New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-01-07


doubts expressed by Loyal League arstocras OF the
propriety of their being permitted 10 vote II they
they fear that the lab0rlng class would sink into such
contempt furnish the aristocrats with arguments
nothing but attempt TO degrade the suffrage an at
tempt TO render free institutions so odious and so mis-
cheyous prepare the way for their overthrow"
Comments by The Tribune.
Our readers do not need to be reminded that
Democracy, MS an abstract principle or basis of
Government, is one thing, while the practical
creed of the Democratic party is quite another.
Our present concern is with the latter, and es-
pecially with its denial of all voice in the con-
duct of their and our Government to -Four
Millions of our countrymen.
All men, so far as we know, desire Liberty
for Themselves They wish to be accorded impu-
nifty in that line of conduct which they have
predetermined to pursue. He who seeks to live
and thrive by pandering to any degrading
sensual appetite in others, naturally afiliates
with that party whose principles or whose
policy seem most likely to favor, protect, or
wink at, his chosen vocation. Thus, while no
one, we presume, would gravely contend for
the essentially democratic character of the
African ve-Trade, it is none less the fact
that, for the last thirty years, every American
slave-t trader on the African coast has accounted
himself in politics Democrat. So every one
who chooses to live by pugilsm, or gambling,
or harlotry, with nearly every keeper OF tip
ping house, is politically Democrat. lie
believes in LdiSSes fare"-that "The world
"is governed too much'-that "The best govern
"ment is that which governs least.n He wants
his 'trade to move without restriction" He joy
fully subscribes to The World, and echoes its
cry: "Let the people eat, drink, and amuse
" themselves as they see fit, so long as they do
"nOt infringe on the same liberty in Others"
A purely selfish interest attaches the lewd,
ruffianly, criminal, and dangerous classes to
the Democratic party by the instinct of self
preservation preservation of their right to
make gain of others degradation.
But here come Four Millions of or people,
holding up the hands from which the Republic
(sorely against the will of our pimps, pugilists,
blacklegs, etc., so recently struck the shackles
of cruel bondage, saying, "We. too, seek
"and demand the political rights of freemen
ave are poor, humble, ignorant, but not
through our own fault They who would de-
"priye us of the rights of Manhood because of
"our lack of education are the very men who,
&" so long as they had power, made it felony
"by statute to teach us. We cannot protect
ourselves from their expressions without the
ballot-help us to enfranchlsementw
What says DEMOCRACY to this dcmand-not
the swinding Sham Democracy of tho slums,
but the Democracy of literature, of nature,
and of reasonP We defy The World to quote
respectable treatise on Government which does
not sustain the demand of these -Four Millions
as based upon and justified by real Democracy.
See the following definition, from the standard
dictionary of Noah Webster-confcssedly the
best definer who ever gave his life to fixing
and setting forth the meanings of English
words:
DEMOCRAT. N one who adhere. to government by
the people, Tdrcrs me e1te'siOn u me right OF suffrage
10 al CLASSES Of men"
Is there anything more to be said 7 Who
needs a. new dictionary
The World praises the virtues of =" the
meanest classesr-by which IL does not mean
the Blacks-and is shocked at the "Pharisaism"
that does not recognize "the virtues" which
irradiate the Five Points True, it pleadingly
admits that the denizens of "the slums" =" did
mot exactly see that CONSUMPTION was Lib
"erty:r so they set to butchering and burning
negroes, burning an orphan asylum (after
stealing part of the negro childrens clothes),
and mobbing THE TRIBUNE Office. Conscrip-
ton is precisely as much Liberty as Taxation
is-neither less nor more. The two rest on
exactly the same basis, and are justified by
the same considerations. And, if Conscrip-
ton had been ordered to uphold Slavery-not
to subvert it because of its completely with
Rebellion" the slumsr would have hailed it
with enthusiasm They sought to burn our
Office, not really because of the CONSUMPTION,
but because we were hostile 10 Human
Slavery.
But the miserable and degraded tenants
of our slums have 1.-THE World says "too
much self-respect to associate with negroes"
We believe The Worlds reporter, who recently
made the rounds of "the sums" could testify
that the fact is otherwise. Certainly, we have
observed, from the windows of our office,
White and Black children playing together iii
the City Hall Park on almost every fair day of
the last twenty years, though scarcely White
family resides in the neighborhood whose head
does not vote the Democratic ticket.
The slum voters are afraid to let Blacks
vote lest they degrade the suffrage" But
the great mass of the substantial thrifty farmers
of st. Lawrence, Washington, Chautauqua, and
most of our rural counties, have no such fear,
though their stake in republican government is
certainly no less than that of the bummers "
and "revolvers who haunt "the Sums" We
are confident that their hearts "beat for
" liberty" as truly as do those of the " Stun"
people.
But Tie World thinks it is liberty" to
"let the citizens Iof every State decide for
" Themselves who shall have the elective fran
"chse." Indeed Who are "the citizens Of
Georgia or Alabama7 Shall the Four Hundred