The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1866-04-27
The President and the Democratic Part,

There seems to be some little inisap-
prenenSion in the minds of Republicans
as to the support and praise Of the Pres.
ident by the Democratic party. We
can ease their minds at ouce. Mr. John
son is not our President, and we praise
aud support him juat exactly as we should
have praised and supported Mr.. Lincoln
had he lived to find himself in antago-
nism with party Of which the utterances
in 1866 are in direct conflict with the Ut.
terances Of 1861. We understand the
President and he understands US. So
far as he differs from the Sumner-Stevens
school, we agree with him. In his fight
with Disunionists, we back him, and we
back him without either fec orAreward,
or the hope of either fee or reward ex-
cept the consciousness Of duty. We do
not ask Of him anything except not TO
desert himself We do not ask for offices;
we do not want them we simply ask
him not TO allow the offices to be used
to beat himself. If he takes our advice
it is so much better for him aud for the
general welfare if he does not, wo are
DO worse off. So far as the interest of
the Democratic party is concerned go
. far as the burning of his principles into
the convictions Of men thereby, it might
be better that the Sumner. Stevens faction
should beat aud disgrace, and degrade
from his Office Andrew johnson, than
that he should beat it. The President in
being afraid to identify himself in any
way with the Democratic party (perhaps
from motives Of deIicacy, which We appre-
ciate), can lose something; but that party
which needs no particular man can easily
do without him. Clay left it, aud though
few more able men have lived since
Washington, the Democratic party man
aged to exist without him, aud to beat
him as often as be wooed the combat
We do not envy Mr.. johnson his present
pretended friends of Seward & Co., whom
he so often and 50 hittorly denounced as
enemies of the Union, subverters of the
Constitution, aud provokorS Of civil war.
We do not ask him not to affiliate with
them but he knows that, though he ask
it, we will not affiliate with them their
hands are too red with blood and their
pockets too ple'horic with public plun-
der.
As matter of course, the Democratic
party, whose life is a sacred regard to
that compact "betwcen the States that
ratified it'-tbe onstitution---canuot
attain power while that Constitution is
utterly dsregarded, and while com uu-
nifty is debauched by paper money, which
it was one of the great objects of that
Constitution to guard against. 1t would
be as idle to expect it, as to expect of q
man who is in the flush and happiness of
wine to admit that debauch is not
very profitable as well as very pleasant
thing. Only after the dreadful next
morning will he agree that the pleasure
is dearly purchased and that he has paid
too dear for his whistle.
The Democratic party is the party of
reason, not of passion of the concrete,
not of the abstract of liberties, not of
liberty. 1t aims to let men as severely
alone as possible to allow every man to
work out his own elevation. It does not
pretend to any superior science which will
make gold out of leaves it knows of no
arithmetic which will make five out Of
two and two ; it does not pretend to any