The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-05-19
MODERN DEMOCRACY.
It's History at the outset of the
War, During the War and
Since the War.
An Able, Truthful and Telling
Resume.
Read, Consider and Determine
upon the Following Evidence.

/
In order to keep before the people the
facts that enter so deeply into the is
sues of these eventful times, and to en-
able us all to discharge our duty intel
ligently at the ballot box on the oath
inst, we publish for the third time the
following extract from Hon. John
sherman's great speech to the people of
Connecucut: .5, -
1t is only through party or
ganizations that we can control public
opinion. In order to have any appre-
ciable influence, man in this country
must attach himself TO one of the great
political parties; and at each election
| our citizens are called upon to give
their adhesion to one or the other OF
these parties. In this country ut this
| time, we have two great political or
| ganizations, One calls itself the DEM
ocratic party, and as / am generally
\ willing to call child by the name that
\ its mother gives 1t, in speaking of that
party, I will call it democratic, though
\ it always goes against the grain to do
so. TLaughter.l / think there is in
| the minds of all of you a name for that
| party, of which 1t is much more de-
serving; and, indeed, as general rule,
a nickname discloses the character of
i lue pGESOnfIO sM11OlL4 ~ 40 ABHAAG0
| deal better than the name given in bap-
tism. ht %I
But let us call this organization the
1 democratic party. And now i want to
ask you what claims for allegiance1t It
\ has upon any free-born American citt-
4 zen? In answering this question will
| not 90 behind the history of the imme-
diate past, because when this war broke
| out all that preceded IL was forgotten.
Twill only remind you thai the Amer
lean people trusted the Democratic
Party as no party was ever trusted
anywhere before. 1t has been the
boast of that party that for sixty years
they administered ourgovernment; but
what was the result oftheir administra-
| ti6n2 Al shareholders rebellion, and u
gigantic war of nearly five years du-
ration. When, five years ago, an or
| ganiZation sprang up In the South
erni States, which determined to wage
war upon our Government and de-
stroy it, where was the Democratic
party found2 dislike to speak
Eof any citizen of Connecticut with
| disrespect; but let me ask you
| where then was Isaac Toucey, VINO
held at that time high position in the
| Government of the United States?
Five years ago, when every 1ntelll-
| gent man knew the war was immi-
| nent when the men of the South had
| gathered together arms and ammuni-
| tion and men, and had actually avowed
| their purpose to wage war against the
Government of the United States, What
! was the course of that citizen OF even
the good old State of Connecticut, that
| representative man of the Democratic
| party? He scattered our vessels, then
under his command, all over the world, (,
| so that when another and worthier cttl-
zen of your State came to administer
the affairs of the same. department, the
j ,rIa under hiS command was
one vessel, with. five. gpns-Sptked.
| lTLaughter.1 Mr.. zToucey was only a
representative of the last Democratic
Administration that ever will govern
this country. [Applause.l Think, too,
for a moment OF him who was the head
of that party at that time. An old
man, broken! with the cares and storms
of State-[laughter]- said that the
| South had no .rightto secede, but he
had no power to prevent secession.
| They were all wrong, he satdI but he
could not help it; secession was un-
constitutional, to be sure, but then 1t
Twas unconstitutional to put 1T down.
lTIauRhter.1 1t was in this maudltn
tcondition that the Democratic party
i'lay down in its grave and was buried
I.out of sight; when all, of it that was
| vital Joined the great Union party
which took for its standard the Flag gn o.
our Country, and bore it in triumph
Through our ever memorable war.
IECheers.1 i need not attempt to de-
/ scribe here the spirit that sprung to
life among US when the Flag was hred
upon at SUMTER, You all know that u
solemn and universal enthusiasm selz-
ed upon the minds of the American
people all true men of all parties felt
the blow that had been struck at the
Flag not merely as national but also
as a personal insult, and they swore in
the bottom oftheir hearts that that insult
should be wiped out If 1t cost the blood
| of every traitor in the land. But as
soon as this spirit had partially subsi-
ded and the burden Of the war had been
1 actually assumed, the leaders of the
Democratic party, seeing that they had
no hope in the Union organization, be-
gan to revive the name of the old DEM
ocratic party and organized under 1t
what is sometimes called the Copper
head party. They still claimed the old
4 name and as YOU see, through politenesS
tI am willing to give it to themi but, as
I said before, all thatIwas vital In the
Democratic party Joined in the general
movement for the preservation OF the
Goyernmen5 During is6z, ,d5 TINS s. party. pa y.
with the old name, pretended to pc tor
| war. and the party was organized upon
that basis. -. z.
But in the winter Of 1923 they be
1 gan TO show the cloven foot, and in 1858
Ihe Democratic Party of the United
lStatea was dS uiS4OydA Ah VI
i as the rebel army ever was at any time
licinrfng the war. To convince you OF
this; i need dsnot lover the history OF
iany long space of time. Perhaps 1t
/ may he enough to remind you of what
they did in my own State, where they
met in party convention, and, AFTER
passing incendiary resolutions nomt-
mated for Governor oflOhio n man who
had actually advised and organized
forcibleA resistance to the Government
at homeZa man who had 'sought5to get
mn a rebellion in the State of Ohio, in
order to aid the larger rebellion at the
South by breaking our power to put II
down, They nominated 10 be Cover.
nor or our State man named Clement
not elected, Llang ghter:l but he has beer
the leader OF that. party from that time
to,this. Bpts thatsis not all. In the
Summer of 1884, when the Democratic
lParty-through- their chosen represen'
i tatiyes, met and elected astandsrd-oear
er. what did they dol You urememberth tht
situation of the country at that time
a I struggle, and every heart beat anxious
lIv for the result. The heart of every
= natrfotic mar, from the Atlantic to the
i Rio Grande, beat quicker with alter
nate hone and fear. Grant had taker
mn his land march to Richmond, ant
had announced his intention TO "hgh
| it out on that line" cost what It would
and hundreds yea thousanas, y !; oI o. Ehs W
| ihravest and best of the sons of Cohnec
| tictit were with him in that contest
-lfGreat cheering.1 General Sherman
was then on his march through tbs
mountains of Georgia, surrounded OF
Il all sides by enemies and gorgesi IA
vines, and seemingly impossible bar
riers; with. nothing to oppose TO theu