Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-06-27


war from healing by studiously sowing
discord and fomenfing ill-will between !
the two sections of the country. They
cultivate sectional prejudices and preach |
hatred of race. They endeayor to arouse
the worst passions that lie dormant in
the human heart. They are continually
tempting the stronger to opple IS the weak
or and call this democracy. Their political
organization is dangerous to liberty,
dangerous to the authors of our national
existence, dangerous to the peace and
prosperity of the country. They are the
authors of Ournational calamities which,
should they succeed to power, they
would erevitably perpetuate. liiiHff
THE SOUTH AND THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY. ... ~
But it seemed to be the great event of
the day that our misguided Southern
countrymen at last begin to realize that
the Democratic party has. acted toward
them the part of Mephistophiles in
Faust, urging them on from mistake to
mistake from wrong to wrong, until
they landed in utter ruin and perditiOn.
They began to realize at last that the
advice which the Democratic party gave
! the South has always been like that of
the serpent in Paradise. 1t made them
believe that the North would not fight;
but the North fought. 7.p..m..
at coercion would lead to civil war in the
North; without the North remained
united.
1t made them believe that the North
would soon grow tired of the war;
Instead of which she only grew tired of
the Democratic party.
1t filed them with false hopes as to
the Presidential election of 1864. The
Southerners would not have persisted so
| -, a innX-
haustible resources of the Union, If they
had not beheld an organization in the
North which, though defeated and in
minority, had ruled the country for so
many years. In spite of its recent de-
feats, 1t still seemed powerful. 1t COM
manded the voice of thousands whom no
other party could reach. 1t had taken
decided attitude i'm opposition to the war
which it denounced as wicked and un-
constitutional, and as failure. 1t tried
hard to paralyze the hands of the Gov
ernment and to give aid and conf ort to
those in arms against the flag of our
; Union. 1t did not conceal its sympa-
thies with the enemy. 1t rejoiced over
our defeats and saddcned at our victories.
1t clamored for an immediate cessation
J of hostilties. 1t advocated negotiation
, with those who spurned reunion even If
they Should be given black sheet of
!
TIE Ue,y eristence Of such q party IN the
J North Was q poWerfut ally and q standing
announcement to the Wdr and secession
partv nthe South. Decentralization was
: to hold out until u democratic reaction
should take place in the North. "If our
/ Northern friends" so they reasoned,
"are restored to power, the cause of the
COnfederacy will be safe. " This alone
: accounts for the otherwise ineXplicable
| L.. 80 4. Dat Infn
, of Mcclellan broke the moral power of
/ the rebellion. 1t was the death knell of
the Conf ederacy. The hopes which the
Democratic party had nourished in
{ the Southern mind, had proved false and
delusive and vain. . .. .....
) The war being over, conditions unpar-
| alleled, in their magnanimity, were pro-
, posed by Congress to our def Gated adver-
saries. Negro suffrage or Military Re-
construction were not dreamed of then.
The lives, the liberties, the property, and
even the feelings of the eX-rebels were to
7 be spared. Simple security for the fu-
ture was to be eXacted, consisting of civil
= rights to all classes, a lust basis of repre-
sentation, n weak and lenient censure OF
: perjury, and guaranty of the national
with reputation of the rebel debt. Had
: the Southerners accepted these condi-
: tions, they would now be restored tq
ulIlOSb IuelI lIoiitiCui pONCi.
1 constitutional amendment would not
: have worked any material, social or po
t ltical change. 1t was an offer, perhaps
/. dangerous for us to make. 1t was incom
n prehensible folly and blindness for the
$ South to reject it. But the Democrat,
a party was again at work. The scrpen
:, had again twisted herself around Eve
h whispering poisonous council into he
# ear. Again the South was told to wal
| O., Ia in I,n 1,
>, "Hold out, +" the serpent said, "until
/ am in power again, and | shall admi
l. "you without any conditions" | shal
It exact ono security for the future. F." Ant
s again our doluded countrymen in TIN
l. South listened to the voice of the serpen
8 and rejected the constitutional amend
d ment, as they had rejected the Div
d branch so many times before.
Is The result is known AS the spuriOu
l. and illegitimate State organization
It which Mr.. Johnson had arbitrarily call
= ed into life, failed to attain the ends O
D Government, the security of person an,
l. property, | t devolved upon Congress (,
E. establish that security. As the local au
IF thorities failed to protect those VIII
It were entitled to our protection, 1t becam
o the duty of the Federal Government T.
e protect them. AS the civil power prove,
A. inefficient, the military power had to b
|
y lent in their determined hostility to tn
ID Union and freedom, the aid of the black
lie had to be invoked in the work of recon
|, struction.
q If all this be dstasteful to Southerner
A. let them thank the Democratic party fo
N 1t. Let their courses deep or loudn b
= aimed ut theii Mephistophe ian advisers
A. Let them consider that those are respon
a, sible for 1t who instigated them to rejec
" the mild and innocent conditions of tn
III Constitutional Amendment. Let then
T. realize that they owe 1t not to thos
I'd whom they unjustly suppose to be thei
So Republican Or Radical enemies, but {
n their own fatal mistake In following til
Is insidious advice of their Democrat
o. friends.
1t am rejoiced 10 see that the South ha
Is begun to realize the true state of affairs
n, and that the scales nre falling from he
m eyes at last. Having advised agains
te the constitutional amendment, the Den
Il, ocratic party now advises against sui
n mission to the Conpre 'slonal measuresC
st reconstruction. 1t still urges passive I,
IN sistance with view to further dstul
ms Dances. But happily for the peace ofth
| Ia. -" 4.