American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-01-04
The Future of the Democratic
Party.

The Future of the Democratic
Party.
At length the Democratic party
feels the might of right, and its cho-
sen organs are preapring the public
mind for any positive change which
may reveal itself within the next few
weeks. The New York Wrold is the
harbinger of the new light. Fearing
the hopeless fallof the Democratic par
ty it counscls its readers that "before
another Presidential election the Alb
olition question will probably be in
such a state that past ideas will not
apply" it is of the utmost impoI tance
that 1.-THE party should not "bind
itself to a dead corpse" or commit
itself to the fortunes of "A moribund in
slitution. This advice is preferred
because the World has discovered
that there is no conceivable po-
sition on the Slavery question on
which the Democratic party can plant
itself and become a majority"
The World in considering the sub
ject of Finance as that upon which
future issues may be based, says;
Our reason why the thoughts of
the party should be turned into this
channel, is that it involves questions
which cannot grow obsolete with the
lapse Of time, while some of the is
sues in the late election may. Be-
fore another Presidential election the
Abolition question, for example, will
probably be in such a state that past
ideas will not apply AS the prob
lem advances toward its prcdetermin-
ed solution, we shall see public opin-
ion more and more disposed to acqui-
esce III the manifest tendency of
events.
The way of salvation is pointed
out in the following significant Ian
guage:
Unless the Democratic party is
blind enough to run the hazard of
disintegration, it must distinguish
between questions virtually settled
and question that still remain open.
1t must so far keep pace with events
as to accept their logic. Public opin-
ion has no efficiency without political
combination but for masses large
enough to form majority to act in
concert, thought must be left free on
all questions save those which rank
as living, vital questions. The num-
Der who oppose the Abolition of Sla-
very (now minority is not likely to
grow larger, but to grsw less, with
the progress Of time. Every Demo
crat can, of course hold whatever
opinion he chooses on that subject.
Such opinions are no longer of the
slightest political consequence. In
dividual Democrats will, think what
they please but the subject must b"
dismissed from the range Of tonics on
which the party is expected to have
distinctive views.
The downfall of the Union party
is thus foreshadowed:
On questions connected with the fl
nancial policy of the Government the
Democratic party has better chance to
gain the public ear, and greater capacity
for rendering valuable service. a vast
debt and great war are objects Of deep
solitude with all thinking men, To pay
the interest on the one and to support
the other will put upon the resources of
the country an increasing strain, which
must give new turn to our politics as
the pressure is more and more felt. The
country already begins to stagger under
the burden. The Republican party is
mentally unfit to cope with this problem.
Hence the hope of the future existence
ofthe Democratic party rests in the con-
sideration of tariffs, internal taxes, pro-
lection, currency, national banking sys-
TENS, &c. The practical solution of all
this is that the Democratic party is, con-
fesscdly, dead that there. is but one par
ty now in existence-that Of the Union,
and that is the desire of certain politi-
clans to divide the people in their seuti-
ments of devotion to the interests of the
Country for the sake of founding party
on issues opposed to the present ADMIN
istration, and the unity of.the people,
Pits Com.