The Van Buren press., 1870-07-26
The Republican Idea Of Democratic Prlnci
pies.

The Republican Idea OF Democratic Prlnci
Piles.
On Friday evening last, we had the ex
quisite pleasure of listening to shor
speech from the Governors candidate
for the congressional nomination of thi
District, Colonel SEARLE The Colone
had just arrived from Little Rock b,
stage. and was, Of course, greatly fatiguet
and, perhaps, could not do himself jus
tice In charity for an aspirant to tn,
place, ouce so eminent, as seat in the
National Legislature, We are constrained
to declare that if the Colonel had mad,
the tedious trip from the capital by waite
or even in carriage, he would have beer
able to do better aud perhaps have clcc
trified his audience by the fire Of his clio.
quence. But being so much fatigued the
necessary consequence was a-failure
The remarks of the Colonel were con.
fined to the grand, glorious and peculiar
results Of Republican rule, He told us
of the many free schools, that shine like
torches throughout this benighted State
he told us of the grand railroad projects
now on foot-some having an existence
only in the brain of spectators, some in
course Of actual construction, and all to
be traced to the energy and management
Of the glorious Republican party. He
did not, however, explain how certain
shining lights of that party, came to pos
sess in expectancy 100000 of the mon
ey or bonds ofa certain road. He allud
ed to the glorious era of free speech
freedom of thought and free press, all
the blessed gifts Of the Republican party.
This latter was bit of news learned by
the Colonel, no doubt while journeying
along with the Governor.
Now all these are blessings, but the
Colonel says the Democratic party are
and ever have been opposed to education,
freedom Of opinion, free speech and a
free press, and to internal Improvements.
This may be so, for as reconstruction is
the order of the day, and reconstruction
means, practically, a complete change of
the thing reconstructed, the Republican
party may have reconstructed history,
and perhaps, a Democrat did not write
the Declaration of Independence, and
perhaps it was not signed by more Demo
Gratis than of any other polit cs. Per
haps the old Constitution was not framed
In great part and carried through by
Democrats Perhaps Democrats did not
make free speech, free press and free
trade the chief corner stone Of this
mighty political temple. Perhaps they
did not base all their theories of public
policy upon the will of the people, freely
expressed, untrammeled by military pow
cr We have been taught to believe that
these principles were inculcated by the
Democratic party from its birth w,
have also been taught to believe that all
free governments derive their just powers
alone from the consent of TIE gorerned,
actually implied. We never heard OF
Democrats advocating, much less prac
ticing, the French system of muzzling
the press We never knew Of Democrats
meeting in secret conclave, to concoc,
schemes for the propagation of unsound
doctrines. They had no Loyal Leagues,
in whose bosom the vilest passions and
prejudices were nourished and kept alive
No doubt many ignorant men belonged
to the Democratic party, but we never
knew them to be taught to hate their
neighbor for exercising his freedom OF
opinion. We never knew them to make
promises, for the purpose Of influencing
the votes Of these ignorant men, which
promises were, avowedly, to be fulfilled
by robbing their neighbors; no, not
so much MS "torty acres and mule .
If Colonel Searle expresses the opinion
Of the Republican party, then we pity
the ignorance of the party. The Democ
racy of Arkansas, cc suppose, are to be
taught true Democracy by the shining
light, scintillations rather, thrown off by
the overburdened North. Our natives
are too ignorant, in the opinion of Colo
mel S., to understand what free govern.
ment means. How have the mighty
fallen, and this is the material out of
which latter day Congressman are made.
ET Col. JAMES X. STEELMAX, General
Agent for Arkansas of the Piedmont