The weekly standard., 1869-09-15
The Tests nfssDemocracy." of

The Tests of fssDemOcracy."
For some years before the war it was
difficult matter to define the principles
which were supposed to govern the Demo-
cratic party Democracy North and Demo-
cracy South were two different things
each having several different and antagonis-
tic planks in its platform.
Since the war the party which has as
sumed the name of the old Democracy has
never been able to exactly tell what are its
principles. Nor can its champions do so
now. They at first contented themselves
with declaring that their platform consisted
in opposing everything supported by the
Republican party. ~ =.
This is still the announced platform of
several Democratic papers; yet, strange to
say, these papers in the same breath IN
which they avow their undying opposition
to everything Republican, put themselves
upon the Republican platform!
They are loud in their professions OF the
noble sincerity with which they adopt the
doctrine of Universal Suffrage, yet hate the
Republicans for having made it the law OF
the land thus far.
The people do not understand this con-
Trajectory course of the Democratic" pa
pers. They think, and justly too, that such
an intense love of these papers for Universal
Suffrage should prevent them from abusing
Republicans for successfully carrying into
effect the theory orwhich our Democratic"
friends profess so strong an admiration
For the same reason VIC have never be-
lieved in the professions of the Democrat
ic" papers Their conversion was sudden
we might have overlooked that-but we
cannot understand why they should hate
and condemn men for doing what they now
profess to believe to be all that is good. Ii
universal suffrage is such a good thing, and
is worthy the support of every good man in
the South, we should think that the men
who made universal suffrage the rule were
entitled to the g support of every good man
in the South" But the Democratic papers
don't view things in that light.
Astonished at the difference between their
professions and actions we have been on the
watch to find out the true principles OF
"Dcmocracy as now understood. At last
we are rewarded by finding the following
frank and, VIC have no doubt, truthful ex-
position of Democracy in the Mobile
Tribune, one of the leading Democratic" )"
papers of the South.
The Tribune lays down the law as follows:
"If true Southern man has any political
status in national sense, he is Democrat. The
only men at the North with whose views he hon
estly comedies, are those who during the war
were called 'Copperheads,n and who since the
conclusion of the war have protested and voted
against all the enactments of acorrupt Congress.
The true Democrat believes that the reconStI7sc-
ton la,Cs ought to be oversIrOun at the point Of the
Federal bayORet j necessary, and that the fegrO
should be depriyea of the right of suffrage illegal
| ly conferred upon him."
Vile, IRE abandon these principles are abandon
| the Democrat party, and with it the forlorn hope
! of restoring the Government as it was"
When these principles" are abandoned
the Democratic party is abandoned"
Therefore, these principles are the govern
ing principles of the Democratic" party.
Then the purpose of the democratic y
party, as confessed by one of its chief or
gans, is to overthrow the reconstruction
laws at the point of the bayonet if neces-
sary, and to deprive the negro of the right
of suffrage Illegally conferred upon him."
From this avowal one is forced to be-
lieve the opinion of the people to be true,
and that the professions of regard for uni
versal suffrage made by the Democratic y
papers are hypocritical.
Restoring the government as it was" means
to do away with all the results OF the war
and to RESTORE SLAVERY .. ..
And the Democrats" the mild, injured,
forgiving +" Democrats " :" support universal
suffrage!n
1t is falsel
There may be men opposed to the Re-
publican party, who support universal suf-
frage, but they cannot do so as "Demo-
Gratis" for man who does not believe ''that
the reconstruction laa0s ought to be o0erthroacn
at the point Of the 5ayOnet If necessary" and
that "the negro should be depriced Of the right
of sg6Ffagsn CANNOT BE A DEMOCRAT.
Thus, then, the principles, in support OF
which the members of the infamous KU
KLUx uurder those who support the laws
of the Nation and State, are the same
as are avowed to control the Democratic
party-at the point Of the bayonetJ necessary
Here are the tests of Democracy-opposi-
ton 10 the laws of the nation-opposition
to the right of every man 20 vote.
| People of North Carolina, do you endorse
such measures? ast srss