The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-09-03
The War was made by Democrats |!

We use the word Democrat 10 the same
sense that 1t was understood at Chicago, ano
with this definition we assert, and are prepar-
ed TO maintain the assertion, that the wal
against the National Government for its sub
version aud to break up the National Union,
was commenced by Democrats, and that this
yandal work was well under way before Abra-
ham Lincoln was invested with any official au-
thority, aud ghile the entire control and man
agemeut OF the Affairs of the Government were
in the hands of the Democratic party.
More than this the fact stands out on the
page of history, to be read by all but the gross
ly ignorant, to be understood by all but fools
aud simpletons, and conceded by all but the
williul and perverse, that the Democrats who
made the war are not the obscure, the unin1u-
entail aud the unrecognizsd portion Of the
party, but, on the contrary, they were the
leaders, the controlling spirits, the men with
out whom. it was contended al Charleston in
1860, there could be no Democratic party
that is, no party possessed of any efficient pow
er.
Those who will take the pains to turn back
to the proceedings of the Democratic Convex
ton at Charleston. April, 1850, will find it was
ssOutly maintained that, as the fifteen Stare
States were the ONLY RELIABLE DEMOCRAT
&c STATES, ana as they were the chief reliance
of the party to secure success, they should
have the control of the platform, and that it
was unfair, immodest and impudent 10 such
hopelessly anti democratic states as Massachu-
sets and Vermont to presume 10 control the
Character of a platform for the support OF
watch they were poSerless; in other words,
the fifteen slave states being tn Democratic
s ates, they should be allowed TO make such
platform as they were willing to fight on.
This claim was not only set up by Southern
Democrats, but there were many Northern
Democrats who conceded the justice Of the
Claim, aud papers even in this State justified
the claim and insisted upon the ioiustice OF It's
denial by the friends OF Nj. Douglas, vino
we're principally from the free states.
The result of the election proved that the
claim was at least based on facts, and that the
slave states were the only reliable states for
the Democratic party. Outside Of those a.
teen states but three electoral votes were given
against Mr.. Lincoln, and these were from New
Jersey.
How was 1t with The fifteen states9 Zee y
one of them gave their votes in opposition 10
Mr.. Lincol1. Eleven OF these states passed
ordinances OF secession, took up arms aeain-t
TIE Government, and precipitated the bloody
struggle Ia which we have sioce been engaged.
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louis
lana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Caro-
ina and Texas, with sixty-one electoral votes,
gave their entire vote for Breckiniidge aud
Lane. Tennessee and Virginia, with twenty
seven votes, gave their electoral vote to John
Bell, who is now traitor, aud within The reb
e. lines. Though the vote for Bell was 10 or
position to Lincoln, and for all practical pur-
pose, was Democratic vote, yet 10 the two
-tates named the Democrats proper were in
powerful majority, aud failed TO secure the
electoral votes for their own ticket only be-
cause they were divided between .wo
democratic candidates. la Tennessee their
I'D vote was 6.TS5 more than Belle,
H&aIty OF action 10 Virginia would
3. ssiarity OF 1881. These
4 state, every one
- authority,
>Stars and
! Areb