Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1868-08-25
Communicated.
Consistent to the Last.

icilIcocuidliOuS vi It's ltaucfSs is uu-
known in the Democratic party
Purity of action, and an honest de-
votion to the public good has always
characterized its record For eight
long years, denied part in tho adj
ministration of affairs, it has anxious.
| ~ stood ont in the cold, while the
country has been in the bands of its
enemies. II has incurred over the
unholy and unnecessary war which
| has devastated the land. 1t has seen
the people crushed by an overwhelm
lug debt. which the burden of taxa
has not lessened. 1t has deeply sym
pathized with those unfortunate men
who have suffered isfranchisement
in rebellious states it has witnessed
With pain and sorrow the arrogance,
corruption, and Jacobin misruio,
which have characterized the party
now in power it has seen the will OF
D wise and patriotic President con-
temptiously set aside by q defiant
trump" Congress it has seen loyal
blacks in the conquered south raised
to the rights Of citizenship while
these same rights have been denied
to rebellious whites. 1t has seen the
doctrine of equal rights successfully
asserted, and the underlying princi-
pie ofthe Declaration of Independence
vindicated-it has seen the negro at
the ballot box.
All this it has seen and deplored.
From time to time the party has
made strenuous attempts 10 rescue
the country from this impending ruin
1t tried in 1860 and failed. II tried
again in 1864, aud again it failed
more pitiably than before. AT last,
as it saw the glorious leader Of the
war for Union, made the standard
bearer of the revolutionary party, its
heart was filled with holy indigna-
ton. 1t resolved to make last and
desperate attempt. Earnest, conf
dent, united, it went into Convention
at New York, to choose u platform
and ticket for the coming Canvass
1t accepted a platform, it nominated
ticket. 1t mattered not, if it occur
red to the Convention at all, that the
principles embodied in the platform
and the declared views Of the leading
nominee were wholly at variance.
10 a unit the~party pledged itself to
stand by their ticket. In this the
party was consistent. The demo
cratic party as body opposed the
war, as unnecessary and unjust it
opposed every measure that aided its
prosecution aud every appropriation
that betrayed its cost. We were not
surprised then, that the New York
Convention spared no effort to defeat
every advantage it gave us. We
were not surprised that it should
choose rs its candidate q man who
never gave the war an encouraging
word, but who steadfastly opposed it
to the last who sympathized SO deep
Iy with Vallandigham when that
great martyr was driven from the
loyal North and who found in the
mob that assembled to oppose the
draft of 1868 his own immediate
friends
The democratic party has contest
ed every dollar expended in the pay
ment of the war debt, and the outlay
Of Government in advancing the res>
tOration in the Southern States We
were not surprised then, that it made
reputation, open and undisguised,
the watchwofd of the hour. 1t is GER
tainly no matter Of surprise that the
democratic platform should contain
so well defined plan of national re-
pudiation when we reflect that the
enemies of the Union drafted it, the
men of all others who would rejoice
to see the credit of the government,
crippled at home and ruined abroad.
The democratic party has uniforms
ly opposed every measure ofCongress
which looked forward to progress
1t did all IN its power to widen the
breach between that body and the
Executive. 1t gave its entire sup
port and sanction to every act of that
Executives opposing policy. We
are.not surprised then, that in the
New York platform it was loud in
its praise Of Andrew Johnson the
traitor, and the enemy to the repuu-
lican party.
The democratic party has ever been
the strenuous and consistent oppo-
nent of equal rights. 1t has been the
gre champion of slavery. Its mot.
to hes been, "Ours shall be o white
MI government )" it has uniform
ly voted against every measure that
locked to the acknowledgements of the
free man. We are not surprised then,
that its recent platform demands the
abolition of the Freedman's Bureau,
which aims to protect the negro,
whom the issue OF war has made free,
in the right of suffrage. In all this
the democratic party is eminently
! consistent.
In all its action in its recent con-
vention..this party processes to be act
uated by the purest motives. 1t
sought to vindicate the Constitution
and Laws. 1t processes desire to re-
leive the people from unjust taxation,
and corrupt government; to heal diff
ferences, and give to the country se-
curity and peace. Did we expect to
see in the leaders of that Convention
the representatives of these views :?
loyal citizens, true patriots, men who
in all the night peril through which
the nation has so recently passed
stood firmly by their country, who
gave their fortunes, their influence
and their efforts, TO crush out treason
and hasten the return OF Union and
peace, on sound and lasting basis
Did we expect to find in that Con-
vention men who cordially favored
every measure that tended to so de-
sirable q result men who favored
every just means to augment the
revenue and thus discharge the
nation s obligations men who would