The mountain Democrat., 1865-02-25
The Psrmansaey e the Democratic
Party.

taking observations for the future. Time
was when it required no remarkable skill
to indicate the direction which political
affairs were to take, or to predict, with
tolerable certainty, the results Of future
contests. That good old time, unfortu.
nately, is past, and VIC are accustomed to
look upon the present aspect Of affairs as
affording little. either of hope or of Ger.
'~;~'r, ~;4b -eOard taythe future OF eitheS
Of the political organizations. Politicians,
apparently, are in . state Of transition,
undecided and very uneasy and wavering.
Especially is this the case in the dominant
party. Two factions are striving for the
mastery, and the struggle promises to be
bitter and irreconcilable. The Long Hairs
claim the spoiIs for long services and sac
rihces- in the cause; the Short Hairs, as a
reward for their treachery to the Demo.
cratic party; they are unwilling to Share
them; and it is plain to see that the result
must be the disruption Of the Abolition
party.
A calm and deliberate and intelligent
survey Of the condition Of parties, con.
vinces US that the Democracy will soon
again be in the ascendant Party lines, it
is true, have of late been sadly broken
Some men have been carried away by ex,
element; others have been intimdated
by threats; and others again have been
seduced by the promise Of Office or fat
contracts. Mere politicians have joined
the dominant party to DO on the strong
side. For reasons seldom occurring and
not likely often to exist, many men have
been temporarily misled, and have Voted
contrary to their usual practice, if not
contrary to their settled principles. They
have separated themselves, for the time
being, from their former political asso.
ciates. But they have not formed new
political associations, nor have they any
desire to renounce their political creed
In the ranks of the opposition there are
many men who claim to be- Democrats,
who say they supported lincoln because
they believed that his reelection would
speedily end the rebellion. Whenever
the old party issues are again presented
whenever the line is again distinctly
drawn whenever excitement dies away
and men are again governed by reason,
these men will be found marshaled in the
order of battle, doing service, as o! old, in
the good old cause. Every man who
cheri,hes the principles Of the Democratic
party and is not actuated by selfshness,
will rally to the support Of these princ-
Piles in tho future.
One of the principal causes Of apPre,
hension, on the part Of tinid Democrats,
is the success which has attended the Alb
clifton organization. But it should be re.
membered that that success has been
achieved by violence and fraud, and that
1t may be dangerous to resort to such
means to keep party in power. If there
arc deducted from the Lincoln majority
those who are drawing pay from the pub
lie treasury-,the Office holders, the con-
tractors, and the train who get their liv-
ing from the crumbs that fall from the
higher officials, 50 as to bring the count
down TO the votes Of the unbou.ht and
independent people, it will be found that
very large majority are opposed to the
policy which has governed the Admins.
tration the greater part Of the last three
years. When it is remembered that those
who handle the treasury keys, now pay
out every year about one thousand mil
lions of dollars, and that the legions Of
office holders, contractors, jobbers and
their dependents, not only divide most
Of this thousand millions among them.
selves, but by combined movement in
the elections, throw their hired weight
in favor of the continued expenditure for
four years more, the wonder is, not so
much that the AboitionistS have sue.
ceeded, but that the apparent majority is
not greater than it is. That the Uemoc,
racy polled as large vote as they did, Jun
der the circumstances, is certainly en-
couraging, and proves that the honest,
free and unbought people are intlexibly
devoted to the principles of the Demo
cratic party. The Democratic party is
influenced solely by principle and the Ab
clifton party solely by the hope Of spoils.
We believo-the Abolition party tempo.
rary rather than n permanent one, and
that the organization lacks those elements
Of permanency calculated to give it last,
ing place among the political organiza.
tons Of the age.
1t does not require any great degree of
diScernment to see that the Democratic
party will re-assert its distinctive princi-
piles and doctrines, and strike bold, uni.
ted and decisive blow in behalf Of its as.
tendency and the Constitution and the
Union. 1t will plant itself immovably on
its old and popular and patriotic platform.
fearing nothing and looking hopefully to
the result. That 1t will triumph there
can be no manner of doubt. The people
look with confidence to it, for under its
rule our country was powerful, prosper
GUS and united. Those who predict re-
newed disaster and defeat to the Demo-