American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1867-11-20
THE REAOTI0NARY POLICY.

THE REAOTIONARY POLICY.
While the policy of the Republican
| party in the present situation of the
country is simple and plainly defined, the
Democratic or reactionary party, alert and
anxious for a chance OF returning to
power, contents itself with denunciation
appeals to the lowest prejudice, and
claims to be the peculiarly conservative
party of the country. Its policy, if it
should return to power, must be inferred
from its antecedents and the principles
announced by its orators and organs Its
view of the origin Of the present politi-
cal situation is evident from the views of
those who speak for it, and this view
must dictate its measures. Thus at the
late Democratic meeting in the city of
New York chief speakers were Mr.. Jas
S. Thayer, Mr.. Voorhees, Of Indiana, Mr.
Cox, Mr.. O'Gorman, and Mr. Montgom>
cry Blair. The latter gentleman's per,
tormances and opinions are of no signif
cance, because he is a mere political shy,
ster. But the four others are represent
ative men of the Democratic party
They were all known during the war as
the most virulent Copperheads.
Mr.. O'Gorman, indeed, spoke at the
great New Y FORK meeting after the fall of
sumter, and urged show of force to
persuade the Southern brethren to see
that they had made a mistake /; but the
fighting, if there were TO be any, he beg.
ged might be of the most fraternal char
acter, and be had no conception whatev,
er then, nor does he seem ever to have
acquired any, of the real nature and ne>
cessity Of the great struggle. When the
war really began Mr. O'Gorman opposed
it, and denounced the Government with
a bitterness which was nowhere surpass-
ed, Mr.. Thayer was an open and frank
advocate of secession and declared that
if what he called a revolution were to
take place, it should begin at home in
the free States Mr.. Voorhees, was i'm
plicated in the conspiracy of " the Sons
of Liberty" and Knights of the Colds
en- Circle" and declared with fervor that
he would never vote one dollar, cne
man, or one gun" to carry on the war
Mr., Cox was Of opinion that & Lincoln
and Davis ought to be brought to the
same block together" These orators
spoke for the Democratic party then as
they speak for it now. The war, in their
opinion, was unconstitutional, unnecessa.
ry, and wicked. 1t was occasioned by
the aggressions of the free States upon
the rights of the slave States. Upon
the abstract question of Slavery these
gentlemen held the doctrines of their
party. The negro was an inferior race
Slavery tended to civilize him and
whether Slavery were right or wrong it
was none of our business. To condemn
Slavery was " to poison the wells" of our
Southern brothers; it was to breed dis.
seusion it was to fomeut disunion.
Such were the views of these repre-.
sentative Democrats before and during
the war. Since the surrender of Lee
they have declared, upon all occasions,
that arms having been laid down every
thing returns to it's previous condition
and the only constitutional method of
dealing with the situation is to indict
aud try as many persons for treason as
may be thought wise. At the same time
they decry such a course as impolitic.-
Tho policy Of reconstruction, therefore,
which party holding such views must
nee ssarily put into practice, should it
regain power, is that which springs from
the theory that the rebellion is now
suppressed riot, and that it is impoitic
to prosecute any rioter. During the war
the Democratic party denied the consti-
tutional power of the Commau erin
chief to emancipate slaves, and prophe.
sled servile insurrection and universal
massacre of the white population of the
rebel States as the inevitable consequence
of emancipation. But the party now
generally acquiesce in the fact of the
freedom of tile late slaves. 1t insists,
however, that Congress has no authority
whatever to enfraBchise them politically,
aud prophesies, as consequence of ne
gro voting, the lapse OF the late rebel
States into barbarlsm as universal as
the massacre which 1t foretold as the con
sequence of emancipation. The Demo-
cratic policy of reconstruction would
therefore be the surrender of the eman-
cipated class to the care of the white
class of the population. What kind Of
care that would be, what justice or mer>
cy slaves emancipated as a means Of SUBJ
DUNG their masters might expect from
their masters after Il ey were subdued,
experience and common sense assure us.
Under the name of fraternity the Dem>
ocratie policy would replace Davis and
Toombs in the Senate, and Lee in the
army. Under the name of Cancellation
it would intrust the political prosperity
of ten States to those who do not dis
| guise their regretfal reverence for baffied