The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-07-08
The Democratic Convention aud the Political
Situation.

minority, have very vague notions of the con-
dition of the country and but little understand
ing of the state of facts that led to their pres
ence here and gives peculiar significance to
what they propose to do. Mr.. Belmont, the
temporary chairman, made q welcoming
speech to the delegates the other day that
was happily sympathetic with the prevailing
thought; and this speech recalls an incident
that happened in the Court of France just after
the Restoration, when the Bourbons, like the
democrats, came home to power at the close
of great war. The Bourbons had func-
tiOnary, as this Democratic Convention had,
and the two were alike in their peculiar
courtly ignorance. 1t happened to the Court
functionary that in going over the papers Of
the palace-lsts, rolls and ether documents
in the course of his duties he came often to the
name of BOnaparte and sometimes to that of
Napoleon, and, quite mystifed by the frequent
recurrence Of the names, he was put to the ne
cessty of inquiring who these fellows Napoleon
and Bonaparte were. He had never heard of
any lapse in the succession, never heard of the
Revolution or the empire or the bloody wars,
and could not consent to know that the Bour-
bons had not always held power. Judging by
Belmonts speech the same intellectual cOndi-
ton prevails with the democratic Bour-
bons. They have not heard of any great
changes-of any revolution or any war
but twaddle on in the same arrogant self
sufiiciency and wilful blindness as it the
nation had not four years ago repudated them
absolutely for these very vices, and would
take into confidence again the galvanized
remnant Of that old ruin, the democratic party
of the past, as if il would give power to any
party not fresh from the Inspirations and i'm
pulses Of the nation-not vital with the thoughts
consonant to the time, that thrill in the brain
of the people.
The first fact, then, is that there has been
great war, waged on one hand for the destruc-
ton of the nation, on the other hand to defend
and save it, and so far as the majority of
mere party leaders go the democrats" were
on the wrong side They were against the
people and against the country. They made
the war; for the South, the aristocratic section
OF the country, was the democratic party; and
that fact itself was sufficient sign that the
name was cheat Certain Northern demo-
Gratis adhered to the Southern ones. They
were the narrow minded fellows who could
not live out of the PARTY groove and never
saw more than party struggle in the war;
or they were men who had lived in Office and
had all to fear and nothing to hope from any
change. These were the peace democrats
But aside from these Northern barnaces
and Southern democrats the whole de-
mocratc Masses the whole people of the
North arose to the defence of the country,
and it was saved by this spontaneous action
Of the people without regard to party.
In thus crushing the rebellion what did the
people put down? Not the South merely but
the democratic party. From whom did they
save the country? From the democrats
from that so-called democratic party that lived
on the traditions Of another age and covered its
own rottenness with the names of jefferson
and Jackson, the party that had imperceptibly
fioated away from all democratic principles
and was the very negative Of democracy, the
party of JEFF Davis and James Buchanan,
Yancey, Belmont, Breckenridge, Ben Butler
and the Northern peace men. This, then, is, in
simple words, just what the country did IL
arose and put down in many bloody battles
that arrogant, selfish, narrow-minded cotcrie
of aristocratic leaders who called themselves
the democratic party-men who had deceived
and cheated the nation and who now raise
their heads in this Tammany Convention and
claim to rule 1t. Will the people trust or toler-
ate in power the party they put down at such
cost, coming now and impudently declaring
that 1t never was put down? will they give
the government into the hands of the party
from which it was saved at such expense in
the very hour in which that party boasts and
declares that its principles and it's thoughts and
Its purposes have undergone no change and
seen no reason for change in these years?
We know that it will not for the experiment
has been tried. II was tried in this State.
The population of this Empire State, in the
cities and in the country, with ts high average
Of intelligence and freedom from sectional
prejudices, is naturally democratic in the right
sense Of the word, and always acts BY ps,fer-
ence with the party that stands on liberal
democratic platform; but not bgoted. not
blipdy devoted to mere shibboleth and marty
names II never hesitates TO abandon anv
organization which forgets that its power is de-
rived from the people, When 1t was ques
ton, therefore, between party organization
and the safety Of the government, the people
/