Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-10-21
The Present Duty Of Republicans.

wheel into line with Republican Dele
gate to Congress- Toledo Blade.
~
The Present Daty Of Republicans.
THE Democratic Convention of New
York declined TO say whether the party
acquiesces in the great settlements of the
war-the reconstruction acts and the
constitutional amendments. But evasion
is itself declaration. When the public
mind is interested in certain question
upon which one party occupies the firm
est and most unequivocal position, the
refusal OF the other to express its agree
ment ls to say that it does not agree. And
this is still more evident when its con.
vention feels that the question cannot be
altogether avoided, ana therefore chooses
words purposely obscure to define its
position. No intelligent man can doubt
that If the two parties should ask the sup
port Of this State and of the country upon
the single point Of the honorable main
tenance OF the conditions upon which the
Union has been restored and of the
pledged public faith, the party which in
nexlDly supported the amendments and
the national honor would be decisively
sustained. And this is really one of the
most essential elements of the present
situation. The Republican party would
go steadily forward building UP the flu.
ture upon the foundations already laid.
The Democratic party would not hesitate
to disturb them, and takes care not to
say anything inconsistent with that
policy.
The evidence of this position of the
Democratic party is of various kinds, but
1t Is conclusive. Thus, ex. Governor Orr,
OF South Carolina, in his letter which an
nounces his separation from the Demo.
cratic party, says: eff good and true men
Will consent to accept the reconstruction
acts OF Congress and the legislation, Fed
eral and State, necessarily growing out of
tnem, there might be rapid restoration
to prosperity. This means that there is a
general refusal to scquiesce in the fnslity
OF reconstruction, and that the good and
\ taue men who will accept it are, in Gov
ernor Orr's opinion, certainly not to be
found in the Democratic party, or he
would not leave it. The Democratic SEN
ator Thurman, of Ohio, has recently made
speech IN which he substantially reas.
serts the old doctrine of State rights, con.
demns the whole system of reconstruc-
tlon, and declares that the new constitu.
tlonal amendments are-not adopted
but declared to be adopted" The point
OF his speech is, that the entire Republi.
can rule has been usurpation, and i'm
Plies, ofcourse, that as much of its uncon-
stltutlonal action as may be found neces.
sary for Democratic purposes will be set
aside If the Democrats return to power.
In harmony with this strain was the
speech of Mr.. Tilden, the Chairman of
the Democratic State Central Committee
OF New York, at the party Convention.
Alter a courteous allasion to the itelli.
gence and high character of many men,
bers of the Republican party, he said that
the crowning evil of the party was its
policy of centralism, leading to imperial
ism, policy destructive of liberty and of
popular government The proof of this
he found in the reconstruction measures
OF that party-measures, which, of course,
in order to free the country from imperi-
alism and to save the government, must
be reconsidered, and which, if the Demo.
cratic party were of the same opinion as
In 1868, must be pronounced unconstltu-
tlonal, revolutionary, and void, and set
aside. The spirit of the Democratic par.
ty is still further shown in the fact that,
with few exceptions, the Democratic
newspapers which demand that the party
shall acquiesce in the amendments and
the whole system of reconstruction
have no weight whatever in the party
councils, and all of them together are an
insignificant number.
The issue upon this vital point is plain.
Every vote for Democratic ascendency is
a vote for reopening the terrific agitation
from which the country hoped it was
peacefully emerging. Are the great in
terests OF this State and of the country
desirous of such conVulsion? With all
the faults of detail that may be charged
upon the measures of reconstruction, have
they not upon the whole, resulted hap
PLY for the country, and is there not q
general tranquility and prosperity which,
had they been foretold six years ago,
would have seemed the mere dream OF
enthusiasm? Do the intelligent people
really believe that the administration of
party which has established equal rights
tends to fatal Imperialism; or that the
ascendency of party which for a gener-
alton was devoted solely to the extension
and perpetuity of slavery is the most
promising guarantee of libertyS
The Republican party Is composed OF
the most enlightened and Independent
citizens. 1t criticises freely its own Off
GERS, and the measures of its own Admin
istration. 1t often seems, therefore, to
those who judge of the cohesion of par
ties by the aspect produced by the igno.
minious Democratic drill, that the Repub.
lican party is falling to pieces because it
is agitated. But when the appeal to the
country has been made upon grave and
fundamental existing issues at honest
elections, the differences of detail between
Republicans, or their debates upon the
future policy of the party, are forgotten
In the harmonious resolution to maintain
what they have already gained. The
action of the Democratic party shows
that the necessity of such a position il
still imperative upon Republicans, and
those who do not see it inevitably, how
ever honestly, imperil the highest interests
of the country.-Harper's Weekly.