The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1868-05-07
SH1LL THERE BE HARMONY?

SH i i'll HERE DE- IAN ~ CIV
The following article from the Frank
lin (N " Gazette embodies the senti-
nents of all true democrats and as it ex-
presses our feelings in better language
than We could employ, we quote 1t entire ::
As the time approaches fJr the meeting
of the democratic national convention, the
question whether there is to be harmony
il the democratic party-an Ignoring OF
pas: diferences-in the coming presiden-
tial contest, should be settled. If demo-
Gratis are to be discarded for having ad-
hered steadfastly to their principles dur
the Linccln war against the south, 1t
should be known anl understood at once !;
and ne are glad to see that this matter is
attracting earnest attention. For ourself,
at 4 sacrifice OF personal feeling We con.
TESS, We are wiling, with The editor Of the
Old Guard, 'to bury the record Of those
who joined in the var upon the funaa-
mental principle Of selfgovernmert, pro
V:ded, for the future, there is TO be re-
turn to those ancient doctrines on which
the democratic party stood with unfal ter
ing tenacity. from the foundation or the
union until the beginning of the negro
war" If there is to be harmony, this is
the condition. ANY man Of ordinary sa-
gacity Continues the Old Guard must
zee that there is no hope of democratic
success except upon the rule of silence
upon past differences, and perfect har
mony upon present issues. And if such
happy state Of things does not exist at
the present time. We charge that it is sole
10 the party from the Lincoln camp. Less
than one-third Of the democratic press Of
the north supported the Lincoln war and
the two-thirds which did not support it
have eVinceI willingness TO keep silence
upon that horrid event which has produc-
cd all cur preset ruin. 1t is the one
third which IS the cause of the threatened
disruption Of The democratic party. A
protested democratic editor Of New York
city declared that it was the best thing for
the party that it should be beaten in New
Hampshire in order to rebuxe copper
head.sm. and proceeded to read Judge
Black, Governor Thomas II. Seymour,
Mr. Pendlcton, and Mr. Voorhees, but of
the democratic party, and to place at its
head, as leaders, General Sherman and
Frank Blair And, while these
traitors 20 the party and thus conniving
e. is defeat, they fling the charge of me
misfortune upon mG whom they hate J.,
only because they have never wandered
from the principles Of democracy. They
have the effrontery TO denounce those who
bore no part in war which destroyed not
only the union, but overthrow the very
foundations OF free government. The
nian who can look upon the shreds into
which Cur country has been torn By the
war, and not hide his head for shame al
the thought that lie helped it Oh, must be
made of brass. We were willing to leave
him to his own regrets, under the cover Of
perfect silence. Bat, as if haunted with
sense OF shame which he cannot forget
aud dare not forgive even himself, he
has brought the malignant spirit of the
Lincoln camp back into the democratic
party. And it Is he who is disturbing the
party with a howl Of vengeance against its
truest and best men, who could neither b.
tempted out Of democracy by bribery mol
driven out by threats. This folly mus
stop or the Lincolnized democracy vii
be left quietly, but firmly and eternally t,
itself. 1t must stop. IF this stupendou
and impudeat folly and crime called 10y
atty ia to enthrone itself permanently up
on the ruins of American liberty and self
government, it shall sit, not in the nam,
of democracy, but in that of the party
which rightly owns it. 1t is easy to have
silence upon this guilty past, but it is i'm
possible to engraft the principles anc
crimes of the war upon the democratic
party"
These sentiments, SO admirably express
ed, 40 sound and inst, we accept and adop