The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1867-08-23

: Ntes on basis of loyalty aud equal jus.
toe to all, will be the happy results Of this
astonishing metomorphosis, provided The
party which has iuaugurated this policy
romains in power TO carry il out. II, how.
ever. the rcius Of government should fall
into the hands of the party whose leading
principle is opposition to that policy, the
great peacc.wDrk now accomplished would
be undoue, the foundations which we have
laid for new edifcO would be torn down,
the storm of passion would break loose
arew, and anarchy, confusion, bloodshed,
and perhaps war OF races would again de
vastato the. South, and prevent perhaps tor
generationsio come that peacolV and MOs
porous devclopemont which q Hew nAre
years of Republican rule will secure.
ruE OPPOSITION or rREJupIcE.
While endoavorng to. extend to the ne
,gro, in justice TO him, and for reasons Of
public policy aud peace, our system OF self
protection, it is natural that we should of
fend certain prejudioes aud antipatlies, the
result OF the wrongs the white race has in.
ticted OF tho black. awe generally dis.
like those whom we inmre," is an old say
ing, verified by the Democratic party in
this case. But il anything distinguishes
our people, it is the facility with which
they overcome absolute preiudices. Look
back to our short history as nation, and
YOU will behold with astonishment how
many preiudices aud popular errorswe have
overcome. We have overcome mistaken
belief in the necessity of State Church. q
prejudice from which European races are
not yet emancipated. We have overcome
that mean relic of harbarsm--the prejudice
against Jows--which disgrNced European
civilization for so many centuries. We
have overcome the preiudices against for.
eigucrs, which, in 1884, ran not through
the land. We have overcome thatpreju-
dice aud timidity with which, during the
war, we approached the first steps towards
emancipation. We have overcome the
prejudice toward negro soldiers, so deX
trously faucicd and stimulated by the Dem.
ocratic party. Now il you consider how
little time, comrmatively, it took to over
come each OF these preiudiccs, you will
agree with me when say deliberately, that
The policy Ofd people ike ours cannot De
guided by prejudice. Preiudices may gain
a temporary bold on the public mind,
They may temporarily sweep everything
before them and strut and fret their hour
on the stage but you cannot Cngraft them
upon our government, or make them the
|
Tho sober second thought Of our people
will always sweep them away.
THE GREAT MISTAKE or TuE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
And herein, Mr.. Chairman, lies the cardi
nal error of our opponents. The instincts
of our people are Democratic. Democratic
ideas have always swaycd our country
Our national existence was conceived il
the spirit of democracy; and democracy
stood watching over its cradle. AS long
as the Democratic. party understood this |
was successful as long as it understood
how to appeal to the democratic instinctI
OF the masses, it almost invariably carried
the day, and governed the country almos
without interruption. The moment 1t turn
ed its back on its own fundamental princi
pies, and openly and unequivocally discard
ed the DuclaratioR-of Independence, tina
great evangel of American Democracy, tht
doom of the party was sealed. AS long as
it was possible 10 cover up It's apostasy
or to dodge the real issue, tho masses clung
with the old affection, to the democratic
name, though the democratic spirit hat
\ long departed. To that lingering delusion
Pierce and Buchanan owed their election
But when perversion and equivocatioi
were no longer possible when tho party
which the people supposed to be the part.
of equal rights boldly unfurled the banner
Of slavery and arstocracy, when it preach
ed political inequality, and even encouraged
treason in order to defeat the very princi
pies TO which it owed its origin and forme
power, its days were numbered, and i'll
might was gone. "Quem pender5 Uul
Deus demetdt."
With incomprehensible blindness, thu
Democratic party, untaught by sad expert
ence, persisted in its suicidal course. at
time when democracy aud general enfran
ohisement seem to be the unnistakable drit
oil the age in America, as well as in Europe
the Democratic party wages an unrelentinl
war on the very principle to which itowe
its birth. Instead of appealing to all tha
is noble and generous in human nature
appeals which, almost always, prove IRE
sistble-it appeals to the preiudices OF th'
rabbe and to the hatred and passions o
the vulgar and the vile. 1t has deserted it
fundamental principles II has placed itsel
in antagonism to the political history an'
cherished traditions of our people. II haI
| placed itself in antagonsm to the spirit o
the age. 1t has placed itself in antagonislI
to its very name. 1t has placed itself il
antagoDism TO the spirit of Christianity
one Heavenly Father, before whose thron,
of love and jus lice no distinctions are lecog
nized. Ii las placed itself in antagonsm {,
to the religious as well as the political view
and convictions Of the great majority of th
American people. How, then, in the nam,
of common sense, can it ever expect to sue
eeed2
repeat, Mr.. President, the blindness o
the Democratic party is incomprehensb ble
The warning voice of The Chicago Time
was raised in vain The Democratic party
persists in course which il must know t.
be fatal. 1t persists in opposing what i
knows must come, and partly has come al
ready, 1t must know That impartial SUI
irage, as matters now stand, is only ques
ton OF time. Sooner or later il will come
The Democracy know that it cannot b'
prevented. Why, then, does it vainly try t
stem the current, which will sweep il away
Why does it throw itself under the wheels
of the car--the course of which cannot bt
arrested? Why does 1t persist III sIddlinG
itself with tho weakness, and In bearing
the odium Of the most palpable inconssten
! cy7 Why, knowing the instincts Of on
people 10 be democratic, does ii stake it,
all on the fruiiless attempt to uphold az
arislocracy of IaceH Why will Il sacri6c'
it's very existence by persistIng in its ap
peal to prejudice which it krows TO b'
rapidly wearing away? 1t is the illusor,
hope of temporary success that leads il OF
to viii nj destruction OF all its hopes anC
expectations in the future. Toa ain hope
of carrying few local elections in doubtu
distrctsi il sacrifices its fundamantal prin