The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1869-07-02
The Political Issues of 1860.

Under this head the Chicago Times has
some remarks that commend themselves to
all by the practical good common sense con.
tanned therein, Speaking of the effort evil
IDENTIFY being made at this time by the Repub-
lican party to divert public attention from
the true issues involved in the coming cleo
tons by the prominence that Is attempted
to be given to the Alabama claims and other
extraneous matters, that paper says:
ut is quite likely that our opponents
would be highly pleased could they substi-
tute any issue rather than the one that is real
ly before the people, and which must be
passed on not only at the fall elections, but
at several succeeding ones. The party in
power would be most happy to have the AL.
ALBANIA claims, or the rights of the Japanese
mikado or almost any other extraneous mat
ter, discussed by the people.
1.-THE issues of next fall will not be the AL
ALBANIA claims. They will be the issues in
volved in the trial of radicalism for high
crimes and misdemeanors. They are the
same issues that were presented last fall and
the fall before. They are the same issues
which have been presented since the close Of
the war, and which are involved in the case
of the people versus radicalism
of the principal aims of the democratic par
ty, as we are sure they are understood here
in Maryland as well as elsewhere:
"But, while one cannot blame radicaism
for a desire to get itself out of the mire in
which it has so long wallowed, we think the
democracy will have something to say as to
platforms in the approaching elections. The
effort of that party will be what it has been
1t will consist in challenge of the entire
course ofradicalism. 1t will place that pow
er on its defense. 1t will make the issue as
to how much longer the country shall be
misgoverned, its finances squandered, recon-
struction delayed, industry paralyZed, COM
merce interrupted, and taxation cXorbitant
The entire record of radicalism for the past
half dozen years will be offered in evidence.
The decentralization of those in power will
be shown. The repeated failures of the eX-
ecutive; the blunderings, Inconsistencies,
and usurpations of Congress the greed and
dishonesty of officials, will all be presented,
and will constitute, in place of the A ALBANIA
claims, the matters to be tried at the ap-
preaching elections.
1.-THE democratic party is in a position to
dictate the issues of the approaching CAM
paign. 1t does not propose to allow the
people to be diverted by extraneous or irrel-
strictly to the labor of explaining why, with
an enormous income, our burdens are not
lightened; why SO much of the south is still
kept paralyzed why its public men are cor
rupt why legislation is devoted to class in
terests why business languishes ; and why
the country is both disgraced and plundered
oV e ony ISSUE that is available at present,
concerning tie Alabama claims, is one in
xxrhic nh 4 Of NO
party why it has so bungled this matter that
to-day We are further from settlement than
ever and why, in all its treatment of the
Alabama matter, it has contradicted its own
acts, and SO managed the affair that Great
Britain can rely for justification wholly up
on material furnished it by the radical adj
ministration of the United States"
There is much in the above for the Demo-
cratic party to keep steadily in view in its
conflicts with Republicanism in this State
We are not an organization contending over
issues that have been settled and are now dead,
but living, working party, whose active
purpose and present duty is to save this gov
eminent from final overthrow, and restore,
as far as may be, constitutional forms in its
administration. That the effort will be
made to divert attention from the true ques-
tons at issue in coming elections in this and
other States, as suggested in the article
above quoted, is apparent. We have nearer
and more vital points of dispute however,
than the Alabama claims, or any other for
eign or extraneous matters, to deal with first,
and will not, we trust, be turned from their
consideration by any pretence by the Republi-
can party of the importance of these outside
matters, except so far as the same shall be
given in evidence against that party, in ag-
gravation of a long list of damages already
incurred by them in their acts of misrule and
usurpation..