The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-01-03
From the Cincinnati Commercial
WASHINGTON LETTER.
a Rambilns Ls,ter about tn sPOlitlosl
slIUatIon.

Woftu iAtO Two great paftleS-RepuO-
lican and Democratic--is not snfii
cient for the purpose Of comprehend.
ing thoroughly and exactly ''the po-
itieal situation at the present time.
Both partics hold, in many respects.
the same relative position toward
each other and toward the South, and
tho settlement of national difficulties
that they have occupied since 1860,
but there are now. as there have been
nii along. differences of opinion in the
ranks OF each party, as to the proper
mode OF accomplishing what each, az
q unit, is agreed npon. -
The Democratic party TO day stands
toward the South, where it has stood
since the commencement of the war.
An its champions and leaders told the
Southern people to fight on till they
achieved their independence. and as.
sured them the North would ultimate
/ ly acquiesco in their demands, rather
than continue the war, so they now
tell them to reject the constitutional
amendment which had been agreed
npnn IA the terms of reconciliation,
and assure them that they will yet
come back TO tho Union exactly az
they left it, without any conditions
| for their future good behavior. No
thinking man can 6oubt that, but for
the words Of good cheer sent TO the
rebel armies in tho speeches Of Val
landipgham, Pendleton, Lcng, and
such men, the war would have been
ended before the winter Of 1867 -'3-if,
indeed it wonld have been commenced
at all but for The fire in the, rear ut
terahces Of tho Chicago Times and
these same Democratic leaders in 1860,
Ii tho Democratic party had made
Its platform upon the last speech OF
Stephen A. Douglas. instead of upon
the monlhings ol corner grocery Cop
perheads in 1851 the Southern people
would not be to-day in a condition of
beggary and seryitude-thcir proper.
" all gone. their best men killed in II
causcl,ss war, and those who have
survived the struggle, begging for
pardon Mt tho White House, They
can now balance tho cOmfort they got
even Us late IA 1864, from the Demo
cratic proclamation that the war was
failure, against the blacisened ruins
Of tho Shenandoah Valley, and the
Destroying Angel Of War from Chat
tanooga TO the Ghifof Mexico.
With all the LESSONS Of the past be.
I fore them, with tho bitter rccollcc.
. tions OF Democratic counses Turing
Al them on to ruin and destruction for
five yorrs, il IL not astonishing that
they should still look to that party in
tho North as their guide and polar
star? One wonli think they bal, BY
this time, learned that the Democratic
party OF the North was their worst
encmy, or that it had no power II
make good It's repeated promises Of
: beiriending them aud that IN eithei
8 event IL was not safe TO follow.its ad
vice. When Mr.. Lincoln, speaking
for the North, told them, at an early
: stage Of the war, that by giving uI
the contest In a certain Time, they
a could save their slave property, tn,
4 Democratic party told them to do NJ
= such thing. but to fight it out anti
o they had saved slavery and broken ~
tho Union too. They. thought thi
= was pretty good advice, and they fol
" lowed it. only 10 lose their slaves an'
< everything elso they possessed, AM
r be whipped like the devil in the bar
!. gain.
10 History is now repeating itself :
The Republican party comes fprwar'
with terms Of reconstruction, milde
aud moro humane than were ever Of
II fcred to the authors Of IN Ilnpropoke,
1 rebellion before; furnishing nobod,
!, Tor what has been done, but askinl
y, only for security against recurrence
v. OF snch calamilies, terms, tho accept
ID nnce Of which would, in all probabil
10 ity, be followed Immediately by lh
repeal of the confscation laws. and il
few years by tho remission Of fu
is political rights to the few leaders VIII
v. are rendered hy them Ineligible I
,s certain offices. As the Democrat
\, party told tho South TO reject MI
=" Lncoln's 0lfcr which wus made til
: precedent alternative of the aboIitin
Il, of slavery, ~ they now tell them I
n, reject the constitutional amendmeu
|, when they are called upon to choos
y between that and the destruction {
" tho Southern State Government
H. which, in the language OF the ex,rem
M Rudiculs, il 10 be "the swelling pre-
= logne To the imperial theme" OF +,
constru tiou upon the basis OF univeI
u sal negro suffrage Thus matters stan
ie as between tho Democratic party an
~ the South
10 Tho Republican party,a represente
!; In Congress may be said to DO
" strict accord only upon tho fandamel
tai idea that tho States shall not NJ
l. condltionally regain their lost positio
in the Union. There are ditfcreno,
r' as to what thcsO conditions shall b
#. but there are none on the main lssu
nj Stevens, Sumner, Boutwell,, and, pc
IN haps majority of the Now Englar
= Radicals, secretly hope for the reje
>" ton of the amendment, and avowed
ro repuda,e it rs u basis Of re0onstru
n tion, A largo majority, however,
ng the Republican party in Congress,
"a. throughout tho country, crnstruc Il
. = amendment in the light OF verdi
- by tho people as to theterms upC
no which the South may como back.