Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-03-25
The Qpp0kittan.

Gratis expect General Grant" TO be nothing
but Republican President, and the.
will constantly confront him with tn
same resoluie opposition which the.
have always offered to the Republican
party"
This is as it should be. All that AM
intelligent man can ask is, that the line
be plainly drawn and constantly remem
bered that divide the Republican ant
Democratic parties. The mischief threat
ened by Mr.. Chase's nomination by tn,
Tammany Convention was that it tend
ed to obscure the issue. Mr.. Chase hat
nothing in common with the Democrat,
party, except, as his position at tn,
! time indicated, restless fever for place
The Democratic party had always of
! fered" "resolute opposition" to the Re
! publican, and Mr.. Chase had always
I been a republican. His nomination
| would have been deception; and hi:
election, had it taken place, could really
| have settled nothing.
! But the difficulty was avoided. Those
who had always led the Democratic par.
ty in its resolute hostility to the Repub.
lican led it still, and the country showed
what it thought of those leaders and
their followers by the election of General
Grant. Meanwhile the intended candi.
date of those who hoped to succeed by
what deserves no better name than q
dodge, on the 4th of March administered
the oath of office to the President in
whom the confidence of the Republican
party is profound and inspiring. Yet
among the reflections of the famous day
there could have been none mere in
structive than that he who had been
early and always associated with that
party and those principles, and whe had
remained firm while so many faltered,
at the very instant when they were be
ginning to prevail over a peaceful and
united l. nd, had chosen to separate
himself from association with them, and
to pass into history as another victim o!
ruinous Presidential ambition.
And as the Democratic party proposes
to offer the same resOlute opposition to
the Republican as heretofore, it is useful
to see what the Republican principles
and policy are. The Republican party
arose out of resolute opposition to the
extension of slavery, which was Dem
ecratic policy. This opposition had
really moral basic, and when the rela-
ton between morality and interest was
made plain the Republican party came
into power. the revolt of the Demo
cratic leaders who offered "a resolute
burg, AndeIsonville, and Richmond
compelled the Republican party to main
tain the Government by war. The war
ended, and the party was forced into q
struggle with the President, who, sup
ported by the Democratic party, tried to
reverse as much of the result of the war
as possible. .4 :1F+i -
The Republican principles were that
the Union should be restored upon con-
ditions agreeable to the loyal victors,
and not inconsistent with the principles
of the Government and with the Consti-
tuition; that the freedmen should not be
betrayed; and that the national honor
should not be tarnished by any form of
reputation. These principles. and the
policy that grew out of them, received
"a resolute opposition" from the Demo
cratic party. That party declared that
when the war ended every thing in the
revolted States resumed its old position;
that, under the Constitution, Congress
could prescribe no conditions whatever
for the restoration of States that did not
succeed in permanently seceeding; and
that the loyal people Of the United States
could do nothing whatever to secure the
victory they had won but try iudividu-
ais for treason. Upon this ground the
Democrats resisted every measure pro-
posee which was designed to establish
civil and political equality, and to pre-
vent the unquestioned supremacy of the
recent rebel element in the Southern
States. But every such measure was
carried by the Republican party, and
was heartily approved by the country.
The Democratic party offered ''reso-
lutte opposition" to the Republican
party when it proposed to check the
extension of slavery. All the ''resolute
opposition" to the war proceeded from
the same party. When the Republicans
sought to found peace upon justice and
and the acknowledged princi
pie of u popular government, it was res
olutely opposed by the Democratic party.
Declaring that the policy of Congress
was wise and humane, and that the
faith of the nation should be kept with
public creditor and freedman, and nom-l
mating General Grant, the Republican
tion" of the cid friends of slavery, and
And now that General Grant has enter
ed upon his Presidency the same oppo-
sition is 10 be offered. Naturally-for
the future policy of the Republican par
ty will spring from those principles of
equal rights which the Democratic party
has always resolutely opposed. The
President declares for complete protec-
tion for every person and every opinion
in the country The Democratic party
has always resoiutely opposed such q
policy, and will continue to do SO. He
declares for honest payment Of the debt.
The Democratic party will resolutely
oppose The President declares for
economy and retrenchment. The Dem |
,cratic party "will confront him with
,he same resolute opposition"
Already the "resolute opposition" has
begun by the most ludicr0us and captious |
upon the circumstances of the |
and upon the inaugural
address,. Mr.. James Brooks, also,
worthy representative leader OF the De-
attempted small riot in the
House to purplex its organization. But
10 patriotic man can regret that the hos
ility which necessarily exists in human
.ffairs between justice and intelligence
md hone sty on the one hand, and ignor-
nee, prejudice, brutality, and privilege
lpnn the other, should be frankly de-
'iared and plainly understood. We GER
ainly do not claim all the virtues or ali
he talents for the Republican party.
But as certainly we see that the ignOr-
mt and the disorderly, with the skeptics
# all free institution and the aristscracy
very where, instinctively ally them
elves with the Democratic party aud
wish it success; while the great mass of
he Intelligent, Industrious, and thrifty
American people, and the liberals of
very country in the world, range them
elves with the Republican party of the
United States. 1t has been the party of
humanity and intelligence in the past,
4 r. Il