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


the Declaration of independence, that !
great evangel of American democracy,
the doom of the party was sealed. AS
long as IL was possible to cover up its |
apostacy, or to djdge the real issue, the
masses clung, with the old affection, to
the Democratic name though the Dem
ocratic spirit had long departed. To
| that lingering delus!on, Pierce and
Buchanan owed their election. But when
perversion and equivocation was no
! longer possible; when the party which
the people had supposed to be the party
of equal rights, boldly unfurled the BAN
ner of slavery and aristocracy; when it
preached political inequality, and en-
couraged treason in order to defeat the
very principles to which 1t owed its ORR
gin and former power, its days were
numbered and its night was gone. '')
QUEM PERDERE yuLT DEUS DEMENTAT.
With incomprehensible blindness the
Democratic party, untaught by sad expe-
ricnce persists in its suicidal course. AT
a time when democracy and general en-
franehisement seem to be the unmis-
taxable drift of the age in America as
well as in Europe, the Democratic party
wages an unrelenting war on the very
| PRINCIPLES TO which it owes its birth. In
stead of appealing to- all that is noble and
generous in human nature-appeals
which almost always prove irresistible
it appeals to the preiudices of the rabble
and to the hatred and passions of the
vulgar and the vile. 1t has deserted its
fundamental principles. 1t has placed
itself in direct antagonism to the politi-
cal history and cherished traditions of
our people. 1t has placed itself in an
tagonism to the spirit of the age. 1t has
placed itself in antagonism to its very
name. It has placed itself in antagonism
to the spirit of Christianity, which teaces
that all men are the children of one
Heavenly Father, before whose throne
of love and Justice no distinctions are
recognized. 1t has placed itself in an
tagonism to the religious as well as to
the political views and convictions of
great majority of the American people.
, How then, in the name of common sense,
, can it ever expect to succeed?
repeat, Mr.. President, the blindness
of the Democratic party is Incompetent
sible. The warning voice of the Chicago
Times was raised in vain. The Dem
ocratic party persists in a course which
+ it must know to be fatal. 1t persists in
= opposing what it knows must come, and
= partly has come already. 1t must know
+ that impartial suffrage, as matters now
= stand, is only a question of time. Sooner
or later it will come. The Democratic
; party knows that it cannot be prevented.
Y Why, then does it vainly try to stem
| the current which will sweep 1t away?
= why does ii throw itselfu under the wheels
, of the car the course of which cannot be
] arrested? Why does it persist in sad
{ ding itself with the weakness and bear
e ing the odium of the most palpable incon-
: sisten,y' Why knowing the instincts
), of our D ople to be Democratic, does it
;, stake Is all on the fruitless attempt to
= uphold an aristocracy of race? Why
i will it sacrifice its very exist ence by per-
sisting in its appeal to prejudice which
it knows TO be rapidly wearing away
o can account for 1t only in one way. 1t
e is the illusory hope of temporary success
c that leads it on to wilful destruction of
il all its hopes and expectations for the
= future TO the vain hope of carrying a
Y few local elections in doubtful districts,
v 1t sacrifices its fundamental principles,
= its consistency, and its only chance OF
= partially atoning for its dislOyal record
+ during the war. But, sir, after all 'it is
L not my funeral on which have been
e commenting; and so / shall leave the
!, Democratic party to its fate. 1t need
o nents arcincurably blind. If the wicked
: were not occasionally struck with want
Ii of foresight this earth would be a very
n uncomfoltab e place for the righteous
l. TIE PRESENT ATTITUDE OF TIE DEMO
l. CRATIC PARTY.
= There Ia nothing in the present posi-
c tion of the Democratic party calculated
$ to appeal to our sympathy or commiser.
It alton, or to make us forget its Wicked
n ness during the war. 1t persists in urg-
Il ing on the South to obstinacy, passion
= and resistance. 1t still refuses to recog
Il nize the results of the war. 1t has not
Il vet repudiatcd nulification and secession
l. II has not recognized our existence as {
Il nation. 1t still clings to the principles
> that plungcdus into civil war. The mel
), that favored dissolution of our country
y and during the war sympathized will
y the enemy, are still the leading men o
l. the Democratic party. The Vallandig
lc hams, the Pondletons, the Voorheess
H. are still its representative men, the au
* thors of its platforms, and the eNpound
le ers Of its doctrines. They have no
he changed their views. Their party il
n, sowing the seeds of reputation and ma
Ill tional dishonesty. 1t carefully nurses
u disposition to faithlessness which woul,
of Disgrace us In the eyes of the civiliZe'
Ih world IL still clings to the barbarou
to doctrine that local maiorities may tram
t. pie on the rights of individuals, and tina
of there is'no authority in the Federal Gov
.. crnment to which individuals can up
peal for protection. The States, accord
ne ing TO the Democratic party, must de
rs tcrmne the legal status and the rights q
OIL lnulVluuuiS, anu may Curtuii tneii u
LII pleasure a man Is not u freeman, hC
" cause he IL an American, but because tn
CO State of South Carolina, Georgia or Hea
r. ven defend us! the State of Kentucky
+" graciously deals mt to him u scant
u allowance of rights upon which the mo
" will be encouraged to trample. TIL
he Democratic party, as now constituted
b. does not believe In rights born with tn
'rt individuals IT only believes in rights cor
ls- fcried by Sta'e, WE say the America
id first and the iIentuckian afterwards
We The Democratic party says, first the Ker
in tucklan, the Carolinian, the Alabamiar
70 and last of all the American. We sa
re the American has certain rights whic
pr Kentucky must respect. The Democra
or ic party calls this Capitalization, an
We saysth American has no rights but thos
- which Kentucky, or Maryland, orSout
is Carolina has Pleased to grant In tn
ny respect our disagreement with the dem,
re- cratic party Is radical. They say. fir
ny tho rights OF States, and then the ngh
,ps of man. We say first the rights of MAJ
er- and then the rights of States not me
III, for States. We are In favor OF complet