The mountain Democrat., 1865-09-30

resting upon shifting sands. To bring
back gold and silver We must revive the
good old Democratic doctrine of q strict
construction Of the Constitution in ma.
king expenditures.
Nothing Is more certain than that the
free.trAds battle is to be fought over again
in this generation; and there Il good rea.
son to think that the Democratic doctrine
will again prevail. Some shallow people
say that our rational debt will shut out
the frre.Ira,le question. But the nation
al debt Of Great Britain in larger than
ours, and yet her great achievement in
domestic politics, in the generation follow.
ing the NapOleonic wars, was the adop.
ton Of free tiade. By this means she
has laid OyhSy Nations under tribute, and
made them aid in bearing her burdens
By the same means, We must compete
with her in the markets Of the world, and
get our share Of the booty. It is certain
that, among people so commercial as
Ours, this question can never die ou,
while the present Onerous restrictions
continue. So this Democratic issue has
also new life in its veins, and IL destined
to make = leading figure in the future
politics Of the country.
We will not now extend the list Of is.
sues TO which the same kind Of reasoning
will apply. But here are three cardinal
doctrines, viz: the statc.righ,s doctrine.
the hard money doctrine, and the free
trade doctrine, the three on which the
Democratic party has fought its main
battles and won its chief victories, resu
ming all the vitality they ever had at any
period in the history Of our politics. We
infer that these principles will prevail
here, from the fact that they are gaining
ground everywhere; which proves that
they accord with the tendencies Of intel.
ligent modern thought. The principle oI
local self government is acted on more
and more in the British empire. in France,
and it is even beginning 10 make some
hradway in Austris. Gold and silver are
the currency Of the world and free. trade
Is ad.ancing everywhere. except in this
country. II is inconceivablr that We shall
not In"ve in the general direction Of mod.
ern progress. The obstacles, to be sure,
are great, and therefore tho battle will he
I strenuous; hut certain it is, that Demo.
cratic principles are coming into the arc
ma with new vigor, aud. in the end, will
more than recover the ground they have
lost hv the var.
1t is Question Of very subordinate
Importance hy what organization. or IN
deI what leadership. these principles ar.
destined t" triumph. II the Democratic
party had never existed, the circumStan
crs of the times would create it. But a
it exists. with its organization, ITS tradi
tons, it's long line Of great names, ii
prond rrcollectnns of the great part il
has PLAYED in making our history, ant
the endorsement Of lis principles hy tn,
country, it still SEEMS to be- the only iii
representative Of those principles. Til,
di>senAiOnS which eliminated in the par
~ running two presidential candidates ir
1860. broke its unity and prostratcd it,
power; but the questions which led t.
that Schi>m have passed away, while thu
"ld principles on which the party was al
ways united and triumphant, have again
mc"me the raIlyinS points Of great po
! Iiiral movement.
Whether President Johnson will chooS,
! to lead this movement Is n matter Of som,
doubt but it is u matt,r,f no doubt n
all. that tho principles will triumph
either with hIm ar over him.