New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-05-23
THE ANXIOUS DEMOCRACY.

THE ANXIOUS DEMOCRACY
There is an old Jest in the law books of
certain knight whose silk stockings had been
so often darned, that it became question in
Chancery whether they should be legally con-
sidered the original hose or substantially
different pair We are reminded of this by the
thick-hying rumors of the future piOus inten-
tons of the venerable Democratic party, and
of a scheme to weave certain Republican threads
into the looped and Widowed raggedness of this
rather shaky organization. The story is, that
when the National Convention meets a great
magical wash-pot is to be set up in which the
party will proceed to clean itself of all its old
opinions, whims, notions and traditions, so that
it can stand before the people bright and re-
generated, renewed and redeemed, dirtless and
disenthralledl We once heard judge say that
he did not see why trOver could not be brought
for house, and if the Republican platform is
to be carried off in bulk, we must certainly try
to find out some way of getting it back again.
Very little has lately been said about the alb
duction and appropriation of Chief-Justice
Chase, but we warn His Honor still to keep
upon his guard; and we must extend our
warning to the entire Adams family, against
which we have reason to believe the most ne
farious designs are entertained. The MasSa-
cbusetts Democrats, and tho New-England
Democrats generally. as we are credibly in
formed, arc soul-sick of that kind of
Democracy which may be called Pendle-
tonian, and which consists i'll bawling
for Reputation and cursing Canaan. They will
try to make their intolerable disgust felt and
acted upon in the National Convention and
although we do not believe that they will have
the moral courage to slough off if beaten, as
they probably will be, yet still, in such case,
they will go into the fight in rather low
and unprOmising frame of mind. AT present,
they have Adams on the brain, with occasional
symptoms of Chef-Justice Chase. They will
run the Minister to England for the Vice-Pres-
idency, or either of the Minister'S bOys-it does
not make bit Of difference. They profess to
be quite ready for Universal Suffrage, without
distinction of colOr-they do not relish Pendle-
toms financial heresies, for the reason that a
good many of them have United States secu-
rites in their pockets, and they would like, be-
fore they die, eonce more to fill the Federal
Offices under so-called Democratic Admins
tration. In short, they are for All entirely new
pair of stockings, with the old name by no
means discarded. I'm their verdant freshness,
and with the very highest opinion of their own
sagacity the Young Democracy of England
are coming TO the National Convention, and
unless their views are yielded to by the yeter-
ans, they threaten to "cut up rough" and to
break things generally. But, bless your soul
they will do nothing of the kind. Unquestion-
ably they will find the Old Fogy element too
strong for them; but when the crisis comes and
they are out-speechifed, out-resOlved and out
a. Ia 1on,ho onH vnf for
all the candidates with resigned if not a
willing mind.
1t is curious that the main part of this pre-
cious scheme should be the capture of couple
of stray Republicans. The touching confidence
which pre-supposes that Chef-Justice Chase is
to be had for the asking, would not seem to
argue very high opinion of the integrity of
human nature; and we really do not know
why the Democracy should have such an opin
ion But the beauty of the business is the
nomination of an Adams for the Vice-Presi-
dency. We do not know what reason they
have for thinking that Mr.. Charles Francis
Adams would accept their nomination for
the ofiice-all we have to say is that if he
should, the gentleman who ran on the Buffalo
Platform with Mr.. Van Buren, would find him
self once moro in rather queer company. The
more juvenile, however, of the Democracy affect
the son rather than the father, and propose to
inscribe the name of John Quincy Adams,
jr., upon their banners. He, Of course, will
be like Barkis He will be "willin'" They
tried him for Governor last Autumn in Massa-
chusetts, and although he was badly whipped
he took his fogging like gentleman. There
are one or two younger brothers in the family
some of them are not yet of age-but that is
of no consequence, for politically Mr.. j. Q.
Adams, jr, can hardly be said to have yet
attained his majority. What is really wanted
is the grand paternal name; and If worst comes
to worst, there is a man by the name OF Adams
in this city who makes and sells shirts, and
who would answer every purpose, unless shirts
under any circumstances should BIO considered
Objectionable by the loudest Democrats Of this
metropolis.
We beg pardon Of the reader for descanting
upon all this guesswork, but we watch these
perturbations just as fascinated entomOlogist
might tenderly regard an unknown chrysalis.
Tho NeW-Epgland Democrats think that they