The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-09-29
The Democratic Party.
From the Times.

From the Times.
The Times of yesterday chants requiem over
the Democratic party, most plaintive III tone, but
most sadly out of time. In the so of its retreat
from the truly national and patriotic position
W ich 1t took up after the Phlade phla COnVen-
ton, that journal repeats most of the meanin less
abuse OF Democrats which il indulged in during
the war There Is the same careless contOunding of
government with administration, the same foolish
charge of sympathy with the Rebellion, the same
groundess accusation OF partialty towards slavery.
Can the Times be in earnest In dec caring the Demo
cratic party TO be, to have ever been, void OF
the spirit OF progress, of reform and of political
hberty2' Ants traditions before the war breathe
that spirit. All Its during the inspired
by the passion fer legitimate pro Iress tor regulated
TeioI m, for true and constitutional freedom. In s
law-abldlng position and its resOlute action nOw is
TO be found the only hope OF real Union and ma
tonal safety What does it avail to taunt that great
party with the mistakes OF those more eXtraVagant
ana erring spirits whom, as an organization, 1T
never followed nor avOwedH Will the danger which
The Times deplores, from the fanatical passions OF
extreme and reck ess men among the Repub leans,
be conjured away by all that stale railing against
their opponents, which was exposed and derided
even during the heat OF the Rebellion? Ii the Times
cannot lind reasons or courage 10 meet the argu-
ments OF the radicals lG takes refuge in sale but
tri.lai pastime by raising old gh osts OF Democratic
mischief, Tor the sake OF seoIding them with spells
as OId and as empJy."-WOrLd
The "old ghosts of Democratic mischief will
not down" for anybody's scolding. They will
haunt the Democratic party and push it's leaders
from their stools for many long day to come.
The evil that political parties do lives after
them; and the course pursued by the Democratic
party, as a political organization, during the
Rebellion, will no more be forgotten than was
the Hartford Convention forgotten after the war
OF 1872. 1t is idle to claim that the party did
not oppose the Government but oRly the Admin
istraton-that it was not aiding the Rebellion
but only regulating" the war Waged against it
The people, in such emergencies, draw no nice
dstlnctlons. They see the existence of the
nation at stake and the Government fighting to
preserve it-those who hep the Government are
Its triends-those who do not are its toes
That is their record and they must abide by It
The record OF the Democratic party during the
war is disloyal and unpatrotc. We speak not
OF individuals but the party in its organized
action. Its conventions, State and National
the action of its epIesentatlves-the speeches
of its otfice-holders and candidates 1.-THE language
of its orators and its presses were all calculated
and intended to embarrass and cripple the Gov
ernment-not to aid, support and strengthen
it-in its life and death struggle. The Demo-
cratic party opposed the draft. 1t denounced
the arrest and Imprisonment OF spies and symOa-
thiZers with treason in the North, 1t made
itself everywhere the champion and defender
of those who, in the loyal States, sought to
| give aid and comfort to the Rebels in the
| South. Vallandigham, in Ohio, was arrested,
! tried and punished for dissuading soldiers from
| enllsting, Tor encouraging desertions, and tor
| other hagrant violations OF the law, perpetrated
| in aid of the Rebellion; and the Democratic
| party of that State not only denounced his
| punishment as an act of tyranny, bqk made
| him the Democratic candidate for GoVtfnor-
| thus distinctly espousng and indorsing his
| acts as their own, Governor Seymour, In this
| State, wrote a letter declaring, in substance,
that ii was more important to pat down the
| Government for its treatment of Vallandigham,
| than to put down the Rebellion; and the Demo
cratic party made him their Governor. So it