The Portland daily press., 1865-07-21
TWO PARrIals-rHp D1FrsRpNoD.l

w " - LII ILL., Al.
The difference between the two parties at
the North, into which our people divided at
the outset of the rebellion, has never been
more tersely stated than by the late Senator
Douglas in 1861. 1t was he who said there
were no neutrals in the war; that all were
either supporters of the Government or oppo-
sers of its authority; that there could be but
two parties, Patriots and Traitors,
During the whole progress Of the struggle
these two parties continued. One class or par
ty cheerfully stood by and upheld the Govern
ment, and willingly sacrificed and suffered
that Liberty and the Union might live; the
other class constantly found fault, never was
satisfied with anything accomplished, looked
long-faced and gloomy when Union successes
were announced, and never seemed in good
spirits except when the cause of the rebellion
appeared most hopeful. If they paid money
it was under protest; If they went into the ar
my it was to embarrass) the earnest men at I
the head of affairs,-civil and military,-and
to write home letters Responding in tone and
calculated to discourage the friends of Right.
The war having been practically closed we
find essentially the same division of parties
still existing, with the same essential differ
ences, though modified by circumstances, and
eontending over new issues. One party-that
which has been for the country-now reioices
that so much has been accomplished, that the
dark front of war is relieved by so many illu-
minated spots in the background, that Free,
dom has triumphed, that Liberty has gained,
that progress has been made that a HIGHER
plane of civilization has been reached, and
that thousands of old 0bafbarisms have been
rooted out of our national soil forever. The
other party-those who have opposed the
government in its conflict with rebelHon-oc4
cupy precisely antagonistic ground, and re-
joice that SO little advance from the old order
of things has been made, that the political
landscape has been so slightly changed, that
the old condition Of society remains 50 nearly
as it was, that If higher plane has been dis
covered it is not yet occupied, and that posi-
bly, their efforts may be successful in prevent
ing its occupancy.
The patriotic party rejoices in the emanci-
patton of race, in its translation from things
to persons, from articles, of sale to indepen-
dent citizens; and looks forward hopefully to
their still further elevation to all the rights
and privileges of citizenship. The anti patri-
otto party, on the contrary, derives no satisfac-
ton from the emancipation and deliverance
from abject bondage Of millions of men, wo-
men and children, but saves its wounded feel
ingS with the reflection that, though free they
cannot vote; that though citizens they are yet
to be treated as aliens.cS *.
1t is singular fact that the party in this ma
ton to-day which claims to be par excellence
the Democratic party, plants itself on opposi-
ton to all progress, has become the selEcon-
stituted guardian and defender of the worst
form of aristocracy known since. the time Of
the feudal system, and makes the restriction
Of suffrage to a dominant class and its denial
to the poor fundamental article of its creed.
Let this fact be well considered by our, people,
and particularly by those who have looked up
on the names Of parties as the signs Of their
leading ideas. Real democracy has respect to
the people-the whole people, and ignores
class and caste, and knows no difference be.
fore ITS law among men on account of those
distinctive marks made for wise purposes by
the equal Father and Friend of all. Democra-
cy trample upon the poor? Impossiblel. De-
mocracy favor the proud, the domineering and
the select few? Preposterous! Democracy
the snpporterand champion Of bondage? The
suggestion is an outrage upon the meaning of
the term. Democracy is guilty Of no such
thing;it ischargeable with no suchi inconsis-
tency Nothing short Of Dsmoa-ocracy pro-
perly represents the idea of which the anti
Suffrage, anti-prosr ess and proslavery party Of
the day trieste make Democracy the sign. D. +
1t is also a significant fact that, as general
rule, those whom the .se!f-styled Democrats of
to-day stigmatize as aristocrats, are the true and
practical friends Of equality, Of human rights
and of negro suffrage. The most justly cele-
brated literary men Of the country, poets, es-
saylsts, historians and Philosophers the most
eloquent and successful divines, the presidents
and professors in our colleges with few excep-
tons thousands of our princely merchants
men Of refinement, of wealth and Of influence.
these are the men who are to-day most zeal
GUS in defence of the perfect political equal.
ty of all men before the law, who are laboring
most assiduously to educate and elevate the
down-trodden, and to make the poor African
so long oppressed and ground in the duat by
tyrants and demagogue5- realize his worth,
his possibilities and his manhood, and who
are loudest in demanding for him all the rights
enjoyed by white men under our political in
stituions r,r.,--, to afaa
In view of such facts as these--patent to all
obSeryers-are we to be deceived by the use of
terms, and to concedc that the champions Of
despohsm, the defenders Of slavery, the advo-
Gates Of exclusive privileges and the enemies
OF equal rights are Democrats because they
see ut to appropriate Or misappropriate the
name Democratic? @ - ', ~ Z. n