The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-11-19
Political Parties.
sHALL THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY DIE OR LIvE2
IErom the Chicdao Tiues Moremhex 1ol

SHALL THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY DIE OR LIVE?
tFron, the Chicago Times, November 12l
The present is crisis in the Democratic party
which hos no precedent in its history, as it is a
crisis in the progress of tho country which is also
without precedent. Never before has tho Demo-
cratic party encountered events SO seriously affect
ing its future vitality Not that it beholds
itself diminished in the magnitude Of its numbers
for it is numerically stronger than it has ever been
before,but that, having been beaten on great
wholly right and the opposition wholly wrong, and
still 80 believes it must nevertheless abandon that
issue-for the decision Of it is final-and ethor sit
boldly out upon line, selected with peculiar refer
ence, not to things as we would have them, but to
t@hngs thin as they aetnay are and in pursuing which
tive" party, and become, what it was in its palmy
days, progressive and On Aggressive party: These
are the alternatives. It will not sit down in help
less and decaying inactivity.
What, then, shall the new line be? In tho first
place, must we not cut loose from the Administra-
ton OF Andrew Johnson, and leave that hybrid
eoncefn to float on tho sea Of public contempt into
which it some time since entered, and from which no
power can rescue it2 1s not tho lato defeat at
than to all other causes combined2 What is there
in it's composition to command popular confidence?
Who, belonging to it is entitled, by reason of his
antecedents or Of his statesmanship to tho conf
dence or the respect Of tho Democratic party?
Certainly it is not Andrew johnson, nor William
Il: Seward, nor Edwin NJ. Stanton. True, this Ad-
hul l1buD pOlCy, uUu LQ0 DemO-
cratic party, in overlooking the chief men com
prising it, and thinking only Of the rightfuness Of
tho policy ds,Rlayca d. patriotism whose purity
and having failed, too, through the feeble4ess and
foy ana offences against public Propriety Of tho
which is death also to itself
What noxt2 Can the Democratic party succeed
until tho negro question shall bo COTTON out Of the
frago inevitable and is not tho quickest way to get
tho negro question out of the way to ut onco con-
code tho suffrage mailing issue only on tho degree
to which it shall bo conceded? We know that
many Democrats have not reached this advanced
view Of tho case, and that such still feel greatly in
to rGSs at tha t of
always -1ise to accept the inevitable when tho in
eyitable comes; Negro suffrage, wo soy, is inov..
table, and whether nor it shall bo qualified or universal
which tho Democratic party shall move with rof-
erence to it. The South will speedily yiold quail
cratic party; because, il for no other reason, sho
will soon see If sho docs not already see that If
she docs not yield it, she will ultimately be com
negro Suffrage SGeaH yeeaed by sho South
and by this VIC mean impartial suffrage or suf-
frago dependent upon the intelligence Of the man,
ohusstts 1the negro question viii have beon dis
posed or and tho occupation Of the Northern Re-
publican Radical Party will be gone forever. Not
one inoh Of ground viii 1t have to stand upon and
inc country can once moro turn 10 those material
questions OF public policy tho right disposition Of
@ winch ls 30 essential to the public prosperity It
party win triumph, and Il will bo by this triumph
that Constitutional Government and onr federal
syHtem will BIO preserved.
IL tho south be wise it will not wait on this suf-
cratic party. Rit be wise it viii lose no time in
putting in in, motion tho necessary machinery by
whch IL VIII as the same time itself from hui
the country Of tho most vexatious Question TINT G
ever ever dstraetea any country kill tho worst political
Union In the Wav Of speedy e e go9e and Put tho
ohinery consists Of course, in conventions to ro-
viso tho State constitutions. " fo-