Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-03-19
President Grant.

AFTER the lamentable interregnum of
Mr.. johnson, General Grant succeeds to
the Presidency He is elected by the
same faith, but hundred-fold stronger,
that elected Mr.. Lincoln, and which, by a
two-thirds majority in Congress, has stead
lily baffied the designs of the Executive
since Mr.. Lincoln's death. Heavily taxed,
the country is yet prosperous and rich in
industry and energy and hope, and feels
that with the retirement of Mr.. johnson
horrible incubus is lifted, and that the
course before it is so far cleared.
Eight years ago the Republican party
came into power. Its opponents, under
the name of the Democracy, were merely
the vast and unscrupulous political organ
ization Of an aristocracy. The party was
led by the great slave lords and their lieu
tenants. It's policy was defense and
maintenance of slavery. 1t was strictly a
Southern party, with Northern adherents
and allies; but no man who was not &C.
ceptable to the Southern mastery could
rise to the highest posts or hope to crafty
even moderate ambition. A more
shameful subserviency was never demand
ed of honorable men than that which the
slave lords of the Democracy imposed
upon the party in this country. Eight
years ago there had been a protest upon
the part of some of the party, and there
were two tickets nominated. But the po-
litical philosophy of the protesting candi-
date, as well as his practical wisdom, hu-
manity, and patriotism, were all expressed
in his famous phrase, 81 don't care
whether slavery is voted up or down"
Had he been successful, he would undoubt-
edly have served the purpose of those who
elected him as well as Mr.. Breckenridge.
If, then, the Democratic party had sue
ceeded in 1860, what would have been the
situation OF the country now? Does any
thoughtful man recall its condition under
Buchanan and Pierce without shame and
indignation? There was not single fun
damental right of freedom in this coun-
try that was not held by the permission
of slavery. For the man who believed
and taught the equal rights of men there
was in half the country no personal free
dom, no liberty of speech, no security of
life. Under Democratic ascendancy, in
half of the United States which vocifer-
ously sneered at despotisms, for an Amer
ican citizen who held and expressed the
opinions of Christian civilization every
where there was no more protection than
for the traveller in the interior of Africa.
Meanwhile taxation was light. the burden
of government was easy, the population
was sparse, the country was large, indus
try was active and prosperity was great.
War was tradition. The word Union
was spell by which the basest politi-
clans conjured. To be q " Union-saver u
was to be man willing to save the Union
by the sacrifice of Everything that the
Union was designed to secure. "The
Union," interpreted by the Democracy,
meant merely the supremacy of slavery.
But the real masters of the Democratic
party, who Justify shouted "Union," were
disunionists. They were willing to en-.
dure Union so long as they could control
it. They knew, what none of their North.
ern ieutenants perceived, that their pro-
longed dominance vas Impossible end