The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-11-17

SOAAe-@> MoDeAeaG IGne democratic
Party the Most Complete 1t has
knoWn.--Its Situation Somewhat
Analogous to that OF the old Federal
Party after the War OF IsI2--.VVhnt
the Leaders Did Then and what the
Leaders Should no NOW..-A Great
Mlstake and a Lost OpPOrtunity.
From The NelO York Post.
The result of the recent elections be-
gins to show the leaders of the northern
democratic party the truth OF what the
-kUeni3g Post more than once told them
during the war, of the inevitable fate
of 'peace parties" Congress is now
settled for three years to come-that is
to say until the 4th ofSNIarcB. 1862
Until then the national iegisiat1re is
Republican In both branches by very
large majority; and 1t is certain not to
Itrepeal the "test oaths,H sO-called, un-
less they should be superseded by the
adoption of the Amendment.
The defeat of the democratic party is
had the federal patronage 10, help it; it
had allzthe advantages resulting from
divisions among its opponents, and
from theiYacill lating policy of Congress;
but in spite of all this, it has been de-
feated in every northern state, and by
such matoritesi as 4 put not only Con-
gress but every northerh state govern
ment IN the hands of the Republicans.
The case of the Democratic party now
is, to all practical purposes, the same
In which the old federal party found
itself after the second war with Great
Britain" That party, including in its
ranks large proportion of the -educa-
ted and wealthy Sclasses. took thefun-
popular side against the war OF 1917,
and found, on the return of peace, that
the blunder was irreparableg No
amount of talent, experience, public
service, or tried patriotism, could avail
any man as a,candidate of the federal
party. at the election of 1916 they
could lonly give their candidate, Ru-
fus King, only the votes OF Massachu-
sets, Connecticut and Delaware. The
figures are remarkable OF two .hun=
dred and seventeen;v votes cast the Fed7
eralists had but thirty-tour. OF one
hundred and seVenty-one members
chosen to the Fortieth Congress, the
present democratic party claim but
thirty-three. fIIsILf
If the leaders have only as much
sense as the old federalists, they will
abandon their organization, and merge
themselves with the mass ofthe people,
to come forward ugain under other or
ganizations, formed on other issues, as
their merits or their efforts may win
anew the public respect and Confidence.
Such was the result in the case OF the
old federalists. In the new division of
parties which followed the election of
John Quincy Adams to the Presidency,
efind the names of the federal leaders
arranged in opposite ranks, and COM
ing forward as candidates or occupants
of prominent places, with but slight re-
membraDce of the positions they had
occupied during the war. Harrison
Gray Otis was elected to Congress in
1877. David Daggett was chosen a
judge of the Supreme Court of Connec-
ticut in 1926. Daniel Webster was
elected to Congress in 1922; and to the
Senate in 1927. James Buchanan was
elected to Congress in 1921, Senator in
1884, and President In 1856. Not to
Democratic men OF talents and charac-,
ter might rise again by their merits,
just as old federalists did after their
party organization was abandoned and
forgotten.
AS an organization, the Democratic
party had an, opportunity directly alter
the war to obtain forgiveness for its
past offenSes and regain the confidence
of the people. To do this it should
have made itself the party of constitu-
tional progress; the party of equal
rights and equal suffrage for all men;
the party of law and order everywhere,
and of the largest and most compre-
hensive liberty. The way was open to
1t, IL itsr leaders had possessed states
manship enough to take it. The Re-
publican leaders were timid, hesitating,
divided in counsel and distracted by
the selfish schemes of a few energetic
men among them. Their mistakes left
open to the Democratic leaders the OPP
portunity to seize upon a true and bold
policy of the utmost freedom and secu-
rity to all. They should have demand
ed the strict and rigorous punishment,
according to the laws of the land, of the
leading traitors, the hanging of GER
tain hnF and fhn TnH2pf TNf Nf all
the other leaders, SO as to drive them
from the country; the establishment of
equal civil rights for all. in every part
OF the country; and the comforting of
equal suffrage, as its party platform, in
every State. They should have shown
themselves the most Jealous and vigi-
liant friends of the oppressed race in the
South; they should have imperiously
demanded peace and the sErictest OBJ
serVauce OF law and order, and respect
for liberty and for the rights of all,
from the Southern leaders. In short,
shown itself the real, bold, and yigor-
Gus party of progress In the country.
1t was only by such an aggressive
and decided policy rs this that they
would hope 10 regain the confidence of
the people, which they had lost during
the war, and by their b1undeEsI before
the war. If they had been wise, they
Would have looked for their allies
among the victors, and not among the
vanquished; they would have seen
that a new era had begun in our poll
tics, that the old stratagems and alli-
.ances would no longer succeed; and
that a people who had conquered peace,
would resent disturbance of the peace
by renewal, of the intrigues between
the Northern Democratic leaders and
the Southern rebel leaders. On the
other hand, they ought to have fore
seen that for them to become the stand-
ard bearers of the largest and most
equal liberty would itself have con-
WINGED the Southern leaders that liberty
was the order of the day; that to strug-
| gle longer against the tide was useless,
and that their interest and duty lay in
one direction-the speediest and most
thorough, acceptance of the situation.
Thus, had the Democratic leaders
been wise enough, they. had it in their
power to confer real service upon the
country, by sitting forever the hopes of
the Southern leaders; and at the same
time to reinstate themselves in power
as the leaders of the nation. But they
are only a sorry set of blunderheads,
who, as soon as the war was over re-
turned to their stale old tricks, and
knew no better than TO excite the am
'bitions passions and hopes of the South
.ern men, and the fears of the Northern
peodle. by scheme for the renewal Of
the old alliance which had so long
lmisr1led the country and at last
brought upon it civil war. They had
NOT even the poor wit to wait and see
show the cat would jump" They
jumped themselves, in great haste, and