Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1867-02-07
The Democratic Party and
the Late Rebellion.


Congress is branded liar for stating in his
place that very many Democrats were
sympathizers with and virtual allies Of the
late Rebellion, compels us to ask attention
to certain historical facts. III any one can
contradict them or break their force, we
beg him not TO hide his candle under
bushel
|. Secession was first inaugurated in
South Carolina directly after the popular
choice OF Presidential Electors early in
November, 1860, whereby the accession of
Mr.. Lincoln to the Presidency was assured.
The men who inaugurated it were all
Democrats is. they had supported
for President Van Buren, in 1910, Polk i'm
1874, Cass in lS4s, Pierce in 1852, Buchan-
an in 1856, and J. c. Breckenridge in 1860.
I There NAV have been one or two excep-
tions, but we know of none. There was
certainly no Republican among them,
whether in that or any other State And.
whatever their impulse TO Secession, their
yretrrt for 1t was the triumph of the Re
publicans in the choice of MIR. Lincoln
aforesaid.
H. Other States-at least ten of them
| followed South Carolina in her sO-called
Secession. Two or three more pretended
or were claimed to have done SO. In every
instance, this sO-called Secession was sub
stantially the act of the Democratic rarty
of those States respectively. That is To
say tho great body of those who had pre-
viously run" the Democratic machine
were early and ardent Scccssionists, while
the mass of the opposite party was either
adverse or lukewarm. Thus, every Demo
cratic Governor of State, those of Della
ware and Kentucky excepted, was at the
head of the hunt for Disunion and, of the
exceptions, each opep!' -nntemned all for
chile resistance to tn oyeaent.
Ill The Federal ,.ernment was then
wholly in the hands of the Democratic
party. save that the House of Representa-
tives was tied--Wm. Pennington (modcratc
Republican, having a; length been chosen
its Speaker by one majority. But in no
single department did that Government OPP
pose any earnest resistance TO Secession
President Buchanan, in his Message of
Dec 3. 1860. squa-ely proclaimed that
Congress had no riglf to use force TO pre-
vent the Withdrawal, Of State from the
Union. nor To compel her To yield obedience
to its laws. To do this, he argued. would
be 10 make rdr on a STATE, which Congress
had no constitutional power to do. (See
1meric1n Conflict Vol. L., u. 800 This
proclamation of National anarchy was
backed BY formal opinion from his
Democratic Attorney General. Jere. S.
Black, who was afterward his Secretary of
State. affirmed that the use of armed
men to enforce the laws. in the existing
state Of things, would be wholly illegal"
He further urged that an attempt to make /.
a seeded State fulfil her Federal Obliga-
tions would be, ipso fdeto, an expulsion of
such State from the Union" (The very I
sophistry which we hear every day from
the Democrats of 1861
". During that memorable Winter 1
Democratic Conventions were held in |
several States-that in this State (held in 4
freddie Hall, Albany, Jan. 81, 1861 ) being /
one of the ablest and strongest that was l
ever convened But from none of these /
Conventions. nor from the Democrats in /
Congress. nor from the thousand to fifteen .
hundred Democratic journals published in I
the country. was voice raised in depreca-
ton OF. or dissent from, these disOrganizing
doctrines On the contrary, they were
generally re-echoed and almost universally
acquiesced in.
V. Seven States having seeded before
Mr.. Buchanan's term expired, their Demo
cratic members vacated their seats in Con
gress, with very rare exceptions. OF their
few anti Democratic members, nearly or
quite every one remained TO the close.
VI Mr.. Lincoln was inaugurated on the
ith of March, 1851 and his Inaugural Adj
lress was mainly devoted to the inculca-
ion Of doctrines regarding Secession and
Coercion. the exact oPfpOsitc> of MesSrs. !
Buchanan and Blacks. Mr.. Lincoln was
well known 10 hold Gas we did and do the
right of the People TO modify or change
heir form of government as transcending
all written constitutions or charters; but
he. with great clearness and cogency, yet
IN perfect kindness. demonstrated that
President must, to the utmost limit OF his
ability, cause the laws of the Union TO be
and obeyed in every State and
Territorv-that, should collision of forces
result. his position would be strictly defen-
;ive and conservative-that the consequent
war would be made upon him, not by him.
Never was a manifesto more firm and lu-
rid never was one less irritating. Either
lis doctrines were sound, or any State
might at any time dissolve the Union
Y ct, of the five hundred Democratic jour
nails within our reach, we believe no single
one approved and sustained the positions
of Mr.. Lincoln.
VII. Throughout that Winter and the
ensuing Spring, all the organs of Demo
cratic opinion within our observation
reprobated Mr.. Lincoln and the Republi-
cans as disturbers and disunionists. be-
cause of their intent to oppose force by
force, If that should become necessary to
maintain the integrity and authority of the
Union. We can recall no instsnce Of
Democratic rebuke to those who were
openly, ostentatiously conspring and arm
ng TO resist the Union, which they pro-
claimed already dissolved.
VIII, a Confederacy of the seeded
States having been formed, leading North
srn and Western Democrats openly advo-
rated the secession OF their several States
rom the Union aud their accession to the
Southern Confederacy. If the Union is
10 be dissolved" said Judge Geo. w.
Woodward, Democratic candidate for
Governor in 1868. Il want the line to run
.orth of Pennsylvania" Ex-Governor
Rodman VI. Price of New Jersey. wrote ,
md printed letter deliberately urging that
New Jersey should forthwith unite her |
Ortunes with those of the SlavehOlding
Confederacy (Sec il in American Confict,
Vol. |. p. 4S9.) And Ex-Governor Hora-
10 Seymour of this State privately argued {
hat New York should likewise unite with ,
hat Confederacy whose head was Jefferson
Davis. 1t was held By leading Democrats ,
hat the Union might thus be reconstructed
without blCodshed or convulsion--only !
New England, aud perhaps two or three of
he more fanatical States Of the North
West, being excluded therefrom, unac- .
:eptable TO our Southern brethren. ,
X. Actual hostilities were commenced
,y the Rebels--not by firing on Fort Sum ,
er, as Is often asserted, and as Pollard
Tow pretends, but months before, while {
Hr. Buchanan was yet President. They
eized and appropriated the forts, arsenals, {
.rmories, ordinance, arms, munitions, Gus
om-houses, post offices, sub-treasuries, :
&C., throughout nearly half the Union,