The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1869-07-06
The Radical Platform.

Ire zSSViCSf HI1t3Gfm.
The Radicals in State Convention on
the 23d ult,, put forth the following as
embracing their platform of principles
for the campaign of 1859;
lst. ReSolcea. That a. citizens of the
nation, representing the Republican sch.
timcnt Of an hOnoreCi commOnwtalth,w
regard with sincere satisfaction the iidel-
ity evincel by Gen. Grant to the Repub-
iican party and the policy, both foreign
and domestic, Of his national admins,
tration, and pledge our cordial support
. IL the measures inauGuratsd to insure
conciiation, economy and justice at
home and command consideration and
respect abroad.
! GRANT is thanked for his policy" and
fidelity to the Republican party The
condition OF the country is of secondary
/ Importance with them when it comes in
conflict with their 'party." Now let lis
examine Radical authority from other
sources concerning the Administration.
The Chicago Tribune says:
There never was an administration
with better intentions. or less aptitude
for carrying them out"
And tie New York Tribune says:
Two months have passed away, and
! it can not he affirmed that we have a
strong administration. Its moral power
has been frittered away by small absurd
! tiles" .
! OF the Cabinet it says:
! "Secretary Fish has come down to us
from a former generation, but he is not
the man to conduct our diplomacy
The Secretary of the Treasury has
ability mot above mediocrity, and if he
should remain at the head of the Treas
ury Department during his natural life,
he could do no more than DRIFT with the
tide and avoid the breakers from hour
! to hour as best he might Secretary
Rawlin@ is 'an invalid in health, and un-
qualified by training and experience to
take the leading position which circum-
stances have forced upon him in the ma
tional administration Secretary Borie
is, by common consent, untitled either
for administration or council The bal
ance Of the Cabinet are set down as
probably competent to discharge the
clerical duties of their Offices"
After this summing up and raking
down, the Tribune adds;
ellis first mistake was in not per
ceiving that statesmen are required to fill
the place of statesmen The second
was his ea9erness to appoint relatives to
office
After all the slckening batteries with
which James Gordon Bennett, through
the New York Herald, has beslavered
the President hear how he mocks at his
calamities
1--WE expected too much But then it
must be assented that we have got much
less than we might even reasonably
have looked for We have got nothing
and here it is that absolute failure is OBJ
vious. Grant was relied upon to do all,
because in his whole career he had seem
ed man of common sense, common
honesty and resolute purpose. But his
resolute purpose has become puerile va
cillation; his common honesty is nepot-
ism, or worse; and common sense is the
quality ofall qualities that the Admins
tratiOn is most WithOuto
The Chicago Republican is, certainly
one of the leading and controlling or
gans of the Republican party. Its opin-
ion Of Gen. GRANT is summed up as fol-
lows:
at is useless to conceal fact which
has become patent to all, and that is,
that the Administration has disappoint-
ed not only the country generally, but
its immediate party friends. Even the
iackals and buzzards and scavengers of
the party camp, not only scent the rising
gale of popular dissatisfaction but are
preparing to verc round and take advan-
tage of the unexpected change of senti-
ment."
The above extracts are sufficient to ex
hibit the little wisdom possessed by the
Ohio Radicals; but here is the
ID. That we hail with pride the patti,
otic and constitutional declaration Of
Gen. Grant, in his inaugural address, that
while he will on all subjects have poll
cy to recommend to Congress, he will
have none to enforce against the will of
the people, sentiment which assures
the country of an Executive Admins
tration founded on the Administration of
Washington and Madison, and that will
secure to Congress the unrestricted exer-
else of its constitutional functions, and |
to the people their rightful control of
the Government.
In the first place GRANT is thanked for
his "policy" while in the I'd he is thank
ed for having ''no policy"
The Unconstitutional functions" con-
sist of DISTINGUISHING white men by hun
dreds of thousands and enfranchising
ignorant Negroes to the end that Radi-
calism may retain "control of the Gov
White men are kept from
voting by bayonets, registration laws
and hired Negro assassins, paid by the
Radicals.
Sd. That the abolition Of slavery was
a national aud necessary consequence of
the war of the Republic and that the re
measures of Congress were
well adapted to effect the re-
of the Southern States and
secure the blessings of. liberty and a free
government and as q completion Of
those measures, and finally, believing in
it's essential justice, we are in favor OF
the ratification of the Fifteenth Amend
ment to the Constitution of the United
States.
Necessary consequence" because the
war was inaugurdtcd and carried on by
the Jacobins in power for that purpose
hat they might bring forward odious