The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-12-31
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 81, 1857.
The Dividing Line Between t'DemO-
cracYn and RepublIcanism.


hold upon the slaveholding aristooracy Of the
South, it cared but little for the public senti-
ment Of the North. From point to point it
followed the wild lead of its fanatoal pro-
slavery leaders, losing State after State by the
way, until in 1860 it lost control of the Gov
ernment. The Rebellion which followed was
rebellion of the leaders of the Democratic
party.
The history of the Democratic party, as an
organization, from the breaking out of the
war down to the present time, has been the
history of series of effor is looking to the
great end of renewing its old alliance with the
aristoOratic element of the South During the
war il opposed all vigorous and decisive mea-
sures for the suppression of the Rebellion, and
maintained a constant bond of sympathy and
union with the armed traitors who were seek
ing the nations life, looking to political action
with them in the future. 1t opposed the
abolition of slavery, because that measure
would not only tend to diminish the power of
the Rebels at the time, but also to weaken
their power of association in the future.
When the war was over the Democratic
Union of the Rebel States, with their traitorous
and unconstitutional State organizations; not
because it was anxious foothe reGstablishment
Of the Union but because such procedure
would restore the Southern oligarchy to full
power in each of the Southern States, and
would pave the way for the renewal of the old
political alliance through which it had pre-
viOusly ruled the country. So throughout
this whole fight upon reconstruction, the De-
mocratic party has steadily contended for such
terms as should recognize and establish
Southern oligarchy. All its defamation about
the "rights" of the South has simply meant
the exclusive privileges of its proposed
oIigarchy. An oligarchy, by its very nature,
Is bound together in an unity of interests. 1t
Is a close corporation. To maintain its status
1t must act in concert. The possession of ex-
elusive privileges becomes its bond of connec-
ton. The olgarchy which the Democratic party
is endeavoring to establish at the South is to be
founded upon the exclusive possession of po-
litical power in the Rebel States. This will
constitute a bond of union almost as firm as
that formerly made by slavery. With this
Southern oligarchy, welding the tremendous
power of States in the Union, the Democratic
party expects to form political partnership,
like that of old between itself and the slave
power, and thus to regain control of the Gov
ernment. All of its efforts tend to this con-
summation. 1t cares nothing for principle,
nothing for justice to those whom the nation
has emancipated, nothing for the permanent
peace and stability of the country-its only
ambition is to get power through an oligarchy
whose very existence would be a perpetual
anomaly and disgrace to our free institutions.
Hence the resistance of the Democratic party
to the Republican plan Of reconstruction. That
plan is founded upon the essential American
principle of equal rights. Under it the
South is daily being reconstructed
after the model of free republican States,
in which olgarchical rule is impossible. If
that plan shall succeed, the Democratic party
will have to enter the field at the South on
equal terms with all other political Organiza-
tiOns. 1t will possess no special advantages
over other parties. 1t will find no compact
and thorough organization, bound together by
exclusive class interests, with which it can
affiliate, and through which it can climb into
power. 1t will have to depend alone upon the
power of the principles it shall advocate and
upon the record it has made in the past.
Every day is bringing out more distinctly
the features of this last great contest between
the principles of aristocracy and republican
ism in our country. The Democratic party is
Iaboring to reconstruct the South upon the
basis of oligarchy; the Republican party, upon
that of true democracy. The success of the
Democratic party involves the disfranchise-
ment of large masses of citizens, and the con-
CentratiOn of all political power in the hands
of the few. 1t means the triumph OF aristo-
Cracy and the overthrow Of republicanism in
all the Rebel States. II means the creation Of
political balance of power in the nation to
be welded by few hundred Southern letd-
ers, which shall dictate terms to the whole
people. II means a repetition Of the old con-
fiots which agtated the country when this
same olgarchy, bound together thence by
slavery, had possession of the Government.
These are the aspects of the great contest of
the next Presidential campaign, which is
already looming up in the political horizon.
1t is the same question, at bottom, which has
agitated the country for the last thirty years.
1t is the old 'irrepressible conflict" only in q
new phase. Upon its settlement will depend
the peace and prosperity of the country FOL
long years TO come. If we are ever to have
permanent peace, we must get rid o