The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-07-19
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WILL 1T PROVE AN EXCEPTION

In recent essay, that clearest and acutes.
CT American biographical and political wri
ters. James Parton, says: 1t may be laid
down as rule, that . political party which
gives doubtful support to the Administrn.
ton during war in which. the honor aud
safety Of tho nation an at stake. and from
which the nation issues tfismphant will nev.
err regain power under it's old name and or.
ganization." He is not singular in that OBJ
{ ssrystion. IA great msfys otfess Rad siJpihr>
y construed our history. The DtBocracy
nrenot among these. That partyss was not
even doubtful support Of the Admin
istration during the late war for the Union.
rs was an open and SAso~ed hostility A
hostility that itensifed as the war went on,
and which was bitterest and most tratorous
at the very time the tide of victory turned
finally and steadily in our favor No anti
war party was ever so utterly odious to a
people as the Democratic party was to the
American people on the 10Th of April, 1865.
And that was but the day of days Of long
series of days Of Democratic ofTenses against
the loyalty and patriotism Of our people.
The Democracy, it is clear, entirely mis1n.
terprets its relation to memorable political
laws. During the war and following its close,
1T did make partial concessions to the over.
( wheiming unfuctuating current of public
loyal feeling. 1t made " Union " prefix to
ITS party name, and put soldier candidates., =
largely distasteful to itself, upon its. tickets,
hoping to secure footing in popular favor
1t signalfy failed. It was evident the people
didn't have love for the /" Union {" and
Z" Democratic " compound. The people,
however, rejected the Union because i,
was Democratic =; not the g Democratic
because it was Union.n The Democracy
had opposed the war. That was fatal to it.
The people would have nothing more to dc
with it. No matter if it did caiole some very
----y-rng us nominations. The people
wouldn't Compromise. They wouldn't touch
ticket that had the odor of Democracy
upon it.
This was all clear enough. But party
blind enough, and stupid enough, and wicked
enough, to be disloyal will be blind enough,
and stupid enough to do any blind and stu.
pid thing. And 50 the Democracy, failing to
win by its coalition With disafected Republi,
cans and weakened soldiers, has concluded
that in such union there is no strength, and
has fallen back upon its straight-out anti war
party name, and its straight out anti war party
leaders. Will it VIM Here is the law
(again we quote i'll: "a political party
which gives doubtful support to the Admins
istration during war in which the honor and
safety of the nation ars at stake, and from
which the nation issues triumphant, will new.
or regain power under It's old name aud or
ganization.h
viii the Democracy prove an exception to
this rule +? Not likely. The old Federal par
ty did not, and its party leaders were much
purer and ADLER men than the present leaders
of the Democracy, and the war which it on.
posed did not arouse the depths of patriot,
ism and popular feeling as did our late war
for the Union. The Wing party did not, and
its leaders we're incomparably ADLER and purer
men than the present leaders of the Demos
racy, and no one will assert that the war
which they opposed had the, heart of our
people as did the late strife for the very life
of the nation. The Wing party and the old
Federal party never offended the loyal sense
of country as did the Democracy. Their
party record was spotless in comparison with
that of the party which has put Mason and
his associates in nomination for the Iowa
State offices. If the Wing and the old Fed
eral party could never resurrect themselves,
the Democratic party cannot do it either in
State or nation.