The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-01-25
What the Northern Democrats will do
for Us. -~.e-
Those persons in Virginia who oppose


new movement seem to have sone undo
fined expectation that the northern Demo
Gratis will continue to war against negro
suffrage. This is delusion. We have
before us striking proof that the Demo
Gratis Of the North have done with that
question. There are no sounder and truer
Democrats in the country than those Of
New Hampshire. On the goth instant they
held a convention to nominate candidates
for State officers and to lay down a platform
of principles. Hon. IRA A. EASTMAN was
chosen president Of the convention, and
upon taking the chair said, among other
things:
"In the present position Of political par.
ties. what are the issues To my mind, they
are few and plain. The past is gone. Former
differences shonld be buried. It's the present
and future that we live for, and the issues are
live ones. They are retrenchment and re-
form, and honesty and integrity in all the de-
partments Of government; and equal taxation
upon all species Of property. Corruption, dis
honesty. embezZlement, and theft, permeate
unjust, unequal, and wicked-is crushing the
masses and sucking the very ife-blood OF the
people"
These are important issues, but not one
of them concerns the southern States as
such. Last year these same Democrats
joined issue with the Radicals upon negro
suffrage, the reconstruction acts, and such
like questions. But they were defeated at
the ballot box. They acknowledge that
these questions are settled-at least for
years to come. They therefore declare that
the past is "dead and gone,' and that
"former differences should be buried"
This language is plainly intended to inform
MS of the South that the New Hampshire
Democracy will no longer attempt to save
us from negro suffrage, nor fight upon the
question of the constitutionality, or the
justice, or the expediency, of the recon-
struction measures.
The convention nominated its candidates
and adopted platform Of principles. This
platform contains not one word from which
it could be inferred that there is southern
pection of this Union, or that there ever
had been such issues presented for the de-
cision of the people as those contained in
the reconstruction acts. It declares the
adhesion Of the New Hampshire Democracy
"to certain principles which they will
never surrender" These are first, "the
paramount and binding authority of the
Constitution over all departments of Gov
eminent, and all States of the Union, to the
extent of the powers therein granted"
Second: ~"The exemption of every State
from any interference or control not war
ranted by the Constitution" Third s" The
right of every State to equal participation
in the Government as guaranteed by the
Constitution" Fourth "The separation
and proper independence of the executive,
legislative, and judicial departments, as
provided by the Constitution" Fifth !:
"No privileged classes and no privileged
capital" Sixth Economy in the admin
istration of the Government. And seventh :
Taxation of Government bonds.
How different this platform from the
clear and unequivocal utterances of the
came party twelve months ago, when no
language could be found strong enough to
express their detestation of the measures
which the Radicals had adopted for the hui
initiation of the southern whites and the
elevation of the negro? We should indeed
lean upon broken reed if we should here
after rely upon the Democrats of the North
to relieve us from the operation of any
measure that Congress may adopt for the
reconstruction of the southern States. The
proposition of the Virginia committee has
been before the country for several weeks,
and has attracted more attention during
that time than anything else in the politi-
cal world. The leading Democrats of the
various northern States are in Washington.
Which Of them has raised his voice against
this compromise What says Mr.. HEN
BRICKS What says Mr.. DooL1TTLE? What
says Mr.. JOHNSON? What says Mr.. ED
RIDGE? What say the whole body of the
Democrats in Congress Does any man of
them protest against it as a surrender of
principle? Is there one of them who is
not in favor of its acceptance by both Con-
gress and the Virginia people? Surely, it
is time for US to cease deceiving ourselves,
if indeed the northern Democrats purpose
to leave us to fight unassisted the battle
against negro suffrage.