Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-08-31
Fossil Politicians.

One would have supposed that if any
thing could eXpel the Bourbon element
from the Democratic party give it some
new ideas and awaken il into some new
ness of life, it would have been the ire
mendous crisis from which the country
is Just emerging. But as we look round
and see the old party in various loca-
lions trying to get on its feet again, as
we listen to its voice and mark its &C
ton, it seems to US to have been as I'M
conscious of the great upheaval of trna-
son and its glorious overthrow as old
Rip Van Wrinkle was of the Intervening
revolution which made his enthusiasm
for George III, decidedly out of place.
In Ohio, for instance, we find the Demo-
cratic State Convention opening under
the presidency of Clement L., Vallandig
ham, who coolly returns thanks for his
nomination two years ago, and proceeds
to bind the Convention to re-affirm-
ance of those doctrines which had caus-
ed him to be sent OUT of the country for
the country's good. Severa.' Democratic
organs had protested to congra toiate
themselves on getting rid Of AlexanocTr
Long and few other boilers but see
ing that they still hug Vallandigham to
their bosoms, it is very much as if,
while denoupcing jeff Davis private
secretary for treason they should low
ingly affiliate with Davis himself
The resolutions of both the Ohio ana
the Pennsylvania Democratic State Con-
ventions are also saturated with this
spirit of obsolete and exploded issues.
In one set, particular devotion is avoWed
to the resolutions of '98, on which the
rebels most frequently founded their
justification of secession. In the other,
we are substantially told that the recent
war was not made by the men who VIC
lated their constitutional Oaths, set their
States in array against the Union, seized
the national forts and shot down the
defenders of the Government, but that
on the contrary, it was made by the le'
galIy chosen officers of that Government
and that, too, before they were fairly in
stalled in power! We are also told tina
if. the counsels of the Democracy haC
been followed, the war would have beer
avoided. which is in disregard of thu
historic fact that the Governors of all thu
seeding States, all the contrlvers an(
managers OF the reasonable conspiracy
were Democrats of good and regula
standing in the party, and that the.
= were allowed to inauguIate their move
r ment under Democratic President
whose democratic Interpretation of tn
Constitution did not permit MIN to re
: sist it. So much for deni2cratlc couf
: sells preventing the war; >"g2...
e But this blind hostility to truth an
"a mana ,,,,t,
q brought to bear upon the issues whic
: are absolutely new. TIE destruction
slavery 6y the power inherent in ii
o. Government for its own preservatic
IS wCeld seem to open to Democratic part
e professedly founded upon the mainteI
Is ance of equal rights, q new era whi(
1t would hail for the enlarged apple
: ton of its principles, On the contrar
" the Democracy Of these great States '
pc have mentioned actually seem to be di
IL appointed and disturbed that four m
IN lions of slaves have risen into the raj
~, of freemen. Not ore word of recogI
y ton have they of this great fact, viii
90 is to shine henceforth as the one "a
IN of the nineteenth century. On the &C
en- trary, they declare in several resolutio
sir theirjbitter hostility to the freedmen a
sa their determination to keep them o.
side of the pale of citizenship, and
70 .asten permanently upon them all
Ke badges of degradation and misery
herited from the state of slavery.
short, if they cannot continue to ha
al. slavery itself-and we might almost
- fer from their language that they ha
W not quite given up that hope yeti
Ign they will retain all the results Of slave
ern that they can. .r