Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1865-09-14
Political Prospects.
From Harpcr's Week.,

How shall we vote in the autumn elcctions7-
Every honest man will ask himself this question,
and he will answer bv determining 10 which party,
in so important national crisis this, political
power ought TO be inIrusted. For although no is
sue is IA ret distinctly made, very grave issue
soon will be- that of reorg 'nzltion-and he
lock to the antcccden's and composition of parties
TO infer what their probable action will be.
The Union party comprises tho great body of en-
hghtencd American citizens who have Away
faithfully strven for greater Justice for universal
liberty regulated BY law. and for freedom OF speech
and the press every where in the country. They
have unfilterngy asserted the ri iehIs of the whole
people against privilege and aristocracy in every
form, and have clsmcd fair play for all men, rich
or poor foreign or native, whatever their complex
ion and condition. and 10 that end have been con-
stantly jealous for 1opoular education and every
method of cnligttmcnt. They hold that the Con-
stitut0n Is not n compact between sovereign gov
ernments, but is fundamental national law es-
tabs he'd by the people of the United States; and
that the Union is not n con iedcracy but nation.
They believe that this National Government is
supreme, that the States properly subordinatcd
to IT, and that State rights purely local and
ondarv. Therefore they have been steadily faith
ful in the great and successful struggle. They
lave never tlmpered with rebellion They have
never justified treason excused traitors; and in
the death crapple with rebellion they have wisely
u-,d every pow Of tIrv Government, conscious
that all extraordinary powers were exercised by
Magistrates under the immediate supervision OF the
people. and whose acts merely recorded the popu
lar WILL rs the election of sci triumph rnily pro-
we'd.
This is the faith. and these arc the men who
compose the great Union party. Have they for
leiied the confidence OF the country.
On the other hand, the Democratic party is COM
posed OF those who have always excused the most
appalling crime against hnmIE nature, and the
most fatal treason to the American principle of
equal rights. under the pretense of State rights;
who persi>tently connived at the extension and
perpetuty OF that in jnstice which has soaked the
land in blood and ncces>ita;cd the dcbt. They
have been the assaanis of free speech ami a free
press, and have justified the murder aud m .ltrcl.
ment OF ctizcus who claimed to exercise those
rights in the Southern States. Their influence
has been adverse 10 general education and wise
progress and reform; and their predominance has
been and is always most marked among the most
debased part OF the population, and in the least
telccnt portions OF the country. Even their
Conv ventions vaguely as in Maine, distinctly and
openly as in Ohio, reafiirm the priuciplcs Of the
/ Virginia and Kent ucky resolutions of '9s, which
are and always have been pleaded by the rebels as
their Justification. rs they weie by South Carolina
for null hcation i'm 1893, and which will always af-
ford an ambush for treason until they are utterly
and expressly overthrow: or, rs in Pennsylvania,
their Conventions deliberately declare that the
practical recognition of the truths OF the Declarl-
ton of Independence is a high crime against the
Constitution OF the United States. They are those
from whose ranks came the chiefs Of the rebellion;
who denounced the pcorle of the loyal States as
really responsible for the war; who inccssanils
thwarted the Government in its efforts to subdue
it; who melted riots and directed mobs for whose
success at the polls the rebel ctiefs and editors
openly prayed in the midst OF the war; who so.
licited through foreign Minister foreign inter
ference in our contest; who a year ago, in theil
National Convention. declared the soldiers con
quered and the war failure. and who sneered al
! President Lincoln as helplessly weak. denoua-
ced him as murderer, tyrant, and harlequin.
These are they wro compose the Democratic
party. They now busy engaged in praislnc
the soldiers, whom last year they slandered, ant
in celebrating the re-establishment Of the Union
They are even engaged in the pleasing process o
eating the Chicago platform. But what has thi!
party, in whose Ohio Convention was Vallandig
ham chief orator, in whose Penns lvauia Conven
ton Judge Black was an applauded teacher. who
said, as Buchanan's Attorney General, that the
war would legaze secession and dissolve the
Union-what has this party done to be intrusteC
with p wer by the American people who condemn
ed it SO Overwhelmingly last Novemberl w,
speak of a party, not OF individuals. We do no
forget with what absolute sacrifice, with what boot
and money, many Democrats stood by the country
But neither do We forget that as party the Demo
Gratis voted against emancipation, and that in tn,
States which they controlled the amendment wa
defeated. We do not forget that if the Democrat
ic party had retained power in 1860 they woul,
have compromised the honor of country withou
permanently avoiding the war; and we remember
nor will the American people soon forget, that il
1864 they solemuly proposed acquiesccnce in ma
tional disgrace and ruin.
These are the two parties who now solicit oul
, votes. Let every man who loves Union unob
scured by "the resolutions Of 49," who loves hi
country and believes that equal rights for all me-
before the law are essential to her permanen
peace and prosperity. ask himself which of thes
parties ought TO have his vote.