The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-19
TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 1865.
seoesslon and the Democratic Leaders.

Secession and the Democratic Leaders.
OUR Democratic contemporary is sadly troubled
over HARRIS recent speech in Congress His
bold avowal that the doctrine of secession is
that of the Democratic party fills it with con-
sternation. 1t flies for aid in refuting this
damaging admission to JAMES BUCHANAN and G.
O. VALLANDIGHAMl
1t is welcome to all the consolation it can get
from these two worthies. When the Rebellion
broke out, BUCHANAN's doctrine was that no
State had legal right to secede, but if it did
secede nobody had right to preuenl il. He acted
on this puslllanimous; theory and while sworn
to protect and defend the integrity of the nation,
and clothed with all its po wers for that end, re-
fused to lay a straw in the way of the traitors
who we're breaking up the Union. He practically
aided secession more than any other man.
AS to VALLANDIGHAM, he was the open friend
and ally OF the Rebels through the whole war,
and practically as much of a secessionist as
FLOYD or JEFF. DAVIS.
But why does not our contemporary go to the
real Democratic leaders for their opinion on this
subject? Why does it not consult MASON and
SLIDELL, JEFF. DAVIS and BENJAMIN, TooMBs
STEVENS, BRECKNRIDGE, and the like? These
are the men of brains in the Democratic party,
and its true leaders, The Democratic party has
been practically minority in the North for the
last ten years. Its seat of power has been in
the South, and there is the proper place to look
for true exposition of its views. Do this, and
what do we see? Why, we see that the Rebel
lion was, in reality a rebellion of the great lead
eTS of the Democratic party. We say this, because
at the outbreak of the Rebellion the Democratic
party had become localized and confined 10 the
South. There was where its strength was
There was where Its leaders led the people and
dominated public sentiment. At the North it
had ceased to have power Northern Demo
Gratis had become the mere allies OF the South.
ern leaders who welded the power OF the party.
They had no majorities to back them. They
had become practically of no moment.
Hence, HARRIS is right Secession was the
doctrine of the great Democratic leaders. The
only men who had a right to speak for the
party in 1861 were the men who did speak, and
who both spoke and acted for secession And
those great leaders do not now discard their old
doctrine. They merely acknowledge that, for
the present. secession cannot be carried out. As
the New York Daily Ne,oS remarked last Satur-
day, in leader on this topic:-
''That question has been submitted to the
arbitrament OF arms; and so far as the mere in.
hueGces OF physical force can determine it. it
has, for the time being, been determined. The
South accepts the result, in respect to its pre-
sent practical application; but that acceptance
does not amply any abandonment, in thought, Of
the principle upon achiCa The secession nlOoenent
lods founded"
And it subsequently adds, in language which
every true Union man should lay to heart
"Ifhe bate IN the future, in the legislative
halls, that battle that the radicals so much fear
and deprecate should hereafter establish the right
OfSeceSSion, it will prove that IN republics there
is power mightier than the sword to vindicate
the right. But, TO ,oin that battle, The South must
hdue UOngreSStof representation"
Here we have the Democratic programme in a
nutshell. Restore the South to power in the
nation. 1t will then be, as it was at the out
break of the Rebellion, unanimously Demo-
cratic. Then comes the battle of the future to
Establish the right of secession" and, under
Democratic auspices, to regain the lost cause"
for which the ''siern statesman now pines and
languishes in durance vile within the massive
walls of Fortress Monroe There is Just one
weak point in this nice little scheme, and that
IS that the people, who, at cost of three hun
dred thousand lives and three thousand millions
of dollars, have just put down the Rebellion
inaueurated by these Democratic leaders, are
not quite ready to restore them to power. If it
were not for this little difficulty the plan might
possibly succeed.