The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1869-05-05
TheRspublioan Party Futures

a Democratic. party has existed in
this country since the close of the
revolutionary war, and it is singu-
lar fact worthy OF the serious cOnsid-
Grafton OF Republicans. that the oppO
-sitton 10 that party has changed its
name, ats principles and its leaders
about every eighteen years since our
Independence was achieved. WASH
Iagton and Adams led conservative
opposition to the Democratic idea as
expounded by Jefferson from the ter
mination of the revolutionary strug-
gle down to the defeat sof Adams in
1850. Then the Opposition assumed
the name Of Federaiists, and, under
the guidance of Alexander Hamilton
and then of Rufus King, resisted the
Democracy till the final overthrow of
the Federal party in 1918. The oppo-
sltton then changed their front, mod
ifed their doctrines, and discarded
their name, and, under the leadership
of John Quincy Adams and Henry
Clay, were called national RepubIi-
cans for about eighteen years, when,
having been Frustrated by the party
which rallied around the standard Of
jackson, they reorganized under the
name of Wings, ana 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 drop
ped into a poWerless minority, the
| opponents of the Democracy, 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 pow
er in the country through the seces
| sion of the Southern States, which
had previously been the strongholds
| or the Democratic party. .IE -.-
! The Republican party has had a
stormy existence. 1t was created to
| prevent the extension of slavery. The
/ rebellion Of the sIaYeholding States
gave it an Opportunity to Strike at
/ the existence Of an institution which
i had aimed to give law to the entire
] Union. Slavery was Whelmed In the
commissions of the late civil war. The
1 fOilie5 and perVersities of Andrew
Johnson enabled the Radical wing OF
the Republicans TO carry their ideas
OF political equality to the extreme,
and ere the next meeting of Congress
| the right of every man to WELD the
| ballot, irrespective of color, cline,
creed 6r condition, will become an ir'
repealable provision OF the Constitu
ton. The great and glorious mission
OF the Republican party will then
have been fulfilled. ..-.
! Now, remembering these historic
cycles which have Constituted the
l lifetime of the various parties that al
different periods of our national ca
reer have stood in opposition to the
Democracy, 1t is a fact worthy of con
sideration that the Republican organ
iZatIon will have existed exactly
eighteen years on the occurrence Of
the next Presidential election. II
would be in accordance with all the
precedents If in the contest OF 1875
the opposition to the long lived De
mocracy should then suffer signal
defeat, and Immediately change it
name, principles and leaders. 4 In
view of the, one idea ON which the
Republican party was organized, the
lincongruOus materials in respect to
other ideas Of which it is composed
and the complete fulfillment of its ap
prOpriate work, it would not be sur
prlsing If it then followed the fate oi
its predecessors and passed into histo
ry. This, however, will largely de
pend upon the wisdom, the liberahty
the common sense, ana progressive
ideas of the leaders of the Democratic
party Their folly had already con
firmed the power of their antagonists
and 1T is possible that it may do 81
Il yet agalns-N y Sun, ReDu6kicO3a.T -.