Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-08-02
Oorruptions of Political Parties.

don Union has an article devoted TO
the wickedness and corruption of the
republican party, and dwells with
much complacency upon the honesty
peculiar to democratic administrations
in general, though it is shrewd enough
to mention no democratic administra-
ton in particular. Although that arti-
Gle contains much that is faulty, it still
has much that is true. That the re-
publican party since its overthrow of
the democracy in 1860, has done
much that is wrong, has winked at
many gross swindles, given fat con-
tracts to rogues, rained Offices upon
rascals, and sent scoundrels to con-
gress, is beyond dispute. Well, is
that anything so very wonderful or
new in the history of our government ?
Was the republican party the first to
inaugurate the rotten system? Grant
ed that it is as bad as the Union says
it is, who ever heard of a party in
power that was not more or less cor
rupt, or that did not reward its favor
ties? And who ever heard of a par
g., +bo+ Ala MT booopoo ,,ooro oorrurt
the longer it held its lease Of power ?
We admit the. wrong, but it is not
new. While the Union has told much
truth, we cannot subscribe to its in
ferehces. 1t says -
A single one of the many departments of a rad.
ical administration costs the people more than
an entire Democratic administration. Future
history will show that there has been more eX-
trayagance, more official corruption, and more
frst-cass stealing since 1860 than existed in the
whole life of the government up to that time
Legislation has been conducted upon the prnci-
pie that the treasury was exhaustless. From
fear of losing power nearly half of the nation
has been crowded out of the Union, deprived o.
representation, and kept away from the polls a
an expense of hundreds of millions of dollars
annually.
When the Union talks of the sex
travagance, stealing" and of"officia
corruption" that has taken place since
1860, why does it not give the rea
sons tor what it calls "extravagance,
and thus place the blame where i
properly belongs? 1t is true that tn,
country has been saddled with al
enormous debt since that year, but i
there not a good excuse for it? How
come that vast debt to be incurred
Was it not made in the defence of thu
Union? Was not nine-tenths of th,
vast sums that have been raised -spen
to pay off the army and the navy win
fought down the rebellion, and in arm
and munitions? We have had lon,
and terrible civil war. Who brough
that war on? Was it not the demo
Cratic party? Nearly every leadin
Statesman, General, and conspirato
in the confederacy was a democra
and stood high in the party. job
B. Floyd, Buchanan's Secretary O
war, and who done the stealing for til
confederacy, was democrat. 1t wa
the administration of James Buchal
an that drew the rebellion to hea(
1t was James Buchanan-a democra
ic president-who, when being aske
to reinforce and provision Fort Sun
ter, declared that there was no powt
in the constitution to "coerce State
thus tacitly admitting the right T
secession-a dogma the South W;
welded to, a right which they askt
the North to concede, and for whi
they fought till they were crushed
arepublican administration, for viii
service it has received the unmeasurt
abuse of those democrats in the Nor
whose sympathies were with the re
els-and a large party they were tc
Instead of nipping secession in
bud, as it could and should have dol
democratic administration gave
every encouragement. What did
democratic administration do VIII
leading secessionists were TALK
treason in the house, in the sena
uttering it through the press, on
stump, in the caucus and in the ca
net? We say what did it do? VI
itquietly listened in respectful silen
What did a democratic administrati
do early in December, when Sol
Carolina passed the ordinance of
cesslon and went out of the Unto
Nothing. What did a democratic
ministration do in the interven
months of January and Februa
while State afoer State was going
of the Union and precipitating tn
selves into the vortex of secessiC
Nothing but sigh and groan
shed an occasional "croco'
tear" over its "erring" democr'
"sisters, while democratic presid
sat in the chair of State, count
his beads and mumbling his pi
calculations at the horrible thou
of "coercing" traitors. All the "
that have afflicted the country in
way of "extravagance," "swindli
and of official corruption" are tr
able directly to a democratic adj