Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-10-03
THE OPPOSITION

mopious and united faction, which can
preserve its unity under the depression Of
defeat or the ecssacy of victory. There is
no centripetal principle about the mere
idea of opposition which can bring men
together into vigorous and determined
effort in a struggle for the ascendancy.
When millions of minds and millions of
hearts are sought to be organized for an
united and invincible effort in behalf of
party doctrines, there must be a substan-
tial and powerful appeal from something
stronger than ~sel6shness, which can over
come the inclination to desert in the first
hour of sternest conflict, and which can
fix reason and conscience upon an object
far higher, far brighter, far more import
ant to the individual than his in~clinations,
his passions, or the sordid suggestions of
self-interest. In other words, parties must
owe their existence to the power of a
principle. A party is soulless which has
no established policy, no settled doctrines,
to contend for. 1t is naught but a ma
chine of ~demagogues, an instrument of
scheming politicians. Its appeals to popu-
lar intelligence and popular favor, are fol-
lowed by judgments which consign it to
hopeless and an ver-decreasing minority.
| Shifting its ground from motives Of policy
in order that it may unite the whole OPP
position struggle, it shows a record Of
glazing inconsistencies, of absurd and
reckless articles, of senseless and soul
less schemes and lodges which disgust
every conscientious and intelligent citizen
Of the country. Without q certain, an
enduring purpose, without a fixed and
definite aim, it can serve as a receptacle
the m~alcontent elements Of a nations
politics, but can never aid a nations pro-
gress nor enhance the happiness of its
people. The reorganization" of the
democratic" party, the uniformity and
multitude of principles which make up its
platforms in the different ATTITUDES in the
nation, its plans and lodges, its managers
aud candidates, its universal defeat and
immediate Generalization, as we see them
announced each day through the press,
stamp it with the characteristic marks Of
"the Opposition which lives under
every government where freedom of opin-
ion and Of speech are allowed. and which
form the ever attending negative Of posi-
tive policies, sentiments and principles.
There never was an idea which pressed
upon the minds of men for recognition,
and to which the people said "Yes," but
that there might be found a knot of men
hardened by prejudices, or biased by their
passions and interests, with which it con-
fic,ed, who urged and uttered the "Op-
position" mo" This great negative
element is now being gathered and organ
lied, under the specious and plausible
title of Democracy" for a struggle with
the grand social and political ideas, which
are now guiding the nation to honor and
to prosperous peace. But in ques-
tons which interest the people, no
weak spirit of opposition and willful
obstinacy will influence their judgment.
This faction, which is only a conglomera-
ton of every shade of conservatism, which
hoists its false lights and beacons to lure
the unwary into error by its grand and
attractive title" and pretended devo-
ton to "civil liberty" is estimated at its
true value by the sterling sense of the
masses. In whatever shape this political
Proteas manifests himself, whether anti
amendment in New Jersey and Kentucky,
anti Republican in New York, anti Negro
Suffrage in Iowa, Vermont and Mime
sofa, anti Coercion, with State Rights
and Slavery, in Ohio, or anti adicalism
and anti-law and order in greatly afflict-
ed Missouri, no centralizing, organizing
principle can be distinguished as stamp
ing this recognizing Democracy "
with that unity which ever distinguishes
a party with principles-a party which
enters into the lists for the favor and sup
port of thinking man, or which can ever
dream of victory in this age and genera
ton.
They who figure up the plans, who ma
nipulate the wires, who furnish the STRAIT
egg of the Opposition in American
politics, must be made aware, after q few
more hopeless defeats, that the power of
reason is at work among the voters Of the
country, that the sophistries of mal-con-
tents are too fimsy and their designs too
personal and spiteful to affect or impeach
the progressive principles which inspire
the party in power, and give character to
the present policy of the nation.
For many years Radicalism has looked
forward to the time when those principles,
which are now triumphantly applied IN
the regeneration of our w Republic,
should be received as the law of free gov
ernments. Those ideas, which are to-day
the accepted faith Of the nation, have been
the tenets of the progressive party for long
years past, though combatted by the favor
and patronage of power, by the plea of
policy and the appeals of prejudice. Now
it enjoys the spectacle of its longtime ad-
versary assasling it with every available
weapon which political engineering can
invent, without avail. Once the assailant,
it is now the assailed, and It goes about its
labors of regeneration though its enemies
continue the conflict, which grows feebler
- they see themselves rcpulsed at every
point and note the harmlessness of each
attack. ....4 ..- T.