Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-10-05
THE ISSUE.
What the Democratic Party has
Cost the Country.

tFrom.tte Cincinnati Gazsuel
The natioual debt, the whole cost Of the
var, its vast slaughter Of men and destruo-
ten Of property, aud the take. it has en-
tailed, are the return the people have re-
ceived for their confidence in the Democrat
ic party. From its invention to its attempt
ed execution, secession was purely De mo-
cratic. The members Of Dem nocratic Ad-
ninistration conspired the plot to precipi-
tate the rebellion. A Democratic Admin
istration disarmsd the Government before
secession, and gave it immunity by the de-
claration that the Government had no con-
stitutioBal power to defend itself. A Demo
cratic Administration transferred the pub
lie arms to the control of the rebels, and
left the national forts defenseless before
them. The leaders of the Democratic par
! ty we're the leaders Of the rebellion, and
they still continued the leaders of the whole
| party.
The rebellion made no division in the
party. The same leaders continued to ex-
ercise the same control. Their confederates
! in the North maintained that the Govern
ment bad no constitutional power to put
! down rebellion. They opposed every meas
ure to raise troops for the national defense,
and 10 provide means to paw them. They
opposed the srming Of the Northern States
for their defense. They sought to divide
the North. to reduce it TO the Confederate
! terms. They continually declained that
every act of defense against rebellion was
! violation Of the constitution. They boasted
! their consistent adherence to their resolu-
| ton never to vote a msl or dollar to put
down rebellion. They !abored to magnify
and protect the war, with the deliberate de-
! sign that its burdens sheuld break down the
Government
They strove to discourage volunteering,
and to stir up disafection, and to organize
seditien. They denounced the draft as un-
constitutional, and melted iorcible resistance
to it. They organized conspiracles TO- pre-
cipitate revolt in the North, and to bring in
a savage Southern army to rayage and lay
waste the country. They melted the bar
barous treatment Of cur soldiers in the South
and the spirit of murder against ali our puD-
lie mon. They met in general convention
and resolved that the war TO restore the
Union had failed, and should stop. Their
aid and encouragement, and the hopes they
held out, kept the rebellion alive long after
its cause was hopeless, aud multiplied the
! cost Of the war. They served their South :
ern party leaders sll through the war, and
now when the rebel military power has sub:
| mitted and is ready to ratty the death OF
secession and slavery, the Northern Demo.
cratic party seeks to revive these issues, and
to renew the conflict. :
Let Democratic jouuals and orators howl
over the debt and taxes their war has
brought. They hut magnify their own sins.
Every dollar of debt is a Democratic legacy.
Every tax is Democratic Gift. Every
Government stamp is u Democratic sticking
plaster. Every person in the United states
| l.. L n ii hY
aud his whisky, and in the sugar wherewith
he swestens them. Each ingredient pays
its quota for the cost Of Democracy to the
country. The smoker inhales Democracy.
The sick man is physicked Democracy. -
The laboring man gives about one honr ;
labor every day to pay for Democracy. -
The capitalist pays oHe tenth oi bis income
for the cost OF the Democratic burden.
\ Before he is beggottsn the child is subiec.
to the Democratic tax. From the cradle to
the grave he never is Tree from it. Tbs
funeral mourning must first pay the penalty
of Democratic rule, and a portion of that
which be leaves behind must so into thii
Democratic vortex.
Generation after generation will carry this
Democratic burden from birth to death
Like the original divine curse, 1t will be
! felt in the sweat of the brow OF the laborer
and in the travail OF woman, and in swai
lowing up portion of the earth produc
, tions for all time. But for the Democratic
, party our people would hardly have knows
, the nature of taxation. But for it the hun
dre1s of thousands OF youngmen whose bones
are strewn over the South would now bt
, productive laborers and the support snc
SGmsSte % attempt Dl t'sn to dsny nsH al this
j No one will pretend that the Democrsti
: party had any cause for rebellisn. Vet
. has the effrontery to cry over the burden
of taxation. Aud as the father Of the Dem
!, ooratic party, when he had stripped Job O
i family and possessions, charged i TO hi
: own sins, and sought to draw him from hi
r integrity, so his Democratic sons aow cem
. forward with equal effrontery and chsrg
their doings upon the loyal people an
hypocritioally howl over their Affections
4 and seek to seduce them from their intes
. rity, to elect to power the party that ha
I brought all these woes upon the land,