Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1868-02-27

Ihc view tOrk WOTl0 10 no doubt well
acquainted with Mr.. vaIlandigham's
public history and antecedents.
It's editor IL probably not acquainted
with him personally, otherwise he would
not have spoken Of him as "vulgar
polltician." There are few men In pub
lie life who devote more time to sys-
tematic study and intellectual pursuits
than Mr.. Vallandigham. He is not only
an able lawyer, n good classical scholar,
. well read historian, but he Is thorough
ly acquainted with the political history
OF this country, and the current politics
Of the world. He has had large ex-
perieBce In public affairs. His utter
ances upon public questions have always
commanded great attention. and how
evermuch his course has been condemned
by his opponents, no one has ever breath
ed suspicion against his fidelity to his
own honest convictions, or to the car
diDaf principles of the Democratic faith.
He preserved and maintained that fidel-
ity under circumstapces which proved
not only his courage, but his wisdom and
statesmanship, and by fearlessly enforc-
ing upon the attention of the people his
views of public duty and constitutional
rights, as IL was his undoubted right to
do, he became the victim of despotism
as Infamous and unjustifiable as ever was
IMPOSED upon free people.
His bearing under these circumstances
was courageous and manly. He told the
officers of the Southern Confederacy,
that he came among them not of his own
free will, but compelled by superior force;
aud that he had no sympathy with their
effort to divide the Union and establish
Southerh,Confederacy. He found his
way, not through the violation of any
parole or other obligation, to Canada,
and while there, the Democracy of Ohio,
true to their instinct of manhood and
against the timid counsels of the very
inen who still take counsel from policy
instead of principle, nominated him with
unprecedented thusiasm for Governor
Of Ohio. All remember the incidents of
that memorable campaign, in which the
Hon. George E. Pugh bore himself so
calamity, and placed the Democracy of
Ohio under an obligation that has never
been Cancelled. ...,- ...-.
Mr.. Vallandigham, in due time, re-
turned upon his own responsibility to
his home-and his safety from re-arrest
was due in great measure to the courage
which the Democratic party had shown
| in the preceding political campaign.
Since that time he has not been a can
| didate, but has been prominently before
the public, and has exerted his whole
| power and influence to promote the as
cendancy of Democratic principles, and
the restoration of the Union. He has
contributed at least as much as any one
! man i'm the United States to maintain the
| integrity and purity of the Democratic
| organization, and we can say to the New
| York World, and TO it's sympathisers,
! that there are thousand sound Demo-
Gratis in every part of the United States
who will stand by G. l.. Vallandigham,
where they will find one who will ap
prove their attacks on him.
| 1t is simply silly for the New York
| World to talk of Vallandigham as trail
tor in the Democratic camp, or expect to
write him down, or read him out of the
Democratic party. ..r
If such men AS Vallandigham and his
friends wereread out off there would be
nobody left but party of eunuchs..
TO the native courage of the masses
and the bold leadership of the Democrat
ic party of Ohio in the last campaign,
the Democracy of the Union is indebted
to that political success, which properly
followed upswould be the harbinger Of
restored Democratic ascendency and con-
stitutional liberty.
| But no party ever deserved respect or
achieved success without courage.
| The Democratic party has been time
and time again cursed and betrayed by
the sinister and malignant tactics of
such papers as the New York World,
seeking to SOW discoid in our ranks, to
accomplish local and sectional purposes
and by those who put themselves for
ward as leaders, after thesuccess of some
political forlorn hope, who counsel with
pale lips how we may give least offense
to our adversaries, instead of boldly ad-
vancing to right the wrongs we have
suffered, and to restore the sacred guar
antees that have been violated. The
task before the Democratic party now
demands the highest qualities Of man.
hood, as well as of craftsmanship. No
success is worth the effort unless it
secures the ascendency Of Democratic
principles. Better, thousand times,
defeats in an open, honest struggle for
principle, than success, if it bring only
mere personal triumphs, the demoraliz-
ing spoils of office and the gains of legis-
lative blunderings. a1 rla" -H