The Portland daily press., 1868-07-11
II II h T r Il ~ +.
Saturday Morning, J'lV il, '86B
Den.I,IuiIle Pot.


turns out 10 be nothing but the venom OF oil
CopperheddiSno, by which the country was near
being poisoned. There is death IN the pot. All
the ingredients Of unle?eatant iebeihoh ana
negro hate are in it.
Eye of newt aud toe of frog,
Wool of bat and iongne OF dgs,
Adde'S FORK AMI blind worms sting,
Lizards leg and o%lebs wing
LAYING aside this figure, that which raised
the assembling of the national Democratic
convention into historic interest, WAS the pos
sibity of its repentance and regeneration.
There were indications that sagacious men,
whose fortunes were embarked in that party,
had seen the opportunity to cut it loose from
its fatal alliances with slavery and reaction,
and to fill its old and shrunken veins with the
warm blood of new era. Such MIRACLES
have even been claimed for science in times
past. The facts however are not well anthem
ticated. individuals repent, more rarely, We
suspect. than is generally believed; organ
izations cannot repent. When they become
old and decrepit and incompatible with the
spirit of the age, they cannot be tlnkered or
medicated. They cry out like all corrupt and
decaying things for burial deep ont of the
Isight and smell of living men.
Certain it is that few minds, -(they never
seem to have comprised but four whole votes
in the convention) did contemplate the polIt-
ical miracle, of making the men, who on 10th
sides aided the rebellion with arms and votes
accept with satisfaction the resutfof - war,
that had subjugated and temporarily disfran-
chised the leaders of the rebellion; of making
impoverished slave holders aequiesce in and
rejoice over the emancipation of their slaves,
and of making men, whose highest notion of
Democracy was the paramount privileges of a
white race, believe in the Declaration of indie
pendence. The nomination Of Seymour and
Blair and the adoption of the platform shows
how far their enthusiastic hopes have been
blasted.
The time and place of the great convention
were unpropitious for such results. When the
uncledn spirit has gone out of man, he aodlteth
through dry places, seeking rest. New York,
whose politics are controlled by the trafficers
in untaxed whiskey was not one of the dry
places, TO which persons just dispossessed of
the unclean spirit of rebellion ard slavery
could safely resort. 1t was the anniversary
too of the orgies of Mr. Seymour's friends in
1868, and the dark stains might perhaps be
found where negro children were Drained on
the flag in testimony that this is a
white mans government. Mr. Seymours
friends, who gave such taste of their quality;
were the all dominant outside inspiration OF
the convention, and made their wishes tell at
last in the nominations. -r..
In some other city, in Cleveland or Chicago,
famed with pure North wind from the bosom
OF the great lakes, or at Pittsburg or even
Philadelphia, with the cheerful hum rising
from The mills and workshops where thousands
OF eniranchised men toied for the common
wealth, the auspices might have been happier
and the prospect of restoration and new lease
of life to the sick party better.
The mere assembling of such n mass as
the present Democracy was.disastrous. Mole
eyed conservatives from the border States. en-
FILTERED partisans from the North, reck less re-
pudators from the West, men who had evad-
ed military duty in war and taxes in time of |
peace, cheek by jowl with the discounted |
and eankered, seedy and needy DISTINGUISHED |
leaders of the rebellion. Bad rs these ele-
ments were by themselves their coming to-
gether was but the occasion of innoculating
themselves with each others venom
Many delegates doubtless left their constitu-
eDcy determined to open a new leaf of the his
tory of American politics, TO recognize the fact
that this was a government based upon the
equal rights of all men, and take a political
position appropriate to the sublime revolution
of the last five years. Arrived at New York
they could only remember their old partisan
animosities. Mr.. Seymour's mob showed their
brutal and barbarous faces at the windows |
The commanding persons of Wade Hampton
and Ned Forrest. heroes of lost cause, inspir-
ed their sycophantic souls with pensive regrets |
for the fine old driStocrdcy forever displaced by
the Radical madness of these late years. So |
the weak purpose of making the party Demo- |
cratic in fact as well as in name died out of |
their irresolute hearts, .uaf 4.
There was an opportunity for the party of |
the reaction to become leaders in the party of |
progress. 1t was like fresh air to dying |
man. Thevital functions are worn out, and |
fresh air will only hasten the cooling of the |
corpse. The function of the Democratic party |
in this country is only to be the supporter and |
sponsor OF slavery. 1t gave itself up exclusive
1y TO this office. 1t has had no other reason of |
being. Its functions having become superfu- |
Gus, with the death of slavery, it can have no |
life but ghostly regret, mumbing over its |
bones, andhanging upon itself IFS rusty shack
les for ornaments. s..lH1..t. .l.. .s.a
The nominations fit this motuary Office
Seymour represents the malignity of original !
Copperheadism. With his name one associ- |
ates draft riots, distractions of the govern |
ment, and the lachrymose prediction the aoor
is a failure. EBlair represents the malignity |
of apostasy. His political life began with free |
st. Louis and the first struggles of Missouri to |
undo the curse which the compromise of 1919 |
had fastened upon her prosperity He has |
turned his back upon free Missouri grandly |
moving on to accomplish the destiny he first
pointed out to her. Like Doolittle and John
son he halts midway of noble career and pre-
fers his personal fortunes to the accomplish
ment of great reform. He represents the
general sore-headedness of the Blair family by
which the perplexities If the martyred Lin
coin were so aggravated and his wise purposes
SO delayed.
Poor, poor Chase! He has rolled his green
back in Tammany mud for nothing. His in
decent mania for the Presidency is the deri-
sion of all his countrv-men and country
women. Vain were all his fine plottines to ac-
quitAndy johnson. To all his promises and gen
ufiuxions and Chinese prostrations the great |
unwashed Democracy of New York the railing |
spirits OF the party, turn a wolfish glare OF |
hostility. How can they forget that the fame |
of this man, which he torgets and bellies, is as
ISOLATED with his devotion years ago to the
cause of the negro, when few dared to befriend
it. But they did not wholly overlook him.
For all his promises and fine Democratic talk
and pledges to support the ticket though il
should be-Rynders for President and Forrest
for Vice President, they gave him what?-
d-oote Of thanks for the handsome manner in |
(Which he had conducted the trial of Ar,dY |
johnson! Verify, he hath his reward
Another meeker spirit found that casting |
pearls before swine was not just as agreeable |
to the swine as scattering SacW we mean Miss |
Susan b. Anthony. They laughed a guffaw
OF rude laughter at her proposition TO recog-
nize the equal rights of all persons The Po-
grams and Nasbys of the South and the re-
leased prisoners Of State from Fort LAFAYETTE.
found this proposal too ludicrous even for
their chivalry. Doubtless the Chief Justic, is |
thankful that his offer to he the candidate |
was not only soberly listened to, but that his
general conduct was so far approved of by |
these distinguished gentlemen and patriots as |
N m a,ofo nf hat