Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1871-07-01
Progress Of the Democracy on their
"Ncw Departurc.'


According to democratic contempo-
rary Of the Monsieur Mantilini school,
who undertakes to cipher out 1.-The
demnition total, the enlightened Iowa
democratsi after houndering about for
ten years in the Dismal Swamp of dead
issues, accept the situation" But
why do they accept it? Because, as
the ingenious Mantilini says, they wish
TO adapt their utterances to the big
otry, the ignorance and the narrow
prejudice OF men who have voted with
the Republican party hitherto, and
who have come sincerely to believe
the falsehoods of Republican politi-
clans and journals that Democrats are
inpolitic at heart rather than patriot
ic" on the back track to Buchanan
This new departure, then, is a mere
gull trap. This is, indeed, a new rem
dering Of the old play Of "She Stoops
to Conquer" But the movement is
going ahead. The hint was given
from Tammany Hall, the opening ar
gument was thrown out by Mr.. John
Quincy Adams, the ball was set in
motion in Ohio by Mr.. Vallandigham,
and, right about face" the Democra-
cy have since rolled it through Penn
sylvania to the Ohio river, and down
that beautiful river to Kentucky, and
thence up the mighty Mississippi to
Iowa, and SO, from State to State, they
will keep "the ball rolling on" till
the meeting of the grand National
Democratic Sanhcdritn of 1872.
What then? Then, and before that
dav, we shall learn what this new de-
parture really means 1t means at
present that, after fighting the issues
settled bv the war down TO the late
Connecticut election, the result in
Conrecticut, from the niger balance
of powrr;' left no alternative to the
astottished Democracy but the accep-
tance Of the thirteenth, fourteenth
and fifteenth amendments, including
negro emancipation, negro civil and
political equality, negro suffrage and
all. IN accepting the situation, then,
and "the constitution as it is, the
Northern Democracy simply accept
Uncle Tom "as a man and a brother. '
Under "the constitution as it was, in
the good old Democratic days Of
Buchanan, and by decision OF the
Supreme Court of the United! States,
persons of African descent had "no
rights which white nen were bound to
respect And this was the constitu-
ton of the Democracy down 70 the
late Connecticut election. Now, in
accepting the constitution as amended
by the Republicans, making free and
equal all people, Of all color and all
races, as citizens, the Northern De-
mocracy, in single bound, jump from
1861 to 1871, and from the Demo
cratic platform Of jeff Davis and Bu-
chanan to the Republican platform o1
"Old Ben Wade" and General Grant
Call yen rot this high ground and
lofty tumSlins?
Dey wheel about, and turn about, and dc
jcs so;
And cbcry time dcy wheel About dcy jumr
Jim Crow:
But does this advance the Democra.
cy or does it set them back ? That is
the question. There is certainly nc
enthusiasm in the party organs over
this new departure. What with theil
explanations and apologies and quib.
bling excuses. and what with the
growlings and grumhlings Of the 'up-
reconstructed, IT is evident that this
new medicine is nanseous dose to the
unterrihed. 70 give up all that they
have been fighting for since the
Charleston Convention, and to sign all
that the Radicals have done, by means
of fire and sword, since the election of
Lincoln, in the liberation and eleta-
ton Of "tAe id niger" is in truth
bitter dose to your regular old line
red hot Democrats, dyed in the wool
by the Dred Scott decision. Nor is it
likely that they will for year or two.
even on this new departure, escape
the consequences Of continuous fight
on these dead Issues on their line Of
march. Especially will continuous