The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1863-10-29
From the n. Y. Jour. Commerce.
Extremes.

dency to extreme views on public questions
and that tendency produces now such a
broad and decided line between various
persons and parties that it cannot but be
regarded as one of the most dangerous foa-
lures of our difficult and dark position as a
nation. The radical party encourages the
most violent treatment of its opponents
and those opponents are in many Instances
induced to rush to extreme views against
radicals and radicalism Look to the fu-
ture, to the great effect of the war. to the
end which ought to be brought out Of our
present troubles. none can doubt that a
reunited people, a nation ealmly pursuing
its old course of prosperit. IN peace. is the
point which oaght to be reached. But the
radicals insist on exterminating the evil
which they think dwells il the very con-
stitution of Southern society, and there
fore their method of restoring the union is
simply to compel the enemy to submit.
and acknowledge themselves thoroughly
and hopelessly whipped And to let the
radicals of the North dictate their State
institutions Here then, IS the first great
diyision-nOt only that between the rcl-
els and all Northern men, but that hope
less division between the radicals and the
inhabitants Of the slave States But there
is large party in tn. North-full one
half, probably three-fourths ofthe people f
the Northern States-who are willing and
anxious to repair the breach and have the
Southerncrs return to their old Union.
peacefully and qictly as hcrctofore.-
Against this position Of the Northern
population the radicals fight with more
ferocity than against the rebels. For the
radical party would willingly, if it dare
give up the contest and say to the slave
States. go in psace;" but they are min
gled hopelessly among the conservatives
and must live in the same towns. Villages.
and houses with them. Yet they ctntriyc
to cultivate most bitter hatred to them
invent opproprious names toapply to them
and exhaust the catalogue Of billing
gate phrases in expressing their intense
animosity to chem. This Of course makes
great divisions. and opinions almost hope
less chasms between political parties. \
radical can hardly leephi- temper in con-
versation with Il conservative lie can
not omit telling him that he is s,mpa-
thizcr With rebellion. He regards il Il,
duty to insult him. am! is astonishcl if the
insult is resented Radical newspapers
say Served him ght, when they pub
lish accounts of mobs i'll treating conserva-
tive editors as politicians but thcy howl in
astonishment, and dismay when the moba
attack their own friends 1t has been for
two years a received doctrine among the
abolitionist politicians that conservative
had no personal and political rights which
they were bound to respect but t. radl-
Gals were under all the constitutional and
legal projections which ever existed
Witness the amusing Indignation with
which they recorded the arrest Of a radi-
cal Mayor in Kansas the other day. lIav-
ing heartily approved the arbitrary seiz-
ure of conservatives. and having made
Fort Lafayette and other like fortrcsses
subjects of JOY and rejoicing for two years.
they are shocked incxpressibly when the
Generals in the West apply their weapons
to radical disturbers Of the peace of the
Administration policy.
Now it would be well for all radical poll
ticians to think calmly and scriousv a few
minutes on these questions. Is not a con
scrvativc. Democrat. an American citi-
zen? Is it not his ri ght to think as 4
freeman for himself! Is it not possible
that conservatives and other opponents of
this present Administration may some day
elect an Administrations Who then will be
traitors. W no then VIII rcStriln thcil
from returning in kind this foul abuse and
i'll treatment
1t is devoutly to be hoped that this
country is not to be always divided in the
way it now is, by extreme views ut the
North and rebellion at the South The
oscillations of power would, ifthis extreme
style of political difference continue, give
the reins alternately to men who hate their
opponents with burning hatred. Can we
ever have peaccable Union in that case?
Radicals will not convert all the people
to their notions. Let them dismiss that
idea from their minds The majority
against them among the people OF this
country, reunited, will be million. But
we cannot have quiet and peaceful coun-
trv again until extremists on both sides
cultivate the habit ofyielding somewhat to
the views of their neighbors. We must
! comnron,;se antaponistic views 1t cannot