Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1868-01-08
The Democratic Record.

| Senator Stewart, of Nevada, fired CEN
tire shot in his brief and quick reply to Gar
rett Davis, of Kentucky, when be said, a
few days ago:
In the first place, Congress found organi-
cations in existence in the South that were
in rebel han6s-that were prosecuting loyal
men--that were obstructing the process OF
the law. in fact there were no loyal gov
ernments in the South. How did we com
mence? We commenced by attempting to
relieve the difficulty without negro suffrage.
We passed the civil rights bill. The Presi-.
dent vetoed 1t. 1t was opposed In the South;
1t was not executed. Civil rights were de-
MED to the negroes, which all the Democrats
now say they ought to have. They say they
will give them civil rights. Why did they
not give them civil rights under the civil
ris hts bill, and execute that law The Pres
ident had vetoed it, and the reasoning of his
veto message was followed by those who
had charge of the execution OF the law.
We then passed Freedmen's Bureau
bill. That was imperative except III the
immediate presence of the military comnan-
ders. The objection made to these meas
ures was that they were unconstitutional.
All admitted the civil rights bill, but 1t was
opposed on technical grounds. Congress
then sought to remedy that difficulty, and
how? By proposing constitutional amend
ment which denied the power OF the State
organizations to deprive any citizen OF his
civil rights, with other provisions. This
was submitted to the States; and this was
rejected by the rebels; rejected by the john
son party rejected by the Democrats. They
said they would not give the loyal black
men in the South civil rights; that they
would not have them protected; that they
would not give them the aid OF the machln-
cry OF the Government, that they would not
allow loyal men to be protected in the South.
In other words, they repudiated every prop
osition for constitutioualiy guaranteeing to
each citizen his civil rights. What was to
be done next2 There were in the South
large mass of people, black and white, who
were loyal to this Government, VINO Were
oppressed by this unjust refusal on the part
OF the Democratic party and those operat-
ing with them, who were denied their civil
rights, to whom there was no protection. 1t
then became necessary either to provide 10y
al governments or surrender the Southern
country to the hands of rebels or rebel SYM
pethizers, leaving loyal men unprotected by
any law-leaving them to the generosity OF
the rebels, who had been exasperated "a
gainst the negro and against the Southern
loyalists by our action in suppresslng the re-
bellion and liberating slaves. Were We to
turn our friends-those who had been true
to the Unon-over to the tender mercies
of those who had made war upon the Union !;
to turn them over to the tender mercles of
their exasperated enemies, who refused TO
sanction any law whereby they were to be
protected in their civil rights? What was
done then? Congress passed reconstruction
acts. whereby they conferred the right OF
suffrage, not upon the blacks alone, ,ibut up
on the whites, excluding a very small! class,
whereby they placed in the hands OF the
oppressed and the prosecuted the power Of
self protection. You say that this was un-
constitutional. You say this was usurpation.
l am sorry that the President of the United
States has used that argument in view OF
his own conduct in view OF the fact that
he undertook to set up governments himself,
with restrictions which involved the exer-
else of the identical power that Congress has
exercised. There is no party that can say 1t
is free from the exercise of this power.
This is the Democratic record since the
overthrow of the rebellion. What it was
during the rebellion the people know too
sadly by heart. Sympathy first with seces-
sion, and then open cooperation with arm
ed treason, were its constant and It's active
characteristics.
The Democrats, then, will appear before
the people next year not only to answer the
awful charge of having aided the enemies
of the Government from the first hour to the
last of the war, but also, of having opposed
every measure of peace and restoration, as
they were presented by Congress.
And when with this record is connected
the fact that the Democrats will be forced to
take ground against Gen. Grant as the Re
publican candidate for President, we think
they will occupy about as consistent posi-
tion as the enemy of all progress, liberty,
and humanity, as Jefferson Davis himself
could desire. If they made Davis their can
didate for President the record would be
more symmetrical, but not more complete
than it is
COULDN'T Fool HIM know nice old
farmer wbo noyar had Daper in his house