The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-20

Wnicn AnOIeW johnson might offer with per
lecI consistency, and with a certainty of secu-
ring friendly consideration in both sections.
10 these features might be added qualified
amnesty, limiting the disabilities imposed by
tbe tbe .mIr1 eectlon OF the present amendment to
Ine small class of southern politicians who
were the actual, official, and recognized pro-
moters of the Rebellion. r.a
Such plan presented by the Pres ident in his
coming Message would do much towards soften
| ing prevailing asperities, and tavorably inhu.
encing the temper and action of Congress. It
would be wise and not ungraceful recognition
OF the determination avowed by the people of
the North, and an uhtndtorm which he might
will, propriety urge upon the people of the
South. '
The Rise, Decline, and Fall of tho Ds,,,o-
| cratic Party-WhRt Comes Next1
| From Me Herald
| The handwriting on the wall has been inter
preted In the recent elections and il reads lilo
the terrible edlct against Belshazzar. that the
Democratic party has been weighed in tho
balances and found wanting, and that its kino.
dom is turned over to the Medes and Persians.
IL is the conclusion of one of the great CHAPTERS
OF our political history, covering all the vicissi-
tudes OF parties, platforms, and politicians, all
our political agitations of sects, nationalities
sectlons and factions, and all our measures of
progress and development, and our domestic
uiscords, civil and foreign wars, since the first
dent of the United States.
. Ihe election OF 1824-the old pre-existine mar
ues naVng become ''all Republicans and all
ESuerailsIsD-Was scrub race between Jackson,
Adams, Crawford, and Clay, resulting in the
cholce OF Adams by the House of Representa-
tlVes. trom that day, on the charge of bar-
gam and sale against the supporters of Adams
and Clay, and upon the glory of the battle Of
New Orleans, and the cry of "retrenchment and
IeIornl oegan that crys .allization OF the Drift
my IVY poilqcai elements OF the country around
General jackson which resulted in his first elee.
ton. The Hero of New Orleans y too uos
actively Identified with the old Republican war
party OF 1872, while John Quincy Adams, as the
son OF the original leader of the Federalists
Jonh ADAMS, was identified as the embodiment
OF Cne alien and sedition laws and the Hartford
peace conventonists in the war of 1872; and
tnus, to the election of Martin Van Buren. these
ola divisions operated in marking the lines of
the new parties.
The Jacksonian party, however was without
a h&ed policy until the second election of "Old !
HICKORY" IN 1882, as the champion OF the war
against the old United States Bank and against
It's power in political corruption as great |
financial monopoly. With the overthrow or the |
oank Jac kson undertook new financial system
with the pet banks" OF the several States, In
uiiyIl,d1lpg iI,1Ig the Treasury gold-,some thirty odd
mllllons-among them as his deposltoues The
paper money imitation of 1856 iollo wed, and
then came the tremendous financial COLLAPSE
nnoer van Buren,, of 1887, which swept the
democracy out of power in 1910, with the
reslstless sweep of popular tornado. This
political revolution, however, did not reyolu.
tlonize Van Buren's Sub.Treasury system: but il
sng serought she Democracy to change OF base
from the financial to the slavery question. under
the Southern Calhoun wing OF the party. its
powerful enemy, Jackson, being now out Of the
way IN his quiet retirement at the Hermitage
In January, 1874, there was, as we were after
wards informed, tacit understanding between
Mr.. Clay and Mr.Van Buren,, that, as they were to
De plted against each other in that years cleo
Ilon, they would both tak ground against the
Of
keep that dangerous slavery issue out of the
canvass. AT all events, when in February, as
we remem moer 1t, they were sounded upon the
subject there was a remarka ble coincidence of
opinion in opposition to the Texas scheme be-
.ween Clay and Van Buren. But the Southern
Democratic leaders broke up this arrangement
u their Baltimore Convention, few months
ater in enforcing for the first time their famous
,wo-thlrds rule, in order to overcome Van
Buren's pledged majority. Thus Van Buren and
nis policy OF ignoring or postponing tue Texas
southern Democratic leaders, and Polk was
nominated, pledged to the annexation, with all
It's hazards OF war with Mexico.
., From this bold and startling movement tor
The addition of an empire at the expense of a
foreign War to the Southern pro-slavery balance
Of power in Congress, began the real decline and
TALL OF the Democratic party Polk was elected,
The Mexican war followed the Texas anneXa-
ton, the treaty Of peace brought into the Union
q new empire, upon the division of which on
Inc slavery question Van Buren had his revenge
III uClSdLuS Tue DemOCrdUlC party IN lS4S OY his |
lndependent Free Soil movement. That was
the first staggering blow TO the party from the
antl-slavery elements of the North 1t rallied
however, in 1862, and almost swept the field on
Clays great com promise measures of 1850, and |
u J mlgh mt have held the Government to this day !
had the party thus remained. But its Southern }
leaders. Mason, JET. Davis, Slidell and company, \
bent upon Southern Confederacy, cajoled poor |
Douglas and coerced poor Pierce into the repeal I
OF the old Missouri Compromise, and the Kan
sas border war on slavery, old John Brown |
poor old Buchanan, the Democratic Convention
rupture OF the party, Abraham Lincoln Che |
the Chicago Convention the suppress
sion OF the Rebellion, the conflict bet Ween Pre-
sident Johnson and Congress, and the late ter
rife elections, tell the rest OF the story
Thus, in its desperate struggles to retain the
Government or to destroy the Government by
the strong arm of Southern slavery, the great
Democratic party was first crippled, then |
divided, and is now destroyed. It's first dis
astrous step was the ousting of Van Buren
on the Texas question, and its last was in still |
adhering to its traitors of the South against
the overwhelming popular voice OF the VIC
torious North. And now what comes next? |
The reconstruction of the scattered materials |
OF the party on some new issues, or an out-and- |
out new organization, name and all. The leaders |
and organs of the Northern rump are begin
ming to agitate scheme TO outradical the |
radicals: but already their dissensions upon
the propositions indicate that general dissolu-
ton which followed the collapse OF the old
Whig party of 1852. The Democratic elements
are adrift, and IL Will take some time and CON
siderable agitation and beating about hlther
and thither 10 put them into new form as a