Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1868-02-20
What They Celebrate.

IL is SOmeWn nat singular and suggestive
fact that OF all the great battles which have
reflected glory on American arms, and
illustrated American patriotism and valor,
the only battle which the Democratic party
ever celebrates is the battle of New Or
leans. Not the last battle of New Orleans;
though that was infinitely more glorious as
q military achieyment, and gave 10 Farra
gut and his heroes a higher place in the
roll OF fame than ever was reached by the
soldiers of 1912, though it was incompara-
bly, more thrilling in dramatic incident, and
astonished the world as few other exploits
by land or sea have ever done, nevertheless
that battle has never been mentioned by the
Democrats. Unhappily, they were ON the
wrong side in that fight. The glorious
Varuna, which went 10 the bottom still
fighting heroically, was not the Democratic
ship, nor yet the immortal Hartford. which
went crashing over rebel iron-clads, sha-
king off rebel fre-rafts, and driving rebel
gunners from their classmates at Fort Jack
con by her well-aimed broadsides The
Manassa, which fioated useless hulk to
the Southwest Pass and grounded on the
bar, remained for months amemento of the
Democratic fortunes in that conflict. The
rebel ram which tried in vain 10 stop the
despair on the eastern bank, was a Demo
cratic vessel. The Armstrong gun. made in
England, sent here to aid The rebellion
mounted on Fort St. Phillip, fired with
oeadly effect as ships bearing the stars and
strips, aud al last knocked into everlasting
silence by shell from Porter, was Dem
ocratic gun. The vanquished never cele-
brate their defeats. Therefore the Demo
cratic party does not celebrate the more
recent and more glorious battle of New
Orleans
There have been some other battles. far
more remarkable illustrations of American
heroism, endurance and soldierslip, than
the fight under General jackson. An army
of red coats conteiEptuously marched up
to breastworks, and were shot down by
the rifles of well-pretected defenders to that
extent that they ran away. That was the
battle of New Orleans, by Democracy cell
ebra;ed. More recently, American soldiers,
patriots in purpose, but volunteers and
comparatively raw recruits in military
training, have fought for two days, as al
Shiloh. or for three days, as at Pea Ridge,
against overwhelming assaults, and, oppo-
sing not Notifications, but their breasts to
hostile bullets, have saved the nation BY
their determined and enduring heroisin.
But in those fights, again, Democracy was
OF the wrong side. Battles famous in all
future history for the number of men en-
gagged, the importance of the issue, the des-
peration of the contest, or the marvellous
courage or generalship displayed have since
been fought; the storming of Lookout
Mountain and Missionary Ridge, the siege
of Vicksburg, the three days battle at Get
tysburg, the prolonged battle all the way
to Atlanta, the death-grapple, the gloom of
the Wilderness, the lightning strokes of the
Shenandoah, and of Five Forks. all thrill
every patriotic heart with pride, and will
be pointed to in time to come by military
students as achievements worthy of compar-
ison with the deeds Of great captains of the
old world. But Democracy was not ON the
winning side in any of these battles. The
Democratic party, if it must celebrate any
recent achievements in war, must celebrate
the rout at Manassas, and the slaughter at
Fredericksburg, the starving of prisoners
at Andersonyille, the firing of crowded
hotels at New York, end the assassination
Of President. These are its more recent
victories, ana TO celebrate those might net
be polite at present. The Democratic
party, therefore, celebrates, of all the bat
ties, and great deeds of our history, only
the battle of New Orleans-the first, and
not the last and most glorious.-MisSOuri
Democrat