cen
ersl, whg.
Silas Seymour, late Engineer and Sur
veyor. whig.
Charles B Stuart, Geneva, late Engineer
aud Surveyor, wing.
Frost Horton, Westchester county, whig.
Marcus l. Cobb, do do do
Fernando Wood.
Chauncey G. Burr.
Such are the premises from which the
reader may draw his own conclusion as to
the title which Governor Seymoar's friends 5
have to the name o! the democratic party.
Il ". Y. Post.