The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-09-04
The DepatIonaIized Democracy.

Some OF the rural ournals oftheDemo-
cratic persuasion are incautiously NOV
ing for National Democratic Conven-
don, or, at the least, an address from
some national ommittee-something
which shall authoritatively define the
position ofthe party and declare its ar
ticles OF faith. To all these appeals the
New York World, which alone of the
Democratic papers in the land repre-
sents the brains OF the party, main
tains judicious silence. The fact Is,
the demoralized and shattered Demo-
crucy have gotten beyond the hope OF II
national OF ganization No convention,
to save the souls OF its members, could
draft n platform which would be ac-
ceptable to Democrats North and South.
The two wings of this poor, dying, Sec
liOnAl party are hOpelessly at war with
each other. =lrI ~ -s-alsi ti
Who, for instance, could frame a
Democratic resolution on the great
question OF negro suffrage which would
suit in Pennsylvania or Ohio, and also
in Mississippi and Louisiana? The
Democracy dare not go against man.
hood suffrage in Mississippi or they
lose that State. They dare not go for it
in New York or they lose theirimpnrt-
ed vote in New York city, and with that
the State.
The same dilemma presents itself
in regard TO the war. DO they endorse
rebel allies in the South. Do they re-
enact the Infamous failure" plank of
the celebrated Chicago Surrender"
platform. they freshly insult and lose
the North. They cannot draft reso-
luton that shall read blue on one side
and gray on the other side OF Mason
and Dixon.
And with regard to the national debt
the same difficulty meets them, AT
heart, OF course-as Pendleton, Nallan-
digham, Henry A. Wise, and others,
from time TO time leak out-tley are in
favor of repudiation, but they dare not
face the whirlwind OF Northern indig-
nation with which such a proposition
would be greeted in the loyal States,
although It would fill their sails in
Dixie. sir
Again, while they, in accordance with
their known English and foreign SYM
pathies, desire II free trade that shall
grind our workingmen down into COM
peting with the orty-cent-a-day pau
per labor Of Europe, and while they
openly advocate it in the North, they
dare not propose IL 10 the suffering and
unprotected South, which in the terri
bic lesson OF the war has learned what
those Two deceptive WORDS 'ITee lfdues'
stripped of all sophistry and illusion.
mean.
Hand 50 with all the great issues be.
fore the Countrywide Democracy is
hopelessly and helplessly ut sea-
They cannot construct a common
platform on which they all can
stand. They have fallen below
that. They have lost all national
character.i They have come down 70
State organizations, fighting on local
issues. They are carrying on but a
guerrilla warfare, while We present a
steady, well-disciplined front from
Maine to California. - 49, Il
This is our gratifying and encourage
ing position, while the Democracy in
this State and every other are but psrti-
san bands, having no common inter
eSts and no common ends. We are
national partyi they are nothing at all
but n protest, a negation at best; a
break on the car of the nation. They
are denationalized-a party without a
country or future. }'l "a FaE5-'i
The wreck of this once great and
powerful party is pitiable spectacle,
bnt il calls for no sympathy or regret.
The fate they called down upon the
country has fallen on themselves. The
conflict which they invoked to destroy
the Union, only strengthened and made