New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-04-30

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d 10 caiiSSils ~ ~ Hext presidential
eleotion, & becoma iznpoetant for tn
opposing parties 70 reconnoitAr each
others ground, spy out its weak spots,
and make preparation for defense agains,
its expected attacks The weak places,
however. in the plan of battle Of the
Democratic party unless they pre-
viously change their tactics) are precisely
those upon which they seem to pride
themselves, and upon which they evil
IDENTIFY rely for success, namely, the re-
pudiation Of the national debt, the repeal
of the three war-born constitutional
amendments, the recession of the colored
population to q condition Of virtual
slavery, and the resuscitation of the doc
Urine of State rights as opposed to the
supremacy of the national government /;
| in a word, the recommitment to the arbi-
trament of the ballot of all the ques-
tions which they regard us wrongfully
settled by that of the sword. For this
disinterment of dead issues, they have no
rsason to offer to the country but the fact
that they have no live issues to present,
and as party must have some ground of
dispute, they are driven to adopt post
norton examination of political remains
to prove the existence Of foul play, in the
manner of death as a motive power to
arouse into partisan zeal the majority of
the people Of this great country. The
summing up we have made of the issues
presented by that once formidable organ
ization which gloried in the name Demo
cratic, may seem to superficial reader
one-sided and unfair; but it only requires
q little attention to the speeches of the
leading men Of that party, and the tone
of its leading journals, to recognize its
truth. Like Paddy's snake, which would
squirm after its head was cut of,
the self-styled Democratic party is
mot sensible" of its real condition, but
considers itself s'skotched, not killed"
Perhaps it is So perhaps the
work we thought done is only done in |
and the poisonous reptile still
ives to spread its venom through the
body polite, endangering second time
he life of the nation. "The times have
been. that when brains were out the man
would die, and there an end" but it may
'e that what is true of a man is not true
# party. It perhaps can rise again, and
ight without its brains; being possessed
# an evil spirit bent on wholesale mis-
hief. And mischief of the direst kind
would certainly arise to the country exact
y in Proportion to the reopening of those
questions which have been already so often
ettled, once by force and more than once
y argument. If the majority of the
'eople of this country can be brought to
question the sacredness of. the national
lebt or of the still more binding obliga-
ions which it owes to its recently en-
citizens; if the disintegrating
heory of State sovereignty is to receive
be popular sanction, and the duty of
bsolute allegiance to the central govern
1ent to be successfully disputed, then is
haos come again, and our great country
laced in fair way to rival the anarchy
Mexico or France. This, however, is
he openly declared object of the Dem
cratic party, and to this point they hope
bring this people by the next pres
lential election. Can it be done?