Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1866-11-20

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The Administration a Hybrid Con-
Germ Floating on the Sea of Public
Contempt-Negro Suffrage Inevitable
Example of Massachusetts, Com
mended.
From the Chicago Times, Nov. II
SHALL THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY DIE OR
Tho present is q crisis in the Dem
ocrat.c party which has no precedent
in its history, as it is crisis in the
progress of the country which is
also without precedent. Never be-
fore has the Democratic party en-
countered events so seriously affect
ing its future vitality as now. Not
that it beholds itself diminished In
the magnitude Of its numbers-for it
is numerically stronger than it ever
has been before-but that, having
been beaten on a great national issue
as to which it believed itself to be
wholly right and the opposition
wholly wrong, and still SO believes,
| it must nevertheless abandon that issue
for the decision of it is fnal-and
either sit down in helpless and de-
caying inactivity, or strike boldly
out upon new line, selected with
peculiar referenc, not to things as ice
acould hare them but to things as
they actually are, and in pursuing
which line it shall cease to be q hold
back or "conSeruatire" party, and be-
come, what it was in its palmy days,
aprogressive and an aggressive party.
These are the alternatives.
1t will not sit down in helpless
and decaying inactivity.
What, then, shall the new line be :?
In the first place, must we not cut
loose from the administration Of An
drew johnson, and leave that hqbrid
concern to float on the sea Of public
contempt into ,oAich 1t some time since
entered, and from achich no pooUer can
rescue 1t Is not the defeat attrib-
rtable moro largely to his administers
ton than to all other causes COM
bincd? What is there in.its' composi>
ton to command popular confidence
Who, belonging to it, is entitled, by
reason of his antecedents or of his
craftsmanship, to the confidence OF
respect Of the Democratic party
Certainly it is not Andrew Johnson
nor William III. Seward, nor Edwin
NJ. Stanton. True, this administra-
ton had q right policy. and the Dem
ocratlc party, in overlooking the
chief men comprising it, and taking
only of the rightfulness of tho policy
displayed patriotism whose purity
was never excelled ? but the policy
having failed, and having failed
too, through the feebleness and fol
ly and offences against public propri.
ETY. of the administration, why
should not the Democratic party
abandon the dead body, longer adj
hcrence to which is death also tc
itself?
What next? Can the Democratic
party succeed until the negro ques-
ton shall be gotten out of the way
1t cannot. What next? Is not ne
gro suffrage inevitatle, and is not tht
quickest ,oay to get the negro question
out ofthe cay to at once concede The
suffrage, making issue on the deqret
in wh ch it shall be conceded =? We
know that many democrats have not
reached this advanced view of the
case, and that such still feel greatly
inclined to revolt at the proposition
OF negro suffrage in any degree; but
let us tell them that 1t is oluayS pist
to accept the ineUitab'e ,0hen the ineu
table comes. Negro suffrage, ,oe say
is ineUitabie, and whether it shall be
qualified or universal depends upor
the promptness or otherwise will
which the democratic party shall
move with reference to it. III,
south wiU Speedily yield qualified negrc
suffrage upon the motion Of the demo
cratic party; because, # for no othel
reason, she OML soon see, If she doe,
not already see, that if she do not yielc
it she ,0W ultimately be compelled t
accept uniUersal negro suffrage.
Qualified negro suffrage yielded
by the southland by this we NEAR
impartial suffrage, or suffrage depend
cnt upon the intelligence of the man
irrespective of dior, as IS noao tn
rule IN Massachusetts,, the near
question ,oiU hare been disposed of, dnC
the occupation Of the northern repubtica,
radical party ,ciU be gone foreuer.-
Not one inch of ground will it have
to stand upon and the country car
once more turn to those materia
questions of public policy, the righr
disposition of which is so essentia
to the public prosperity. 1t will bC
upon these questions that the Dem
ocratic party will triumph, and i
will be by this triumph that consti
tutional government and our fedora
system will be preserved.
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