New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-07-13
coLFAx ON THE DEMoCRATC PLATFORM


replies of his past speeches to many of the
points of the Democratic Platform adopted this
week. That document, the child of many
fathers, acknowledges the result Of the War,
which its last National platform declared
ga failure" as follows:
Recognize the questions of Slavery and Secession
as having been settled for all time to come Oghe Wdr,
or the voluntary action of the Southern States DC.
| See how Mr. COlfax reviews the manner in
which this was effected, in his address to the
| Union League Club of New-York, May Z, 1867
| (page 32S):
| Again, when in the very crisis of the nations
agonies, he president Lncon struck with the
might of the warpower against Slavery as the cause
! of all our woes you stood by him, UNFOLDING his
hands and strengthening him in that eventful con
ict. Enemies assailed you with eplthet and lnYec-
tive. You were called negro worshipers, fanatics,
and Radicals. But, on the stump, at the polls, and IN
Congress we all faced the issue fearlessly and the
world-accursed system went down forever and for
ever No thanks to our opponents for this benecent
consummation. But now, our enemies being our
Judges how magniiicenty are we indorscdi Who
dares now to wag his tongue against iti Who re-
peats the ISLANDERS heaped upon you but yesterday
Not one Not one. Yours was the contest you bore
the opprobriun: and yours is the victory And your
children and your chdren's children will rise up to
call You blessed, because you dared, despite the
wrath of traitors South, and the nvecives OF your
opponents North, to destroy this giant wrong from
turret 10 foundaton-sone amid the agonies and
throcs of civil war; and to crush it out from this fair
land forever
If the Democratic delegates had had the
manlincss to acknowledge that this great result
had been effected over and in spite of their
malignant opposition persisted in to the latest
moment even after the war had ended, their
platform would have been more truthful, and
they might have asked for absolution for their
Sins, and amnesty for past political olcnses''
The claim they make that they are the
champions "for the liberties of the people is
thus anticipated and replied to in Colfax's
Cooper Institute speech of Oct. 1867 (page 300
And that brings me again to this Democratic
party. | want TO show. now, how 1t has trampled
upon these truths of its fathers and turned its back
upon the principles upon (which it was founded. IN
tho good old times when it used 10 claim hatit was
party that protected the poor Look at its last years
of subserviency to Slavery. Gods poor it trampled
under FOOT and, when we struck the chains from
them they clustered around the slavcowners and
tried 10 keep the fetters upon the limbs Of Gods
poor They talk about being opposed to class legsa-
toni Why, they have been for legislation for the
Shareholders, the worst class legislation that ever
disgraccd any land on the face of the eaIth. They
talk of a governmental the people and yet they
sympathzcd with the Rebels, n minority, against
the Government established by majority of the
people. They talk about equal and exact justice 10
all men! Why, let any Of YOU 90 TO a Democratic
Convention and try the experiment Offer resolu-
ton: Resolved, in the language of Jeferson's
Inaugural. that we demand and will stand by to the
al ittatt ga all mon nd
will hiss you out of the Convention. They
talk about standing by the Declaration or
Independence! Jefferson, the father of their
party was the writer of that instrument. lie wrote
that with his pen which Washington afterward
carved out so gloriously with his sword But If he
could rise from the grave to-day, and look ut the
men who claim to be his children, he would turn
around and say, Il never knew yon' Go into a
Democratic Convention and try it; offer a resolution,
Resolved That declare, in the language of JEFF
fcrson that all men created equal, and that gov
ernment derive all their just powers from the con-
sent of the governed and they will turn you out as
Abolitionists And that is not all. They predict
evil and then they try TO verify it, They said you
could not subugae the South; and they fought every
war policy of the Government intended 20 subjugae
it, They had no rejoicing for your victories; no sor-
rows fOr your Teverses eulOges for your heroes;
| no war but with Mr.. Lincoln They said you could
not reconstruct when the over; and when
you passed reconstruction laws they went over the
land fostering discOrd and encouraging unrepentant
Rebels to defy them. They said you could not pay
the public debt and they discouraged subscription
to the Government loan, and said that greenbacks
would finally be good for nothing; that it would
take hatful of them to buy a hat That
is not ALL At tho very opening of the
Rebellion, jeff Davis shouted No Coercion!
AID fha M
| When Abraham Lincoln put negroes into the army
TO fight jeff Davis denounced it, So did the Dem
ocrats. When Mr.. Lincoln issued the Emancipation
Proclamation jeff Davis denounced it, So did the
| Democrats. When JEFF. Davis said this was negro
war the Democrats echoed his words and said This
is negro war When jeff Davis denounced Abra-
ham Lincoln as a tyrant and despot the Democrats
echoing his words said: Abraham Lincoln is ty
rant and despot' JEFF. Davis rdiculed the green
backs SO did the Democrats At last, jeff. Davis
| said: You never conquer the South And then
| the Democrats met in Convention at Chicago,
| and do you remember when Andrew Jackson lived
he thrilled the national heart and thrills it to-day,
with that motto which will live as long his
is remembered and honored, it will be, as patriot:
The Union, it must and shall be preserved And
| these men went TO Chicago, claiming TO be the
descendants of Andrew Jackson politically, and, in
| the very crisis of your national agony, when yOu
had 100000 men in the field dying in hospitals who
were calling to u.s. Give us aid, send down more
men we will die here, that the nation shall live
And the answer came down from the Chicago Con-
vention You cannot put down the Rebellion; we
declare that the war is a failure and we demand
cessation Of hOstilities''
The denunciations of the platform, which
"arraign the Radical party for its disregard of
"rght, and the unparalleled oppression and