The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1864-05-12
rae DHaocnATro PARTY THEN
AVN N0vv.

bo amusing to hear the copperheads
claiming that theirs is the old Demo
cratic party. Presuming upon the ig-
norance Of the people, they have the
efrontery to make this claim, when the
fact is that they are diametrically op.
posed to the old party in all the demo
cratic principles which made it popu-
lar with the people and which made
it the dominant party for go many
years, A glance at some ofthc most
prominent points Of difference viii
show that the present party is the old
democracy only in nnms.
4 A striking difference il il tae lead
ers Of the two parties The old party
was founded, built up. and led by JEFF
ferson, jackson, Douglas, etc, men
who wero patriots and statesmen, and
who were acknowledged TO be such by
men Of all parties Tho present party
is led by such men as Fernando Wood,
Vallandigham, Alexander Long, DR..
olds, etc, men whose craftsmanship is
doubted by their own followers, and
whom great majority of the country
believe to DO traitors and anything
but patriots.
Another difference is in the antAce-
dents Of the leaders. The champions
of the old party were principally men
who had beon born and bred Demo
Gratis, and who were honestly devoted
to the principles and policy ofthe Do
mccracy. The champions of tho pres
eut party are composed principally Of
Wings, Know Nothings, Abolitionists,
and men who have ranged through
nearly all parties in search Of pow
or. n. So,
A third point of difference 10 in the
loyalty Of the two parties, The Dem
ocratic party claimed to be, and per-
haps was, par excellence, the party de-
voted to the government and country.
In all tho troubles of the Government
with Great Britain, with the Indians,
and with Mexico, it stood by tho Gov
crnment, and the thought Of doing
anything else, or of fevor sympathizing
with a public enemy, was too mon
strous to even enter tho mind of the
party. In tho war with Mexico, tho
cry Of tho party was, "Onr country,
right or wrong" And it denounced
those who withheld their sympathy
and active support from tho Govern.
ment as traitors. Tho party Of to-day
in the midst Of dangers which are to
former perils as the hurricane is 10 the
breeze, and in tho midst Of war
which is to former wars rs Waterloo ia
to skirmiOh-the party of to-day
withholds all sympathy from the cause
Of the country, and gives it to tho en-.
emy, and refuses, except whom compel.
led, to give any active support to the
Government, More than this, it Gu
couragcs the enemy by words and as.
sists him by deeds. 1t opposes the
Government in all measures adopted
to overthrow the enemy, it rejoices at
the defeat of its oountry's arms, and
sighs over tho losscs inflicted upon
the foe.
TheprcOent party differs from tho
Democratic party In tho opposition
which it makes to popular war in
which the Government is engaged
The Democratic party was tho war
party Of tho country, and it was the
boast Of its members that they were
the party which fought the battles Of
the country. Tho hero ofths last war
with Great Britian was the great load
er and champion who established tho
party. He was ready at all times to
mako war upon all enemies OF tho
Government, foreign or domestic, and
was, like the loyal men of to-day, in
favor Of hanging traitors and enlistlng
blacks in the service Of the Govern.
mont. Daring the war with Mexico
tho Democratic party adopted resolu
tions denouncing the Wings and all
who opposed the war, as worthy ofthe
"scorn and contempt Of evory upright
man" and declaring this opposition to
bo "morally reasonable" and the
causc fthe prolongation Of the war
Tho present party, 80 far from being
war party, calls itself the Peace Par.
ty, aud exerts itself to prevent the
prosecution Of tho war, And ths, too
at time when there iv but one alter.
native presented to tho Government;
viz; "Fight, or perish" To stop the
war is to stop the existence Of the ma.
tion TO continue tho war ia at least to
: make manly effort to preserve the
nation. This the party we'll knows