The Shasta courier., 1868-06-13
why are the Irish Democrats

| mat the Democratic party in its youth and
manhood represented the most advanced ideas
OF this Republic cannot be denied. even
though in its present senility, it goes hob
bling about, splitting its venom on the Young
giant that has taken its place, and gathering
the Ignorance and crime of the nation be-
meath its folds, to regain its old position in
the land
When Jefferson and jackson were the rep
resentatives of Democracy. it was party
worthy of this Republic. But when 'Brickf'
Pomeroy essays the role of Jefferson, and
johnson. with his treache.ous stubbornness,
lmaglnes himself acting the role of jackson,
Democracy is but a comedy put on the boards
to please the vicious, by appealing to the
baser passions and prejudices of the ignorant
and the false. 1t is but dragging the mantle
of the golden gods through the purleus of
crime, and drinking hobnob with pothouse
politicians, for the purpose of overthrowing g
intelligent justice and well regulated liberty,
and setting up crime and license and satur-
n lila In their stead.
When the Little Giant" of the West
breathed his last, couuseling his children to
be true to the nation, then Democracy should
have died. What was left was but the body
| filled with the worst passions, the soul hav-
|
leaders of Democracy should have folded the
Giant of the West in his grave, instead of
having been torn into shreds by hungry
hucksters to be faunted over the planks Of
the old platform, broken up by the conflicting
| elements into a dozen RATS, one raft steering
South with treason for its banner; another
steering North with riot and murder for It's
ensig another, the smallest, but one that
had the live oak timbers and the hickory
| flagstaff of the old craft, from which flew the
War Democracy"
| During all these years, from the cradle to
the grave of Democracy, the Irish people
have stood by the party
| 1t was for its early virtues they joined it.,
and themselves being changeess, they have
failed to understand how the principles of one
generation become effete and will not suit for
the next, especially in progressive age like
this, and progressive people like the Amer
lean. Unfortunately for Ireland and her
people. we are always content with things as
our ia hers have left them. We associate all
old things with sacredness. and look upon
men who are not content with Constitution
framed in another age and by another gener-
alton surrounded by old institu ions, a, fan
atcs. Iconaclasts who are going around,
smashing the brazen images OF the past, we
look upon with awe and hatred, even though
those idols are pressing down the world,
and we ourselves are grooming beneath their
weight, while protecting their sacred ugli
ness.
1t is thus with the Irish and Democracy.
They worship it for what it was, and will not
lock on It's present hideousness. When other
parties prescribed and ibed them for their
ignorance, and made light OF their misery.
the Democratic party became their refuge. 1t
protected them, for they saved it from ruin.
As it was, so it is, with our people
They cannot see that the Republican party is
the first born of the old Democracy inherit
ing all its parents virtues, and laying in a
plentiful stock Of its own to suit the advanced
days in which we live. Convince the Irish
of this fact, and you make them Republicans.
Until so convinced they will be the honest
old guard" of Democracy, around which
treason and corruption will rally, to use our
honest countrymen to destroy the Republic
and ride into power.
We ask the members of the Republican
party, and the editors of Republican journals,
whether they have taken the proper means
to reach the Irish people?
1t is useless for men to say thew can ''do
nothing with the Irish" We say they can.
Let the Republican press throughout the
country but initiate the New York Tribune
in dealing with the Irish and English, always
taking the part of the oppressed, instead of
publishing petty insults on poor Pats igno-
rance or poverty as some of them do. Let
our public speakers treat our poor country
men with that consideration which, taking
their surroundings into view, they SO well
deserve. Let the Republican party, as the
party OF liberty and intelligence, carry con-
vIctlon TO the Irish people, they can do,
and as they should do, and in a year they
will bring onc-half the Irish people into their
ranks.
1t is all fine for men who have been born
to the heritage of liberty and who have been
blessed with that intelligence which enables
them to catch at single glance, the affairs
Of nations, and the effects of principles as
applied to mankind, to look down on the
mistakes and faults of our countrymen; but
where is the people so circumstanced as the
Irish people, who have passed through the
gauntlet of seven hundred years of oppres-
sion, who can show such a record as they can
to-day?
The principles of the =" Republican party''
are for sect, hut for all men. 1t becomes
the duty of every member of the party to
invite all men to share in its councils and
avail themselves of its privileges On the
other hand, the man who stands upon its
universal platform and hoists his banner of
prescription, should be hurled from it uncer-
enormously. By what right will some mar
row bigot stand under the protecting agis of
Republicanism, and cry, We want no Irish
here? We want no Catholics here? etc.
These men-few they are, and growing
less, thank Heaven-should know at once
that all men who believe i'll human freedom
belong to the Republican party of a right.
The majority of Irish people of America
are Democrats because they believe that
party is right. They are led and used by
knaves, but the people are honest Convince
them of their error. Act up to the profess
sions of Republicanism. Show them that you
believe in the rights of men. That you are
of no creed. That the Catholic and the Pro
testant and all others are equally dear to you
as men. Kindness and sympathy will reach
the hearts of our people. But revile and
abuse them, and your enemies catch up your
words and whisper them into every Irish ear
| in the land.
| Let men not hatter themselves that Catho-
icity in its true Interpretation is opposed to
| Republicanism and universal suffrage. The
Bishops and priests to large extent may be
opposed to those things. This is not owing
to the Church SO much as to the fact that
they are Irish and share the prejudices and
feelings common to our race.-lrish Republic