Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-09-16
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
Is Ii Dead or AiIve?-SPirit of the Fen
nessee Press.

10 Is IL Dead or AHye?-Spirit of the Tel
nessee Press.
From the Paris lntelligencer, Sept. II.
What has the Democratic party dor
u since the presidential election of IS6
7 when it was so warmly supported by IL
; anti Radical press and party Of Tenne.
see, that it should now be so obnoxior
s to the political olfactories of several
o our leading men in the Senate? W
have to acknowledge that it did not NEE
9 braVely and squarely its duty to tn
s country when abolitionism and federal
= ism bounded on the war upon the Sout
in 1861. 1t became demoralzed by tina
magic word loyalty" to the Union-an,
! ! departed from its faith in State rights an,
! republican theories. But even admittin,
all that, how can those journals uphold
the Republican party, which was guilt
OF the same shortcomings, nay NOR,
of ten thousand crimes without SIM
: gle virtue. Democracy is now derideG
by these parties, and Republicanism i.
rather smoothe1 over. Is it wise tt
abandon lifelong friends because of q
few minor differences, and strike hands
with llfe>lOng enemies, and make all OIL
the concessions at that? The true
teachings of the Democratic party alone
unfold the principles upon which the lib
critics Of the people of this country can
be maintained. In brief, they may be
defined in a few words: Each State must
be allowed to regulate its own inter.
nal affairs, and especially control for
itself the great sovereign prerogative of
the elective franchise. X
Now the favoring by State legislation
OF what is called universal suffrage by
one State, and opposing it by the same
party in another State, does not necces-
sarily involve conflict of principle.
State action over the great question of
suffrage is the true Democratic doctrine;
but to give the federal government con,
troll over the question is altogether anti
Democratic;
From the Brownsville Bee, Sept. 10.
All parties, and men of no party united
to overthrow the Radicals in Tennessee
in the late election. The Radical party
was fiat failure. So it is and necessa-
rily will ever be in all of the Southern
States. Its principles are all founded
on corruption and violence and the mains
spring of action in the party was plumber.
As soon as we were relieved in a small
measure of the presence of federal bays
onets, the people arose in their majesty
and might, and dashed the foul incubus
of Radicalism to the earth, never more to
rear its horrid head in our midst. This
left no party organization here except the
Democratic party.
We are now gravely advised by we'll
meaning men to abandon our organization
and make scramble with our enemies
for new party lines and new positions.
The trick is not very inviting to US. Our
having some firm and reliable allies in
the late contest has not discouraged US in
the least. thas rather given US renewed
hope. Now, rather than abandon our
organization to take new position along
with our late associates, let us cordially
invite them to join the ranks of the Ten |
nessee Democracy, and make it our com.
mon party. We do not propose to be the
old Democratic party Of the long ago
We are not the same party, by any
means, that warred with the Whiggery
in the olden time, but We are the party |
which has made war on RadicaliSm ever
since we have had voice in the matter,
and hold our organization and name as |
Democrats. We do not insist upon your
coming to-day, but We will be most hap.
Ply to welcome you whenever you see |
proper to come.
We invite you all home with US, bes
cause we have "a local habitation and a
name" to offer you. We have friends |
and allies outside Of the State Of Tennes-
see with whom we must cooperate in |
order to secure and re. establish the living
principles of American liberty. We are
Democrats in contra, distinction to the |
principle of centralized despotism that |
makes the masses Of the people of these
United States slaves to the few, and calls |
itself Radical RepublicaniSm. We claim
to be above the paltry littloness of clans |
oring for name, merely for its own
sake. We little care by what name We
are known, so we secure to ourselves and
our people, peace, order, quiet, prosperity
and good government, under that name.
We simply hold to the name Of Demo
crat, because we already have it, and it is
the general accepted nsme foc the OPP
ponents of proscriptive Radlcalism and
the friends and supporters Of good gov
eminent and the principles of constitu-
tional liberty.
The name of Republican would not be
Objectionable; but for the fact that the
wouldbe destrOyers Of the republic
have ranged themselves under it. 1t IS
clear to our minds that every man must
choose for himself whether he will join
the Democratic party, or drift into the
Radical party Of central consolidation.
Our choice is, made. We are going to
stay where we are and slight it out on
this line," if it takes always. We have
no concession to make. Take your
time, fellow-citizens, and make up your
minds with due deli5eration and salts
factory precision. We keep our banner
floating in the breeze, and respectfully ill.,
yite you to take shelter under its folds.
From.the Bolivar Bulletin. Sept. Il.
A few papers in Tennessee would
make the people believe, if they could,
that the Democratic party is dead. With
all such we beg leave to differ. What
caused its death? Certainly the late
triumph over radicalism produced no
such thing. Neither did the liberal
party movement cause tremor in its
veins. Where are the hundred of thOus
sands of Northern Democrats who, prior
to the triumph here, were battling
against the ruinous folly ofthe party in
power? Right where they were, and
who're they will continue to be found as
long as the people Of the South refuse to
turn their backs upon them and give up
every hope that has sustained them in
the past. Who but the Democrats Of
the North held off the fifteeth amend
ment? Who else but Democrats breast
ed the storm in the darkest hour of our
trouble and oppression and advocated
the ever glorious cause of State rights?
Who else but Democrats fought
our battle in defense of constitutional
rights when we were unable to 60 to the
| pOlls2 And now, when the day Of deliV-
| GRANGE is at hand, for the people of Ten
| nessee to be told that their friends are
| all dead, politically, and this too, by men
who once boosted that they were MEM
bers of the great national Democratic
party, sounds to us, little strange and
rather borders on the inexplicable. The
careful thinker cannot fail to detect
something rotten in the motives of such
preachers and will keep himself from out
of the shadow of uncertainty and untruth.
1t is nonsense to talk about the Demo-
cratic party being dead. As long as the
rich bondholder is permitted, by law, to
rob the poor man of his honest earnings;
as long as carpet>baggers, Office seekers