Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-09-18
PL.AGN WORDS FOR PATRE-
OTTO DEMOCRATS.
From the Chicago Republican. ]

/ FROM the IHiNaSO nc uDiiSdb
" len rebellion beset the Union, the
Democratic party of that day in the
North divided into two port:ons-those
whose ssmpathies went out to The revolt
inc South, and those who rallied To The
support of the General Government in
its efforts to preserve the national life.
The former class have passed beyond the
reach of reason or appea but the latter
have proved by their words and deeds
that they are true lovers Of their country.
To such we address the following argu
| ment:
The creed cbampioned by the orga
nization which to- day taxes upon itself
the name of :he Democratic party, is not
the creed championed b, the Democracy
before the war. The distinctive princi-
pies of the party then were the sub treas
ury as against national bank; a tariff
for revenue alone, in preference to one
to one for protective purposes; opposi-
ton to internal improvements by the
General Government; opposition to the
distribution of the sales of the public
lands among the States; the Monroe
doctrine; and strict as against n latitu-
dinarian construction of the Constitution.
What one OF the above issues is now
living question before the country?
What Democratic writer or speaker nj
ludes to them in their appeals to tho peo
plea Where is reference made to them
in either the Chicago or the Tammany
platform? What State, county. or city
convention, or other political body, nj
ludes to them in their resolutions? How
ever prominent they may become in the
national arena years hence, they are not
now agitated as boints TO be settled BY
the Presidential campaign. The one
paramount question which swells from
the mass of collateral issues as the noun
| tain swells from the plain. is whether the
men who saved the Union from disinteg-
ration and ruin shall rule. or those who
! sought by force of arms and by foreign
! interference, To c0nSlgn II 10 destruction.
Republicans think it is too soon to hani
over The general welfare and the public
safety into the keeping of a party made
up OF traitors. many of whom have not
been pa,d"ned much mere than two
moths ago; of people who sympathiZed
strongly with the rebelIious South, willie
the nflict WAS raging, and who used
their forts to cast obstacles in the way
of the Rational cause; and of some true
hearted. patriotic men who are misguid-
ed BY the name of the political organiza
ton with which theg are acting.
Should the conspirators who are plot
ting revolution anew sacceed in plunging
the land once more into civil strife, the
last named class would rush TO arms for
the preservation of the Union. and to
cruise out the rebellion, with the same
eacrity and unanimity which character
lied them when the country before need
ed their self sacrificing services. Why
should not such devoted friends of free
dom and national unity vote now as they
fought then Why should they turn
their backs upon their army records, to
elevate into place and power the bloody
minded and bloody handed NAL content.
who are refusing to obey the terms o.
their paroles rs prisoners of war Have
:hey soon forgotten the inhuman cruel
ties inflicted upon Union soldiers-iheil
comrades in arms--at AndersonviIle, a
Belle Isle, at Libby Prison and Mt other
places of incarceration. where starvation
aud disease were made instruments tC
achieve success in war
Let the patriotic Democrats who le-
serted their party the momcn, it allies
itself with the enemies Of their country
ponder the political situation, and ash
themselves seriously the question eacl
for himself, " Does not my duty to th'
cause of the Union require me. in ,ht
present crisis of affairs, to cast my ballo
for Grant s,d CoJfax ?"