Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-02-11
Democratic Literature.

a
ing, ennobliug, and peace-loving Democrats {
Literature. In Cincinnati, Rev. II. c. Dean,
Hon. w. NJ. Cory, and Hon. Judge Van
Trump follow each other in periodic sue
ccssion, portraying to enraptured throngsof
mos, enlightened intelligence and cultivated
refinement the principles, achievements, Ia.
bors and prospects Of Democracy. In
Wooster orators OF scarcely less note, but
Of far excelling genius, extol its greatness,
admire its uniform consistency, and bow in
grateful alteration before its awe-inspiring
grandeur. Butitis reserved for genius from
Belmont County, fresh from the benighted |
village Of St. Clairsville, to eclipse all these
brilliant lights, aud cause their intellectual
splendor to pale and grow dim before the
Illuminating glory Of his swift ascending
star. Before an assembly Of the most au-
gust and imposing character, composed of
men who have grown old in the service of
Democracy, who have devoted their sound
est thoughts to the elaboration of its prin.
ciples, spent their lives in the advocacy Of
its purest doctrines and ever-to-be admired
excellencies, and especially, who have ap-
piled themselves to the discovery and pro-
mitigation of those transcendentaly emo
bling virtues of its creed, "Tbe Constitu-
ton as it is: the Union rs it as"--"Peace
upon any terms -" Secession, but no CO.
er,ion - Anti-negro equality" and nu-
merous other hitherto latent but altogether
striking and elevating principles that un-
derlie the wondrous superstructure of mod
ern Democracy--befo such body, pos
sessng in themselves tho very embodiment
of every Democratic principle--past, pres
ent and to come-in the city Of Columbus,
he rises, with all the dignity of the cage and
majestic nobility Of the true and enlightened
philosopher, and proposes Tor their delecta,
ton, and his own topic Of elucidation, that
auiry to American citizens, What is the
Democratic party7" And with the same
remarkable originality that is manifested in
the discovery and choice of his subject, he
proceeds, in style of remark kable briliancy
whether we view it merely as literary Ell.
fort, or as q philosophical disquistion-to
set forth, in the first place, what is not the
Democratic party, " and secondly what it
is.
Under the first Of these heads he presents
US with four different cliques, sects, or par
ties, claiming to be the Democratic party,
but denounced by our midnight declaimer
as false claimants of the bonorcd title.--
The first is represented to be led by Sup
, plant tool Of veDal and corrupt despotism,
"whose distinguishing characteristic is hi:
backbone" The second is characterized il
such remarkable perspicuity of language,
and its salient points exhibited in such won
derful beauty of expression, and clearness
and conference of thought and style, that
we give the reader tho benefit Of the entire
: passage, uerbahn, ct hteratim. '' Is this the
4. Democratic party which boasts the fat, Fal
staiiiau knight, who will be inaugurated on
:. Monday next, and who not only Shaks
peare's knight e1cels in lies, but is himself
o lie--who rolled his great oleaginous form
elect me, or men of nerves like steel will
bring q civil war to your very doors--it
leader" Now, is MT that n brilliant of tn
7" first watorp What felicity of expression
r What happy correspondence Of ideas Ho,
% natural and striking its grammatical con
q struction and how very refined the epi
: thets! Surely no one not " distinguished
" for considerable talent" (see Gazette) coult
construct such a beautiful gem of a sentence
Nor must we for moment believe that the
10 are the Democratic party" "who awai
= tonight At the Capitol upon the dropping
y of wisdom from one who admires the sun u
q in his tail but forgets the deformities hid
o den beneath. :" Much less is 1t THAT a.
n scmblage of obscure men, "representa
:, tives Of the War Democracy of the State.
= None Of these can for moment claim to b
IT par excellence the Democratic party. Wit
" infinite scorn he spurns the idea and de
clarcs that the true Democratic party /" ha
10 a nobler record, "a nobler history" :"
y higher destiny than any Of these. 10
B. not party eminent for backbone, for orstrengt
p and ioeigh of character, for its love of toil
n dom, nor its devotion to par. But it
,f prc-eminently the party of peace" tn
advocate Of ignorance in the masses, tn
u possessor Of levity or entire lack of char
10 acter, and renowned for tho suppeness Q
its vertebral column, when p,enaccd b
traitors
ts Upon these pos,tise characteristics Of tn
truo Democratic party, our young Athenia
~ branches of into channel of such nativ
t, grandiloQuenco Of style, Of hifalutin en-
10 comium, and toploitical description-logica
,f sequence of augmentation and syntactica
construction of composition--that it be
' wilders the mind, awe-inspires the heart
n and iiretrievably involves the sympatheti
/. affections Of the soul Tho purest sensibi
tiles OF our nature are aroused to livelies
exercise ut the exhibition Of "peace" lO'
ing virtues that he pictures to our imagina
IN ton. Again our righteous indignation grow
As belligerent, as with glowing, burning word
II he unmasks the designs and machination
n Of diabolical men to thwart its designs ant
purposes, aud cast ignominy and sham
81 upon its glorious record Of achievements
o. while anon the gushing tears Of sympath
all and sorrow will unbidden start from eye
a., unusued to weeping, at the recital, in ps
-, w thetic lamentation, Of tho desolation an
u' distress, the ruin and misery, that men c
Belial have brought upon his beloved part,
Then again, in moment, while all thes
A passions are thronging our mIds our or,
l.. tor, with more than masters skill change
W. the scene, and causes the star Of hope [
he light up the exultant soul, as with prophet
IN. delineation he foretels the resuscitation an
air ultimate triumphant glorihcation Of no
'" forsaken, unhonored and down. trodden Den
m' ocracy. That our readers may know thl
~, VIC have in nowise exaggerated this alt