The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-10-15
who are the Democrats.

racy answers this question. The term de-
mocracy, in its practical, ideal sense, sig
mites popular government. This Is formed
by enfranchising the masses, giving them
political power, and throwing upon the
people the responsibility Of protecting
themselves. AristOcracy aims to deny to
the common people the right Of voting, or
any voice as to who shall make laws and
I'LL Offices. These two opposing principles
IN government are now Ut war with each
other. After the secession Of the Southern
States, when the Southern Confederacy was
supposed to be established, the leading
rebels threw OF all DISCUSSES and boldly
declared in favor OF an aristocracy. In all
the leading presses, reviews and political
literature Of rebeldom, has this project Of
overthrowing democracy and establishing
aristocracy been declared and advocated.
The rebel orators and letter writers have
been equally explicit. The arguments put
forth by the conspirators have assumed
different forms, but all have the same
meaning. JEFF. Davis rails against the doc
trine OF popular government, and calls it
the tyranny OF "A majority" On another
occasion, more recently, ne characterizss
the popular will as 1.-The despotism of a
majority It has been favorite declara-
ton with the secessiOnists Of the South for
years that government through the will Of
the majority must be abrogated.'' The
Southern Literary Messenger, assuming to
speak as the opponent OF the views OF the
eradicate every vestige of radical democra-
cy. every feature tending to make ours q
popular government" etc. Again, in the
same print I'VE would not be understood
IS uniting in the belief Of the impossibility
Of successful republic, that we cry out for
the establishment Of royalty in this fa-
vored country. '*@ss 1--WE have no objec-
tons to royalty when restrained by consti-
+tutional BARRIERS 'You well object to
the term Democrat Mr.. Garnett in
his letter to Mr.. Prescott, Of S. CO. Democ-
racy, in its original, philosophic sense, is
indeed Incompatible with slavery and the
whole system OF Southern society; yet, if
you look back, what change will you find
made in any of our State Constitutions, or
in our Legislation in its general course for
the last fifty years, which was not in the
direction Ct democracy Here is mani
tested the same repugnance to the will Of
the majority. DeBow's review is equally
explicit, wherein 1t contemns the democrat
&c axiom of the greatest good to the great
est number as "a pestilent and pernicious
dogma The same article winds up with
the declaration that IAN hereditary Senate
and Executive are 'he political form best
the ideas Of the SOUTH The Richmond
Examiner, of very late date, assumes
that the principles Of popular government,
and protection to popular rights through
popular government, is the mistaken civil
ization Of the age which perverse genera
ton has lifted up in the face of ancient in
situations. DeBow's Review putS in this
re!oinder:
1.-THE real civilization Of a country lie in
its aristocracy. The masses are nodded
into soldiers and artisans by intellect, just
as matter and the elements Of nature are
made into telegraphs and steam engines
10 make an aristocrat in the future, we
must sacrifice . thousand paupers. Yet
We would by all means make them-make
them permanent, too, by laws OF entail and
primogeniture."
The Uuion;sts of the South, who for years
have faced the monster Rebellion, and lis
tened to the reasonings in which it origin
ated, are equally explicit in declaring the
contest to be battle between aristocracy
and democracy. The whole intelligence OF
the world understands it as Richard Cob
den, Of England, understood it when he
pronounced the conspiracy IAN aristocratic
Rebellion against a democratic govern
ment." We might compile q volume OF
the same kind Of evidence, to show that the
Rebellion involved conspiracy, not only
| against the nationality, but against all the
principles of republican or democratic gov.
ernment-that the strongest feature of the
conspiracy was hostility to the political
rights of the non-slaveholding masses ol
the South. These were the forces in the
South against whom the jealousies Of the
Caihounites were most intensified. Mr.
Spratt. of South Carolina, well expressed il
IN bis speech in the Vlcksburg Secession
convention Of 1859. He assumed tina,
sc paration from the North would merely
| ADJOURN the contest'-.'that, as this South.