Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-07-28

THE F.fELURB OF THE VIEW DE-
P.fRTUKR.

At the Tammany performance ii was, in
decd, urged by Mr.. John Quincy Adams,
who IL, however, chartered libertine in
the party which he has recently Joined
and he il the same gay Mentor who, in
one of his many epistles TO the brethren,
advised his new love- the Democratic par
ty, to begin by being democratic, which
was very much as if he had advised the
Neponset river to flow the other way. The
Democratic party has never been democrat
ic. II used to call itself the poor mans
party and the working-man's party when
il had its cruel heel planted upon the hearts
of millions ofpoor working-men, TO whom
it denied even right to their manhood and
TO common humanity. And even now the
attempt TO take a new departure by assert
ing the equal rights of men under the Con-
stitution has produced serious differences
in the party.
The difficulty is one that we have more
than once ventured to suggest. A party is
not measured by its professions merely,
but by the probabilities of its per iormance
arising from various considerations. If in
the midst of the war, If at Chicago in 1864,
| instead of crying out for surrender to The
rebellion the Democratic party had pro-
nounced for Il vigorous prosecution of the
war, the country or Republican party
would have replied, every well, fall ill.,"
But If the Democratic party had retorted
| that, having declared for war, it ought to
have control of the government, even Sher-
man and his men lost in Georgia would
have heard the shout of derision that would
have rung through the loyal land. While
the leadership and general composition of
party remain unchanged, the profession
of a different purpose is not very persua-
sive. What is the significance of advice to
a party to begin by being democratic?
Plainly that it is not Democratic now.
And when a new departure is demanded,
what is it but confession that the old po-
stion is untenable? When, therefore, we
push the inquiry TO the end we find that
those who have always sustained slav-
cry and all the iniamies that sprang from
1t, who wished TO retain in reconstruction
as much of the root of civil hate as posi-
bic, who wished to forbid equal suffrage
and to perpetuate class privilege, who con-
fusedly and aggressively asserted State
sovereignty against IL tonal supremacy,
who palliated and justified the rebellion,
and derided and pcrplexed the government
of the Union, have at last decided that they
can not recover power by such cries and POI
'ition, and hope to acquire public conf
dence by departing from them.
Now as these are really the same people
with the same principles, they have found
AN insuperable difficulty: they can not per-
suado themselves, and they cannot per-
suado the country. platform, az these
gentlemen all very well know, is usually
considered TO be the tub to the whale Its
obj ect is to amuse, and possibly to deceive.
1t must say neither too much nor too little.
1t must not disappoint the advance nor dis
may the rear. And, whatever the plat
form says, it derives all its significance
from those who stand behind it. 1t is like
the word of a man. If his character con-
firms what he says, ii is enough. But il is
also enough if it does not. The Democrat
ic surrender platform at Chicago in 1864
was an exact expression of the party sent
iment. The country knew that the party
wished to surrender. The party character
sustained the platform. But the same char
acter does not sustain, in the same sense,
the new departure platform. The utmost
t hat it conveys is a shrug and a grimace
that 1--WE can't help ourselves, and so we
a cquiesce." What reason was there, ii
Mr.. Nallandigham had lived, and had been
nominated for Governor of Ohio upon his
own platform, for any man who voted u
gainst him during the war to vote for him
- (.
tion, but of compulsion. And what was
true of him is true of the attempted new
attitude OF his party, The question always
remains, Why trust the men who were dis
trusted yesterday because they declare to-
, day that they will contend no longer? The
change itself shows them to he less trust
worthy.
The Democratic party, vainly trying t.
rally itself upon new line, hopes to con
test the election of 1872 upon the question
, of Capitalization. But let any sonsibl,
, man ask himself the very practical qucs
f ton, as it safer TO trust the Republican
! party, even with this ccntralizing tenden
} cy, or the Democratic party, with its Stat'
4 sovereignty dogmas?" And beyond ant
above all this, the question which homes
people all over the land will ask themselve
is, whether it is wise TO abandon part,
I whose traditional policy is liberty, union
and fair play, which represents the politi
, cal movement Of the intelligence and tn
moral character and purpose of the coun
try, which has the American conscience
f behind its professions, and to favor Il part.
. whose traditional policy is slavery and in
equality, and which represents the ignor
a ance, the prejudice, and the hostility to tn
, Union that still exist in the country? Al
a election Is not a contest of fine professions
1t is a choice between what are believed t
I be convictions; and they are sought AM
[ found not in the rhetoric Of the Conven
= ton, but in the career Of the party.
- No sensible Republican asks vote 10
Il his party upon the ground that ii has beel
q uniformly wise, that all its measures hav
70 been unexceptionable, or that all its con
# spic nous members have inspired respect o
~ con tidence. But he does ask ii upon tn
Il ground that that party contains the grea
# mass of loyal citizens who honestly beliey
. in equal rights and would honorably main
tain them, with the great multitude of in
a tclligent and industrious people who's
;, good sense assures then, that those VIII
. tried to destroy the government to
a yea rs ago are not those who should contrC
a ii now. And this is a multitude and
n conviction which are not likely to DE dis
- turbed by the loudest vociferation Of ne
,r policies and principles and departures VI
: on the part of their opponents. Harper
= Weekly.
t. B.IKTHQU.sHRs.
g. Earthquake shocks are commonly SUI
10 p0sed te be so rare in this section Of II