The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1865-10-20
HAVE THEY CuANuPDt

ponents were constantly changing
their principles, and their boast that
Democracy was Interchangeable. Du.
ring the late canvass, however, they
have becn less loud than usual on
this point.
A year ngo It wos promulgated as
IN article of Democratic faith, nv the
National Convention at Chico 20, that
the project OF whipping the South
was failure, and that the only way
to restore the Union was to put stop
toEhostIliG cs, md invite the seeded
States to meet US and talk it over
This was, to be sure, n rather faint
reelection of the lighta sent forth by
the State and County Conventions,
many of which in this State resolved
that the war was "unholy," "fratri.
cidal;" that States bad a right to se
cede, and could not be "invaded. :"
etc. Still less did it reflect the SEN
timents of their popular speakers in
this State, whS declared that Mr.
Lincoln was as much traitor as JEFF
Davis; that they would rather live
under the latter than the former; that
the United States soldiers were hired
murderers, and thousand things Of
similar import Associations were
formed for the purpose of extending
aid and sympathy to their abused
Southern brethren, and societies or.
ganized and armed to resist the
draft.
In some Democratic counties U. s.
officials were murdered, and the sx.
ecution Of the laws of the general
government was effected only by the
presence Of United States soldiers.
All this would he sufficient to show,
had it not been expressly declared
by their Conventions, that the Dem.
ocratic party held the war to be in.
i1uitous, totally and radically wrong
for the purpose for which it was
waged. No one recognized this fact
sooner than the secessionists. Nurs.
ing their infamous plot under the
protection OF a Democratic admins. |
tration, they naturally looked after
separation for the fulfillment OF the
promises made by Northern Dem.
ocrats of cooperation by war at the
North. During the entire war, what
ever Of comfort the South expected
from the North, was from the Dem.
ocrats. Secession recognized its
friend in the Democratic party, and
loyal Democrats saw the same rela.
tionship, and left the party.
Now, if the great Democratic party !
has maintained its Interchangeable ma.
ture, it still holds that all done by
the army to restore the Union was
utterly wrong, and aSone Of its Con.
yentions sail, obstructive to the
hest interests OF mankind" 1t still |
holds, as in 1861, that the proper
way to restore the Union is to sur
fender whatever advantages we have
* lined over rebellion, restore uncon.
.itionally to seeded States all their
former rights and powers, and invite
them to q Convention, upon a per-
feet equality with loyal States. 1t
follows, then, that all their talk at
present Of gratitude to soldiers is
nsincere and intended to gain pow.
nr, and their pretended anxiety
about the national debt only a stop
thief cry to divert attention from
their designs, for they were anxious
TO throw away forever in 1864 all
that had been accomplished at so
much expense.
We believe that their old boast ,
might with truth be repeated now,
and that their belief has not changed
within the past year or two, We
think they are now as willing as in
1864 to surrender to the seeded
States, restore to them without ques-
ton OF stipulation their former priv. h
Ileges, and then trust to their good !
nature for the result OF convention
and reunion. There is abunl't reason :
for protesting different principles
now, for not soldier or other loyal {
man would countenance those of '64,
But we are at loss to discover any
reason for an absolute change of
principle by the party. Men do not
owe their enemies because their enc.
mics beat them, and surely the DEM
ocratic party was smitten hip and
thigh, every one Of its predictions
proved false AMI cowardly, every at.