Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1869-05-04
The Republican Party Hasita Future?

ADemocratic party has existed in this coun-
try since the close of the revolutionary war
aud it is a singular fact, worthy of the serious
consideration of Republicans, that the opposi-
ton to that party has changed its name, its
principles, and its leaders about every eighteen
years Since our Independence was achieved
Washington aud Adams led conservative
opposition to the Democratic idea, as expound-
ed by Jefferson. from the termination of the
revolutionary struggle down to the defeat OF
Adams in 1900. Then the opposition assumed
the name of Federaists, aud. under the guild
ance first of Alexander Hamilton andthen of
RUFUS King, resisted the Democracy till the
final overthrow of the Federal party in 1918.
The opposition then changed their front,
modified their doctrines, and discarded their
name, and, under the leadership of John
Quincy Adams aud Henry Clay, were called
national Republicans for about eighteen years,
when, having been Frustrated by the party
which rallied around the standard of jackson,
they recognized under the name of Wings,
and followed the lead and shared the fortunes
of Clay and Webster for eighteen or twenty
years thereafter. In 1854. having lost hope
and courage. and having dropped into power
less minority, the opponents of the Democ
racy taking advantage of the vicious position
which that organization had assumed on the
subject of slavery, formed the Republican
party. and. following the banner first of Seward
and then of Lincoln, became the dominating
power in the country through the secession OF
the Southern States, which had previously
been the strongholds of the Democratic party.
The Republican party has had a stormy exist
ence. It was created to prevent the extension
Of slavery. The rebellion of the slaveholding
States gave it an opportunity to strike at the
existence of an institution which had aimed
to give law to the entire Union. Slavery was
whelmed in the commissions of the late civil
war. The folies and perversiies of Andrew
johnson enabled the Radical wing of the Re-
pubIicans to carry their ideas OF political
equality to the extreme. and ere the next meet>
ing of Congress the right of every man to WELD
the ballot. irrespective of color, cline, creed,
or condition. will become an irrepealable pro-
vision of the Constitution. The great and
glorious mission of the Republican party will
then have been fulfilled.
Now, remembering these historic cycles
which have constituted the lifetime of the
various parties that at different periods of our
national career have stood in opposition to the
Democracy, it is fact worthy of considera>
ton that the Republican organization will
have existed exactly eighteen years the
occurrence of the next Presidential election.
1t would be in accordance with all the pre-
cedents if in the contest of 1872 the opposi-
ton to the lung-lived Democracy should then
suffer signal defeat, and Immediately after
ward change its name. its principles, and its
| lenders In view of the one idea on which
the Republican party was organized, the in
congruous materials in respect to other ideas
of which it is composed. and the complete
fulfment of its appropriate work, it would
not be surprising If it than f'l"wea the fate
of its predecessors and passed into history
This however will largely depend upon the
wisdom, the liberality. the common sense and
progressive ideas of the leaders of the Demo
cratic party. Their folly has already confirm
ed the power of their antagonists and it is
possible that it may do SO yet again.
In Y Sun