The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-03-28
From the Nov York Tribune.
The Democratic Party and the
Late Rebellion.

From the Nov York Tribune
The Democratic Party and the
Late Rebellion.
The circumstance that o men,
bsr of Congress is branded as
liar for stating in his place that
very many Democrats were sym
patbizers with and virtual allies of
the late rebellion, compels us to
ask attention 10 certain historical
facts. If any one can contradict
them or break their force, we beg
him not to hide his candle under a
bushel.
/. Secession was first inaugur-
ated in South Carolina, directly af.
ter the popular choice Of Presiden-
tial Electors early in November,
1860, whereby the accession of Mr..
Lincoln to the Presidency was as
sured. The men who inaugurated
it we're all Democrats-that is, they
had supported for President, Van
Buren in 1910, Polk in 1844 Cass
in 1S4S, Pierce in 1852, Buchanan
in 1856, and J. G. Breckenridge in
1SGO.-Tbere may have been one
or two exceptions but we know Of
none. There was certainly no Re-
publican among them, whether in
that or any other State. And,
whatever their i'm pulse to seces.
sion, their pretert for it was the tri-
umph of the Republicans in the
choice Of Mr.. Lincoln aforesaid.
2. Other Statcs-at least ten Of
them-followed South Carolina in
her so called secession. Two or
three moro pretended or were
claimed TO have done so. In every
instance, this so-called secession
was subs antially the act of the
Democratic party OF those States
respectively. That is to say the
great body oc those who had previ-
ously "run" the Democratic ma.
chine were early and ardent seces-
sionists, while the mass of the op-
posite party was either adverse or
lukewarm. Thus, every Demo
cratic Governor of a State, those o.
Delaware and Kontucky excepted
was at the head of the hunt for dis
union; and, of the exceptions, each
openly coatemned all forcible re
sistance to the movement
3. The Federal Government
was then wholly in the hands o
the Democratic party, save tha
the House Of Representatives wa
tied-Wm. Pennington (moderat
I Republican, having at length beel
chosen its Speaker by ONE MAORI
ty. But in no single department
did the Government oppose an!
earnest resistance to secession
President Buchanan, in his messag
of December 3, 1860, squarely pro
claimed that Congress had no righ
to use force to prevent the with
drawal of State from the Union
nor to compel her to yield obedi
ence to its laws. To do this, b
argued, would be to make Uar on
State, which Congress had no con
stitutional powerlto do. (See Amer
lean Conflict, Vol, l., p. 37O) Thi
proclamation Of national anarch.
was backed by a formal opinio
from his Democratic Attorney Gen
0 eral, Jere. S., Black, who was after
ward his Secretary of State, VIII
0 affirmed that the use of armed me
to enforce the laws, in the existin
state of things, would bo "wholl
Illegal. He further urged that a
0 attempt to make socedod Stat
fulfil her Federal obligation
"would be, ipso facto, an expu lsio
of such State from the Union,
0 (The very sophistry which we hes
every day from the Democrats I
1863
% 4. During that memorable viii
ter Democratic Conventions wei
20 held in several States-that in tn
State (held at Tweddle Hall, A
bany, January 81, 1861 being or
of the ablest and strongest ev,
)5 convened. But from none of the
Conventions, nor from the Dom
" Gratis in Congress, nor from Il
thousand to fifteen hundred Dem
u cratic journals published in. Il
u country, was voice raised in d
RS precation of, or dissent from the
D. disorganizing doctrines. On Il
h contrary, they were generally I
- echoed and almost universally q
= quiesced in. .
o. 5. Seven States having seccd
n before Mr.. Buchanan's term exp
.es cd, their Democratic members '
& Gated their seats in Congress, wi
- very rare exceptions. OF their f
ne anti Democratic members, neal
ice or quite every one remained to
To- clese.
6. Mr.. Lincoln was inaugural
i. on the 4th of March, 1861 /; and
0'' inaugural address was mainly
~, voted to the inculcation of d
'nt trines regarding secession and
,ne ercion, the exact opposite OF Mesi
Buchanan and Blacks. Mr.. I