The mountain Democrat., 1865-09-30
TIE MOUNTAIN DEMOCRAT.
The Democratic Partys-Its Princi.
ples, Mission, and Prospects.


Hss the Democratic party had its day3
Are its principles exploded. or Obsoletei
We will postpone the first Of these ques.
tiOns, says the New York World, until
We have considered the second for IL the
Democratic principles are either exploded
or obsolete, il is clear that there IL no fur
ther place for party representing them.
But IL they are true. and suited to the
new era, It is fair to presume that party
representing them will exist and triumph.
An attempt is making in divers Rrpub-
lican journals to convey the impression
that the Democratic party is dead; but
these journals are careful not to observe
the rule, de:mortuis nihil nisi bonum.-
The important question is, are the Dem.
ocratic principles dead 3-for if the prin.
ciples have any vitality, the party will
take care of itself.
First. We will ask a. . question for
these journalists to chew upon, does Pres.
ident johnson believe, or profess to be-
liefe, that the principles Of the Democrat.
ic party are without further application
to the affairs Of the cOuntryt ItisknowG
to every ybOdy that he processes to stand
on his anteccdenls; that he proclaims to
everybody bis purpose to administer the
government in accordance therewith; that
be abjures no political principle he has
ever held; that he points with conscious
pride to the past as guarantee Of where
he will be found in the future. Now,
What are these antecedentS to which Mr..
johnson Is SO ready to refer! Why. in
proportion to the measure Of his inhu.
ence. he has been more completely ident.
lied with Democratic principles than any
other statesman Of this generation. lie
has always been, not merely q Democrat.
but, so to speak, an out and.outer. All
those men now in public life whO have
served with him in either House If Con,
gress can testify to the vehemence Of his
party zeal, and his intrepid opposition to
every anti Democratic doctrine or ten
dency.
Mr.. johnson tells the country, in his
present elevation, that he purposes to
stand by ell this; and the reputation he
long ago acquired for honest robustness
of mind. makes it easy to credit his sin
cerity. But il this consistency, this tiiel
ity to his anteccdentS, which Mr.. John
son so constantly promises, is made I"od,
it il clear that the principles Of the Dem
ocra,ic party are not obsolete.
Il is possible that Mr.. johnson may
not keep his pledges; he may be Stduced
to 20 after strange gods, hut whatever
he may do, the principles are certain tn
triumph. BY fidelity to Democratic prin'
ciples he has Q chance 10 make hm>elf
the most successful statesman "f his age,
but his rrcresncy (if lie should prove re.
creAnO cannot prevent their success.
Is there any cardinal doctrine Of the
Democratic party which has been demon
etratrd - be an error! Not one. Until
the territorial question came in at the
close Of the Mexican war. to eaken the
Democratic party by internal di>stn>i"n>.
nothing was ever proposed by it which
the public opinion II the country did not
6naily indorSe. The party was launched
under Jefferson, as . state rights party,
in oppositinn to federal centrAlizniion.- -
For more than half century after Jeiter
sons election to the presidency, tho coun
try approved f the principles which he
brought into vogue. The next great bat
tle won by the party was under the lead
ership of jackson, as a hard money par
". Jackson's risht-hand man in Con-
cress was nicknamed "Old Bullion
Under Van Buren tho party divorced the
government from paper money, by eStab'
fishing the sub treasury. and making all
national transactions in coin. A series Ol
hard battles, extending from 1928 to 1886
were fought on the tariff question; and
on this, too, the Democratic party was
finally victorious, and its policy ratified
by the country.
Now, the point we make is, that none
Of these great issues so strenuously fought
are obsolete. Previous to the late var
they might, indeed, have been deemed so
Public opinion had endorsed the measures
Of the party which had become incorpo
rated into what was supposed to be the
settled policy Of the country. As nobody
expected to see these questions rropened
they might fairly have been deemed Ob
solete. But 10 they have all heen sprung
upon US anew. The deliberate judgment
Of the country after full discussion and
rsEection--a judgment confirmed by ex
perience. that final test Of political wisdom
has been set aside, and the people ttnd
the flOodgates Of the old controversies re-
opened.
Who shall say that the question of the
Just partition Of power between the states
and the federal government. is obsolete
Why, it is the pivotal question Of the
epoch. 1t engrosses everybody. The
government cannot discharge the duties
incumbent on It in this momentnuS con
junction without abrading against Hne OF
the other theory involved in that contrO