The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1867-09-12
The Unforgotten Record.

The history of the past is guide for
the future. For this reason, in all civ
ilized countries it has been carefully re-
corded on stone, or brass, or parchment,
before the era of paper and printing, and
transmitted by tradition aud song.
Let US for moment glance at the his
tory of the Democratic party during the
war, as they themselves have written it,
and see whether it is such as should com
mend the organization to loyal people
o-day. We touch only salient point or
two in critical times, and such as have
never been disowned or apologized for.
In the early spring of 1861, when State
after State was dropping from the ranks,
and when treason was openly and defiant
ly threatening aggression, it was moved
in the Legislature of Pennsylvania to arm
the State and place her in condition to
defend her own honor and the property
and lives of her citizens The Democra-
tic Legislators voted mo" on party vote.
This vote has never been repudiated; and
Hester Clymer, who led in the Senate,
was nominated for Governor in 1866 with
this record upon him. The State was
armed, and did take care of herself and
spring to the defence of the National
Government, but no thanks to the Demo
cracy for it.
June Is, 1868, when Harper's Ferry
was occupied by the rebel army when
EwelPs division held Hagerstown and
jenkins division Chambersburg when
an armed foe was on Pennsylvania soil /;
when bells were ringing at midnight and
loyal men were drilling, ''left, left, )" in
deserted warehouses and halls-a State
Democratic convention was held at Har
risburg. At the very time of their ses-
sions intrenchments were being thrown up
on the west bank of the Susquehanna, and
every, able bodied man was needed in the
breastworks. What did the Democracy
do Virtually they welcomed the. rebels
with open hands to the soil Of this Com
momwealth. m Their platform, drafted and
adopted at such a thrilling hour to every
patriotic or manly bosom (and adopted,
the contemporaneous reports tell us, amid
cheers and applause contains not one
hearty, generous word for the country
1t abuses the Government and its meas
ures in coarse and Incorporate language,
speaks disparagingly of all that had been
done, and calls for peace. Not word
was said, not deed was done, that mani
tested the slightest sympathy with our
national cause or our insulted or imperil-
led Commonwealth. One resolution we
subjoin as illustrative Of the tempers ard
feeling of the Pennsylvania Democracy
when the "stars and bars" were foating 9
in the Cumberland Valley:
"That we heartily thank the lion heart
ed Democracy Of Ohio for the manly vim
dication they have given to the Constitu-
tion against the great crime committed
against it in the arrest and deportation. OF
Vallandigham, and we assure them of our
cordial sympathy in the great struggle
they are making for their undoubted
rights"
This was the convention which nomi-
mated for Governor Judge Geo. w. Wood
ward, the friend and endorser of Judge
Sharswood to-day, aud, like him, desci-
pie of the Black and Calhoun school
Such was Democracy in 1868.
In the month of August, 1864, the
Democracy held what purported to be a
national convention at Chicago. This
was in the very crisis of the war. Grant
the newly tried commander, was crap
pling with Lee in deadly struggle in the
fatal wilderness before Richmond; Lin
coin was calling for five hundred thous-
and men, Sherman had just moved for
ward in his desperate and hazardous
march on Atlanta all was doubt and un-
certainty regarding him, and the rumorS
were gloomy and painful. We only knew
that the gallant Mcpherson had fallen on
the skirmish line away off in the wilds OF
Georgia. In Pennsylvania Curtin had
Just called for 10000 additional State
militia, and the fires of Chambersburg
were yet smouldering. Surely if ever
there was a time when even towards
should have been brave, then it was
How responded the national Democracy
We are tempted to reprint the entire plat
form-it is so cold, SO heartless, so malig
nant. But we must content ourselves
with single plank
Resoloed, That this convention does ex
plicitly declare, as the sense of the Ameri
can people, that after .four gears cffaa
IRE to restore the Union by the expert
ment of war, during which, under the
pretence of military necessity or the pow
er, higher than the Constitution, the Con
stitution itself has been disregarded IL
every part, and public liberty and private
right alike trodden down and the materi
al prosperity of the country essentially
i'm paired that justice, humanity, liberty
and the public welfare demand that i'm
mediate efforts be made for the cessation
Of hostilities, with view to the ultimate
convention of all the States or other pea
ceable means to the end that at the earli
est practicable moment peace may be re
stored on the basis Of the Federal Union
of the States.
Deliberate, unblushing surrender This
| abiect profession of coWardice and trea