Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-08-08
The Principles and Mission Of the Democrat
in Party

tempting to controyert the assertion, made ny
some Republican papers, tina, the Democratic
party is dead, labors through an article written
with a versatile and lively pen, to prove, what
ever may be the present condition Of the Demo-
cratic party, and however detunct that political
organization may be, Democratic principles
" still live" Proceeding to give is reasons Tor
its faith, it takes to itself-though evidently
with many misgivings-comlort IN the knowl-
edge that President johnson WAS formerly a
Democrat, or, as the World expresses it, that
" he has always been not merely a Democrat,
but, 80 to speak, an gu t-and-outer " and 1t
speaks Of " the former vehemence Of his party
zeal, and his intrepid opposition to every anti
Democratic doctrine or tendency Ii also IN
forms US that " Mr., johnson tells the country,
in his present elevation, that he proposes to
stand by all this, and the reputation he so long
ago required for honest Robustness of mind
makes it easy to credit his sincerity. 1t I'M
mediately, however, hedges, y to use a sport
ing phrase, by intimating that d" it is possible
that Mr.. johnson may not keep his pledges ~
that I" he may be seduced to 20 after strange
gods - but, it asserts, that d" whatever be
may do, the principles are certain to triumph
" BY fidelity to Democratic principles, v the
World palronizingly assures him he has a
chance to make himself the most successful
statesman of the age but his recreancy, (f he
should prove recreant,) cannot prevent their
success
This discourse respecting the prospective life
Of Democratic principles, in connection with
President johnson, is evidently prepared with
sublime indifference to the utterance Of the
same paper with regard to this same MIR. John
son, from the moment Of his nomination to the
instant be succeeded to the Office Of chief mag
lstrate. MIR. johnson as a candidate for Vice
President, and Mr.. Johnson as Vice President,
was the representative of every anti Democratic
prlnciple-if Democratic papers could then be
believed possessing not a single trait of char
acter emitting him to respect, not a single ele'
ment OF greatness to win admiration, not a SIN.
gle attribute of dignity to inspire esteem, not q
single political principle to draw democratic
support but he was then, 10 the expressions Of
these Mcclellan papers, an i%lllterate boor, an
unpublished pot-house politician, a recreant
apOstate, and a Numbering sot Yet no soon
er was this man, who had been bespattereC
with more Democratic mud, and that of The
West and most offensively odorus character.
than any man of the United States, made Presi
dent, than the duloet strains OF praise were
pipod by the whole Democratic choir for hf
especial delectati on, and bis ears were filled
with the songs Of these sirens, lnsidiously en-
tlcing him to forget his country and throw him
self into the ARM of the Democratic songsters
But as the President has not yet been drawn
from his course by these Establishments, the
Democrats are making preparations to get
along il possible without him, and now mingle
their praise and censure in about equal quanti-
ties and accordingly the World cautiously In
Inmates that, while it would be a big thing for
the Democratic party if Mr.. johnson would
put his conscience and bis principles into their
keeping, the party will yet try to get along and
keep the principle in existence without this
patronage from high quarters. 1t, however,
lets 60 it's hope OF " Tylerizing' President
johnson with evident reluctance, and undoubt-
Al I'll. 49,. :. huu r.aU.tnd tn a Uraat daal
Of hyprocltical palaver anu magnificent lying
to very little purpose.
Bot whether President johnson is seduced
to 90 after strange gods" or not, the World ex
presses the opinion that the inherent vitality o
Democratic principles will keep them alive
that if the sun of executive favor and patron
age is withdrawn from them they will yet -four
ish in the shade AID obscurity into which tn
fortunes OF the war have cast them and it con
fdently puts this interrogatory to the public
" Is there any cardinal doctrine Of the Demo
cratic party which has been demonstrated to b,
an error,' and, thinking it might not got
favorable response to its inquiry, it immediatel.
answers, " Not one" Now the correctness o
this answer depends very much upon the scop
OF the question. We know several Fundamental
principles Of the Democratic party which hay
not only been demonstrated to DO errors, bu
which the people have repudiated with sucI
emphasis that they may DO considered as parlcu
lsrly dead. The whole struggle Of the past fou
years has been a fight in which the government
and a majority of tho people of the North hay
been arrayed ON one side, and " Democrats
principles" and Southern ~bayonets have beef
arrayed on the other side. From the time 0
Calhoun, the South-those Of the South VIII
at last rebelled-have written tho platforms an
dictated the principles of the Democratic party
and down to the very moment OF the FIRE upol
Sumter the " Democratic party" Of the countr
did what it could to make the principles oil tn
sluth-the principles upon which treason ha,
been fed for thirty years-the PRINCIPLES of tn
country. There was not q Southern Statesman
who went into treason, from jeff Davis TO Extr
Billy Smith, who was not u believer IN 4" Demo
cratic principles and who did not assert tn
the safety Of the republic could only be secure
by an adh renee to those principles. Tame
promulgated these " principles from the bench
Buchanan from the Executive chair, and Dayi
and Breckenridge from the hustings and tn
4" principles at last bore their legitimate irui
in the great rebellion. And yet the World ha
the lmpudepce to assert, that not one Of tn
" cardinal doctrines OF the Democratic part
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