, 1867-02-01
Political Parties.
SHALL tbs DEMOCRATIC PARTY Din on LIyK

a 7
crisis in the progress Of the country which is al
SO a crisis without precedent. Never before ha
the democratic party encountered events so Sc
riously affecting its future vitality as now No
that il beholds itself diminished in the magni
tude of its numbers--for it is numerically strong
er than 1t has ever been before-but that hav
| ing been beaten on a great national issue, as I
which it believed itself to be wholly right an,
the opposition wholly wrong. and still SO be
! lleves, II must abandon that issue--for the de
| cision of it is fnaI-aud either sit down in help
less and deeaying inactivity or strike boldly ou
upon u line, selected with peculiar reference, no
to things as we would have them, but to thing.
as they actually are, and in pursuing which line
1t shall cease TO be a hold back or "conserva
tive" party, and become what 1t was in its palmy
days, progressive and aggressive party. These
are the alternatives. 1t will not sit down in
helpless and dscaying inactivity.
| What then shall the new line be? In the first
place, must we not cut loose from the Admins
tratiou of Andrew johnson, and leave that hy-
brid concern to hOat on the sea of public con
tempt into which it sometime since entered, and
from which no power can rescue it Is not the
late defeat attributable more largely to this Ad-
ministration than to all other causes combined 2
! What is there in its composition to command
| public confidence Who belonging to it, is en-
titled, by of his antecedents or his states
manship, to the confidence or respect of the dem.
ocratic party Certainly, tits not Andrew John.
sou nor William II. Seward, nor Edwin NJ. Stan.
ton. True, this administration had a right poll
icy, and the democratic party, in overlooking
the chief men comprising it, and thinking only
of the rightfulness of the policy, displayed pa,
triotism whose purity was never excelled; but
the policy having failed, having failed, too,
through the feebleness, and folly, and offences
against public propsiety of the Administration, a,
why should not the democratic party abandon
fha hnAt- a
death also TO iIself2
What next? Can the democratic party sue
ceed until the negro question shall be gotten out
of the wayI 1t cannot. What next? Is not
negro suffrage inevitable, and is not the quick
est way TO get the negro question out of the way
to at once concede the suffrage, making issue
only on the degree to which it is conceded 2 We
know that the democrats have not reached this
advanced view of the case, and that such still
feel greatly inclined to revolt at the proposition
of negro suffrage in any degree; but let US tell
them that it is always wise to accept the newt
able when the inevitable comes. Negro suffrage,
we say is inevitable, and whether it shall be
qualified or universal depends on the prompt
ness or otherwise which the democratic party
shall move with reference to it. The South will
sRss95y yifd ht Gagasa RsSF4 fegss tAf l0
no other reason, she will soon see, if she does
not already see, that if she does yietd it, she
will ultimately be compelled to accept universal
negro suffrage.
g Qualified negro suffrage yielded by the South
and by this we mean impartial suffrage, or
suffrage dependent upon the intelligence of the
man. irrespective of the color, as is nov the rule
in Massachusetts-the negro question will have
been disposed OF, aud the occupation OF the NorS
thern republican radical party will be gone for
ever Not one in ;h Of ground will it have to
stand upon; and the country can once more turn
to those material questions of pa Jlic policy the
right disposition Of which is so essential to the
public prosperity. 1t will be upou these ques'
tions that the democratic party will triumph, aud
it will be by this triumph that Constitutional
Government and our Federal system will be pre-
served. ....
If the South be wise, it Will not wait, on this
suffrage question, even for the motion of the
democratic party. Ifit be wise it will lose no
ime in putting in motion the necessary mschln-
cry by which it will at the same time save itself
from humiliation. preserve its own self>respect,
and rid the country of the most vexltious ques-
ton that ever distracted any country, kill the
worst political party that ever existed on the
globe, aud put the Union in the way of speedy
restoration This machinery consists, of course,
in conventions to revise the State constitutions.
-ChieSSO Times.
-~~O~~~->O>-o~~~~~---
/fHE LATE B. N. SExroN.-The following mott
ces of the late B. N. Sexton, will be read with
interest and serve TO show the regard 10 which
he was held among those who knew him long
and well: ....... ....-.
He is No Hore.-With feelings easier imagined
by others than expressed by ourself, we an
nounce the news of the death of our brother
Hon. Bennett N. Sexton-who died from intam-
nation of the bowels, at Walla, Walla, Wash
inpton Territory on the 18th ult A letter from
N d ;fa of Ind rh iuet re.
ceived, brings this news. The deceased former
lyresided in this city, where he had many friends,
for his business integrity and gentemanly de-
pertinent, by all who knew him, and they VIII
sympathize with us and his stricken wife in this
sudden aud terrible bereavement.-GrandR Rap
ids (Mch) Democrat. ~
Death of Hon. B. N. Sszton.-Again it is our
painful duty to announce the death OF valued
friend and a highly esteemed former fellow >citi-
zen--Hon. Bennett N. Sexton, late OF Walla
Walla Washington Territory. The news of his
decease on the / sth ult., has just been received
by his brother, @. @. Sexton, Esq, of this city,
in letter from his brother-in,law, Judge Wyche
of the U. S. District Court Of that Territory. b.
N. Sexton will be remembered by most Of our
citizens as former resident here, for several
years, who was highly esteemed for his suavity,
| integrity and uprightness, as neighoor and
business man, and for sometime proprietor and
publisher ofthe Valley City AdOertiser. Upon the
appointment of Judge Wyche to preside 10 the
! u. s. District Court, there, Mr.. Sexton was Of
fered aud accepted the position of clerk Of the
Court, which he held aud acceptabiy filed until
his death. He was, also, we are informed, a
| member of ths Territorial Legislature: He Is
taken, in the prime Of life of usefulness, lesv-
| ing a beloved wife and large circle of relatives
| who bitterly feel their bereavement, and with
whose grief will mingle the condolences Of a mul'
titude Of friends.-GraHd Rapids Mich, } Eagle
S-o>~-~~~~~->Or-~N~.cc~O~ II
aEsp OF A GREAr FARM.-The Duke Of Ham
/ ilton has broken up his model fern in Scotland
and the stock is advertised for sale at auStion
The Hamilton herd of Ayrshire cattle has long
been famous for the purity Of its blood ana ms
exceIlence OF its qualities, and the DUKE
Clydesdale eart-horses bare dsied competition
everywhere they have been shown. The eAIa, 1c
Iogues enumerate $50 head Of Ayrshirei s4e
Olydesdaies, 72o pigs and $50 sheep.
L.