Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1867-07-04
The Present Attitude of the
Democratic Party.

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The Hon. FRED. HAssAUREK ad-
dressed the ratification meeting at
Columbus, on the Goth. We make
the following extract from his
speech: =
"There is nothing in the present
position of the Democratic party cal
culated to appeal to our sympathy
or commisseration, or to make us
forget its wickedness during the war.
1t persists in urging on the South to
obstinacy and passive resistance
1t still refuses to recognize the re-
suits of the war. 1t has not yet re-
pudiated nullification, and secession.
1t has not recognized our existence
as nation. 1t still clings to the
principles which plunged it into civil
war. The men that favored q disso-
luton of our country, and during the
war sympathized with the enemy,
are still the leading men of the Dem
ocratic party. The Vallandighams,
the Pendletons, the Voorheeses are
still its representative men, the au-
thors of its platforms, and the ex-
Founders Of its doctrines They
have not changed their views. They
have retracteu nothing of their form
er declarations. Their party is SOW
ing the seeds of reputation and ma
tional dishonesty. Itcarefully nurs-
es disposition to faithlessness
which would disgrace us in the eyes
of the civilized world. 1t still clings
to the barbarous doctrine that local
majorities may trample on the rights
of individuals, and that there is no
authority in the Federal Government
to which individuals can appeal for
protection. The States, according
to the Democratic party, must deter
mine the legal status and the rights
of individuals, and may curtail them
at pleasure A man is not freeman
because he is an American, but be-
cause the State of South Carolina,
Georgia, or, heaven defend US! the
State of Kentucky, graciously doles
out to HIM scanty allowance of
rights, upon which the mob will be
encouraged to trample The Dem
ocratic party, as now constituted,
does not believe in rights born with
the individual. 1t only believes in
rights conferred by a State We
say, the American first, and the Ken
tuckian afterward. The Democratic
party says, first the Kentuckian, the
Carolinian, the Alabamian, and last
of all, the American. We say the
American has certain rights which
Kentucky must respect. The Demo
cratic party calls this Capitalization,
and says the American has no rights
but those which Kentucky, or Mary
land, or South Carolina has pleased
to grant. In this respect our disa-
greement with the'Democratic party
is radical. They say, first, the rights
of States, then the rights Of man.
We say, first the rights of man, and
then the rights of States; because
States were made for men not men for
States. We are in favor of complete
local and municipal self government,
but we claim that fundamental and
inalienable rights are national and
must net be interfered with or tram
pied upon by accidental geographical
subdivisions or tyrannical local ma
jorities. What would be the use of
having Federal Government, if it
should not, in case of necessity,
throw over the poorest and humblest
individual the protecting mantle of
freedom? Indeed, 1 can
not understand with what right our
opponents still claim the name of
Democrats? They are opposed to
every fundamental principle of De-
mocracy. They are opposed to the
principle of equal justice to ALL
They are opposed to equality before ,
the law. They are opposed to the !
very theory on which cur Govern {
ment is based, and they hailed and ,
the blows that were ;
struck at its very existence. Their :
leaders are peace men, when the :
country is at war, and menacing leg :
lslators and seditieus instlgators !
when the country seeks to e-estab- !
lish peace. Their subserviency and :
compliance has brought on secession;
they prolonged the war by encour- q
aging resistance; they now endeavor Z
TO prolong the present state of un :
certainty and transition by counsel \
ing against submission. In theory .
hey are opponents Of the sublime o
ldea of great American nationality \
based On liberty and human rights; o
IN practice they are disorganizers 3
and anarchists. Deserters from the .
of true Democracy, they h
'cof at all the noblest impulses of r
our people, and mischievously BELT
lie our great national struggle. They
Keep the wounds of the war from
healing by studiously sowing discerd b
and fomenting ill-will between the b
TWO sections Of the country. They
cultivate sectional prejudices and b
preach hatred to all. They endeavor
to arouse the worst passions that lie
dormant in the human heart They
are continually tempting the stronger Z
to oppress the weaker, and call this {
Democracy. Their political organi-
zati0n is dangerous to liberty, dan &