The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-10-30
WmLE we concede that organizatic


and work enter very essentially into
the result of elections in this or any
other county, and In this or any other
State, yet It is plain enough that the
kernel and substance OF success or de-
feat lie In the convictions and feelings
of the people. The Democratic party
was defeated here ON Thursday last, be-
cause, mainly, the people thoroughly
distrusted its future policy ON accounted
its past record. That It has now the
worst antecedents of any political or
ganizatlon ever known in the country,
NO apologist or partisan can truthfully
deny. It is not worth while for any
Journalist or speaker to be abusive to-
wards 1t. All that charity can rightful-
ly say In It's behalf. could not and Will
not alter the facts as they stand out be-
fore the public mind. The party is In
delIbly stained with the rebellion.
With all the amends it can and does
seek, sincerely and insincerely, to make,
in the way of nominating soldiers and
complimenting the President, its old
adherents are but very partially concil-
lated. Nowhere has It achieved suc-
cess since the close of the war. All the
States have voted 1t down. AMER hav-
ing tried NIL along the line In the hopes
of finding an entrance to a reactionary
popularity, tho experiment has failed.
And It will fail, more or less decidedly,
clear through. Practically It Is an alien
party. In the loyal Stntes. Tho hopes OF
the leaders must and Will be turned to
eSOuIhern STATES. Whether they will
succeed there as In former times no
one can now say. A great deal
will be owing to the next Congress.
They have some decided advantages TO
start with In the South. Tho feeling of
kin between the leaders North and the
old leaders South, recently leading reb-
els, cannot help maniFesting itself. A
fusion between them follows naturally.
But n fusion between the leaders does
not insure popular following for any
length OF time. The conditions favor
able to such following arc not as they
used to be. The Democratic party be-
fore the wnr was tho absolute, domi-
mint and exclusive party of the South.
Why2 Because it was the party Of
slavery; the Cuban annexation party
the Nicaragua fillibustGring party; the
ostend Manifesto party; the reopen
ing of the Slave trade party; the State
Sovereignty and right of Secession par.
ty. All these attributes 1t had. All OF
them 1t Wanted in tho face of the
wrecked remnant of the Old Wing par
" in tho Cotton States. Tho Demo
cratic party was tho Hapsburg family
In South Carolina, Florida, Alabama,
Mississippi, Texas and Arkansas. II
controlled free speech absolutely, and
gainsayIng of any kind was but barely
permitted. AS for Instance, it egged
Douglas after his Norfolk speech, while
in Mobile. 1t found indictments even
in West Virginia against subscribers to
the New York Tribune, and men sus-
pected Of circulating the Helper book
We're watched and warned here in
Wheeling not seven years ago.
Tho foregoing conditions of democratic
HscendenCy in the South will not obtain
in the future rs in the past. And we
feel devoutedly thankful in this belief.
There will bc ii temporary flickcring up
of tho old conditions and the old fol-
lowing, perhaps. But, ("eesSdnEe CAUSE,
eeSsHt ct eOcctHS,") slavery being dead,
southern Democracy must naturally
and inevitably die The Southern land
las been scOurged free from the despot-
isms and heathenisms of slavery for
new uses-not for the rehabilitation of
the old regime. If Democracy obtains
there again it will be a now Democracy
not the VnllNndlgham school now dy-
ing in the North despite the latest nos
trums-but IA Democracy that will rest
no more on the corner stone OF slavery
Democracy that will not be an oil
garchy-A Democracy that will he for the
country Ms against any institution or
sectional interest. In ali the principal
cities and towns papers will spring up
devoted to the new order OF things.
Tho class OF ideas and the class of men
hitherto prohibited and prescribed in the
South, viii be heard on every hastings,
and the issues OF the dry Will be ex-
planned to the 'pOor whites" by mon 70
whom they win listen. When the
masses Of the South are fully enlight-
ened, as they speedily win be, US to the
origin, Of the late war-as TO who were
in power when the rebellion matured
and broke out-and as to the teachings
OF Its authors regarding tho whole the
DRY and practice of gOvernment-they
will not be slow to abandon everything
heretofore accepted by them as Demo
cratic" We have always believed that
as soon as discussion in the press, and
on the stump, and ON the streets, and
along the way sides, and in the circles of
business NndsOciAl life. fully began, that
soon would a powerful popular reac-
tiOn against all the old ideas heretofore
prevalent In the SOnth, set in. The
Southern young men are In a condition
to learn with rapidity. Their schooling
in the army has not been in vain.
Mind against mind with MI its attritions.
has quickened and educated them. The
war and Hll its Rntecedents are better
understood now among these men than
any Of us imagine. Hence seed can be
sown in the South that will bear fruit
almost at once. In five years the South
will be land OF universal labor, of free
newspapers, OF free school systems, OF
newly settled immigrats from tho North,
and will have commenced to grow in
population, in wealth, and In intelli-
gencc, as nOsectiOn Of the Union hasever
grown. That which we have known
ms Southern democracy" will never
flourish amidst such influences, any
more than SO much Mohamedanism.
There will he no political South any
longer: In tho mighty rush of trade