The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1868-07-14

in their stead. -se
These things, with many others that
have not time here to name, began tt
weaken the confidence of the people il
the Democratic party, and it began te
be difficult for them to keep the con
science of the nation still. State aftel
State in the North had gone over to the
Republican party, and, in 1860, eigh,
years ago, the indign alton of the people
hurled them from power, and as l be-
lieve, never again to be restored. 81
If the Democratic party ever was Of
any service to the country Ca fact thai
is not free from doubt) the day of its
usefulness has passed, and, like some oi
our great men, it has lived too long al
ready for its own good name. It ought
to die. I know of no service it could
reiider the country that would be SO val.
liable. It's morals long since corrupted
and its manners hopelessly contaminated
by contact with slavery and slave-hold
ers, the open apologist and defender OF
all the vices Of the day, with the blood
of half million of brave men on its
garments, and responsible for the great
debt now burdening the nation; that
party, bent with age and bowed down
with sin and iniquity, stands up to-day
ard asks the support of the young men
of the country and begs again to be
placed in it's former seat of power and
plunder.
In view of its past history the country
will not listen with much patience to the
plea of this old sinner. They will not
fail to remember that the leaders of the
Democratic party, by their conduct for
ten years before the war, laid the foun.
dations for rebellion in the South. AS
have shown, the South made their de.
mands on the Democratic party, and
they were met willingly. That party
sold their honor and their principles for
the electoral vote of the slave States,
and when, by their faithlessness to free
dom, they had lost their power in the
North, and the Republican party, eight
years ago, elected Abraham Lincoln, the
South had the assurance, from the past
conduct of the party as well by the pos.
tive promise of the leaders, that the
Democracy of the North would assist
the South in thwarting the will of the
nation by putting freedom to the sword
But here again, as often before, the lead
,f he rfu ooti
, mated the patriotism of the people
When the guns Of the rebels were
| opened on the flag of the nation, men oi
all parties, startled and amazed at the
audacity of the slave power, with arms
in their hands rushed to the conflict and
left the Democratic party alone and
powerless.
When disaster befell our arms they
took advantage of the doubtful and
timid of their party and told them we
never could defeat the South, and when
the great and good Lincoln proclaim ed
the freedom Of the slave, they then with
more boldness still appealed to the mass
of Democrats that this was an Abolition
war-a war not for the preservation OF
slave, and with fiendish ingenuity
stirred up in the hearts Of many an hon
est and patriotic man all his old preju-
dices and then led him off and with hor-
rid oaths initiated him into their secret
lodges to plan for the destruction of our
armies and to render substantial aid to
the rebels, and as our list Of killed and
wounded increased, and as our public
debt rapidly grew larger, they became
more open and bold in their treason,
and while the fearful struggle was the
hottest and when the hearts of many
were filed with serious apprehensions,
this same party met in national conven'
ton in 1864, and with the traitorous
purpose of paralyzing the arm of the
Union Soldier and holding up and
strengthening the rebel authority, they
then resolved that the schole uar Uas a
failure. -
The Southern Confederacy had made
its appeal to the nations of the earth for
recognition, but the mighty armies of
the Union and the patriotism and power
Of the nation astonished the monarchies
of Europe, and made them fearful to
give US offense, and the claim of the bo-
gus rebel Government was everywhere
rejected and refused. The only friend
JoR navis's Govornm ont had anvwho
was the Democratic party in the North,
led by the Brights and Pendletons, the
Vallandighams and Seymours; and to
come little nearer home, by Bowles,
Milligan and men Of that ilk. The fail
.ure to receive foreign support and rec
ognition would have demoralized and
led "a tho carly dissolution of the South.