Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1870-01-04
The Democratic Party.

show that these reasons are insufficient We
have, however, advised them that it would be
best, for the present at least, to avoid entang--
ling alliances with either the one or the other
of the parties into which the northern people
are divided Whoever will examine the record
of the Democratic party of the North In can
did spirit must admit that so far as their acts
are concerned they are so hostile to the south
ern people that they must be accounted aS'tru-
ly the enemies of what We hold to be the real
principles of the Federal Government as are
the moderate Republicans. If anybody can
see the practical difference between the main
tenance of the right of the Federal Govern
ment to make war upon the States and the con-
solidation doctrines of the Republicans, his per-
ceptive powers are greater than ours. 80
my own county, which gives a Democratic
majority of three thousand said Senator
Thurman, the leader of the Democrats in the
United States Senate, the other day, to Sena-
tor Stewart, of Nevada, ''sent more soldiers to
the war than your whole State" This teaches
us the difference between the Republicans and
the Democrats of the North. The Republi-
cans told US beforehand that no State had a
right to secede, and that if any one attempted
to secede it would be whipped back into the
Union; and they kept their word. The DEM
ocrats told US time and again that they believed
in the resolutions of 90 and 90, and would not
allow us to be whipped if we seeded; and
they did not keep their word. On the contrary.
they boast of having done more to subjugate
us than the Republicans The Republicans
claim that the National Government is all-pow-
erful and act up to their belief. The Demo
Gratis profess to believe in the rights of the
States but they always aid the Republicans
when the pinch comes They advocate States
| rights, and vote and fight for consolidation.
just as they advocate Reputation privately and
then desert and vote against and denounce the
| Mupgens who take them at their word. We
areno Mungen.
Neero suffrage was forced upon the southern
people by the Democrats in the last House OF
Representatives When the reconstruction
measures were first proposed the Republicans
had no more idea of enfranchising the negroes
than we had ourselves. But whilst che OF
| these measures was under consideration, a had
| ical proposed, as an amendment to the bill, to
confer the right of suffrage upon the negroes.
| The moderate Republicans voted against this
/ amendment and if the Democrats had voted
with them it would not have been made law.
But the Democrats caring nothing for US, and
wishing to make capital for themselves at homes
voted for it. The consequence was that when
the bill thus amended came up upon its passage
the whole Republican party in the House voted
for it and carried it. The Democrats voted "a
gainst it; but it was too late. The mischief
had been DONE Can we rely upon such allies
All this does not prove that We can safely
unite with the Republicans BUTT shows that
we should lean upon broken reed 1t we
trusted the northern Democrats. We should
rather refuse to unite with either party as at
present constituted We may thus compel a
reorganization of parties at the North. The
Democrats are so hated by the northern people
that the indignities which have been visited up
on our heads were due rather to this feeling
than to any real hostility towards US. We sup
pose there can be no doubt that Congress was
| u
vent President johnson and keep down the So
called Copperheads than it was by desire to
punish us when it entered upon the work of re-
construction upon the plan of Thad. Stevens.
| We have had to suffer for the sins Of those
who were supposed to be recognized by us as
our allies Every act Of Mr.. johnson intended
for our benefit resulted to our injury. Every
act of the northern Democrats intended tc
strengthen their party by making friends in the
South has only caused Congress to deal the
more harshly with US. And if to-day we were
to resist by force those acts of Congress which
r the northern Democrats assure us are unconstl
? tutional, and therefore not binding in law Oh
morals, those same Democrats would vote mil
f lions Of money and send thousands of soldier.
to put down "a wicked and causeless rebellion. >
"Give dog bad name and you may as vel
kill him" The northern people will not unite
with party calling itself Democratic. p" The,
E have the same sort of prejudice against it tina
we have against the carpet. baggers and scala
ways Not that the masses Of the party die
a not go hand in hand with the Republican
d throughout the war, but because a few men
e Vallandigham in Ohio, Wall in New Jersey
b Fillmore 10 New York, Pierce in New Hamp
shire, and other men of courageous hearts ant
> firm neryes-stood out against an unconstltu
= tional and uniustifable var We can under
9 stand why southern men should feel disposed
4, to honor such men as those we have named
and why they might wish 20 unite with then
if they had any party TO back them. But the,
! have no such party. They are Democrats
e deed as well as in name; whilst nearly the en-
6 tire body Of the party thus called consssts o.
consolidatioaists or Republicans in prlnclple-
! men who believe that secession was damnable
: herev that the Federal Government not only
had he right but that it was its duty to COM
bel tIe southern people to return to their ale
+ gi.nce to that Government and that there is
"a fact no limit to the powers of said Govern
5 ment. We repeat, the northern people will
not sustain party calling itself Democratic.
But we believe thai If the Democratic party
were out of the way, new party might be Or
ganized under some other name which would
command the support of majority of the peo-
ple of that section upon platform at least as
acceptable to the southern people as any which
the consolidation Democrats can honestly adopt.
So long, however, as we assist to keep up the
present Democratic party, we aid in infiaming
the passions of the northern people against our