The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1867-07-18

Inequality, ana encouraged trcasons
in order to defeat the very principle
TO which it owed its origin aud former
power, its days We're numbered aud
its might was gone.
With incomprehensihle blindness
the Democratic party, untaught by
sad experience, persists in It's suicidal
course. At time when democracy
and general n'ratchisemcnt seem to .
be tho unmstakablo drift Of the Age |
in America, as well as in Europe, the
Democratic party wages an unrelcnt |
ing war on the very principle TO which |
IL owes its birth. Instead of appeal |
ing to all that is noble aud generous
ia human nature-appeals which al
most always prove irrosisthlo--it
appeals to the preiudices Of tue rab-
BILE aud to the hatred aud passions Of
the vulgar and vile. Ii has deserted
its fundamental principles. 1t has
placed itself in direct autagouism to
the political history and cherished
traditions of our people. 1t has
placed itself in antagonism to its very
name. 1t has placed itself in antag-
onism to the spirit of christianity,
which teaches that all men are the
children Of one Heavenly Father,
before whose thrcue of love and ius-
tice no distinctions are recognized
1t has placed itself in antagonism TO
the religious as well as to the political
views aud convictions Of great ma
iority Of the American people. How
then, in the name of common sense,
eau il ever expect TO succeed2
repeat, Mr. President, the blind
ess of the Democratic party is in
eomprehensible. The warming voice
of the Chicago Times vas raised in
vain The Democratic party persists
in course which il must know to be
fatal. 1t persists in opposing what
it knows must come, and partly has
come already. II must know that
impartial suffrage, az matters now
stand, is only a question of time -
Sooner or later it will come. The
Democratic party knows that it can
not be prevented. Why, then, does
it vainly try to stem the current
which will sweep il away2 Why does
it thfow itself under the wheels of the
car the course Of which cannot be ar.
rested2 Why does it persist in sad
ding itself with the weakness and
bearing the odium of the most pal
pable Inconsistency? Why, knowing
the instincts of our people to be
Democratic, does it stake its all on
the fruitless attempt to uphold an ar
istocracy of racer Why will it sac
r6co its very existence by persisting
in its appeal to prejudice which il
knows to be rapidly wearing away p
| cannot account for it only in one
way. 1t is the lusory hope of ten.
porary success that lead il on to o
wilful destruction of all It's hopes and
expectations for the future. To the
vain hope Of carrying few local elec
tions in doubtful districts, it sacrifices
its fundamental principles, its consis.
tency, aud its ouly chance Of partially
atoning for its dislOyal record during
the war. But, sir, after all sit is not
my funeral" on which | have been
commenting; aud so I shall leave the
Dmocratic party to its fate, II need
not make us sorry TO see thpt our op'
ponents are iucurably blind. If tn,
wicked were not occasionally struck
with want of foresight, this eartl
would be a very uncomfortable plac,
for the righteous,
Indeed cannot understand will
what right our opponents still CLAIM
the name of Democrats. They are
opposed to every fundamental princi
pie of Democracy They arc opposed
to equality before the law. They art
opposed to the very theory on which
our government is based, aud they
hailed aud encouraged tho blows thai
were struck at its very exjstencel
The war beiug over, conditions an
parallelcd in their 1ngnanimity, wer,
proposed by Congress TO our debate,
advcrsaries. Negro Suffrage or Mill
tary Reconstruction were not dreameC
of then. The lives, the liberties, the
property, aud even the feelings of the
ex-rebels were to be spared. Simple
security for the future was TO be ex
acted, consisting of civil rights to all
classes, just basis of representation
weak and lenient censure Of PERU.
ry, and guaranty Of the national
with Reputation OF the rebel debt
Had the sontherners accepted these
conditions, they would now be restor.
ed to almost their former politiea
power. The constitutional amend
ment would not have worked any ma
ttrial social or political change. II
was an offer, perhaps, dangerous for
us to make. 1t was incomprehensi
bic folly aud blindness for the South
to reject it, But the Democratic par,
ty was again at work. The serpent
had again twisted herself around Eve
whispering poisonous council in hen
ear. Again the South was told tC
wait for a Democratic reaction in the
North. Hold out the serpent
said, "until am in power again, and
| shall admit you without any oondi,
tions. shall exact no security foI
the future" Again have our delud-
ed countrymen of the South listened
to the voice Of the serpent aud reject
ed the constitutional amendment, as
they had rejected the Olive branch Sc
many times before,
The result is known. AS the spu-
rious and ilegitimato State organiza
tions, which Mr. johnson had arbi-
trarily called into life, failed to attain
the ends of government, the security
Of person aud property, il devolvod
npon Congress to establish that seeu-
rity. As the local authorities failed
TO protect those who were entitled to
our protection, il became the duty OF
tho Federal Government TO protect
1 Al n