The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-09-21
n the Chicago Post, Sept. Nth.
UNDER WHICH KfN07

UNDER WHICH KfNa.
| Yesterday afternoon, in Steubon
vile, Ohio, the Hon. VIM. S. Groes
back fred the opening Democratic
gun in behalf OF the New Departure
He follows so quickly after Senator
Thurman's radically contrary har.
angue, that the unfortunate parts
ans whom the two zealots essay to
lead, must be sorely bewildered in
the min gled smoke of both and il
only one of them points the way to
Democratic victory, there is q very
bright chance of the victory being
missed by the stupid obedience of
those who will go in the opposite
direction.
The only element in Groesback's
position which is not wholly Repub-
lican, is his abuse of the individual
acts of the administration. Every
underlying principle of the senti-
ments he expressed is purely Rcpub-
lican, and despite his diligence, he
was detected in complimenting the
administration itself when ho said,
Hon the matter of currency | adhere
to the historical doctrine of the
Democratic psrty"-which is exactly
what he did not adhere to. "The
utmost fixedness that can be attained
in the indispensable quality for a
right standard of value. The green
buck and the true dollar are nosc almost
abreast" IF Groesback had inform
ed his Democratic audience that the
greenback and the true dollar has
been brought abreast by a Republican
administration in constant opposition
to Democratic theory and in con-
stant violation OF Democratic desires,
he would merely havo completed
his paragraph, and told his listeners
o wholesome truth. But when he
said that this was "historical doctrine
of tho Democratic party" his audi
ence must have INDUCED in a respect
ful but irresistible smile.
Groesbeck's position includes an
unqualified acceptance Of the amend
ments but it includes something
moro. 1t lauds them. He rejoices
that slavery is dead and he tells the
Democratic party, even while Thur
mans tones have not lost their rebel
echo in that State, that the repealers
can find no remedy In the Supreme
Court. The amendments anus
stand, nay, thoy ought to stand!"
He denies the craftsmanship of keep
ing any portion Of tho people in Il
subject state" He says, "We may
not look to the Supreme Court TO
declare those amendments uncon-
stitutional. 1t has no jurisdiction over
them. We may not look to the States
to annul them by q future amendment.
1t requires three-fourths, and that
number will never concur. Wemay
not look to the people to overthrow
them in some other way. The poo
pie have already accepted them"
The Democrat who will read these
emphatic declarations after hearing
Thurman's promise that the people
,c,N undo what Groesbeck declares
they have forever ratified, will won.
der in his heart what the Democratic
party exists for, if not to show to the
world how easily its leaders make a
fool of 1t.
Groesbeck does not hesitate to
affirm his belief that State cannot
secede which Aleck Stephens will
repeat only TO spurn, and which the
South will hear only to repudiate.
In Pendleton's own State, Groes-
beck declares it q matter OF national
and individual honor to pay
the national debt, but not n dollar fo.'
rebel contracts made at the samo
time, and only remembered that he
was addressing Democrats just at the
moment when he was about to OK
press his pride as an American citi.
zen over the manner in which the
debt has already been paid. He rcn.
dered some slight tribute to the an-
tecedents of his audience by pass
ing allusion to tho increase of State
debts in the South under Republican
fixing the amount of
the increase at 500, 900, 900 for all !
the States; but emitting to remark
that under Democratic administra-
ton. in the single city of New York,
the municipal debt had been increas-
cd to just twice that magnitude. He
did, it is true, make feeble fling AT
Tammany, but he had already out
ragged the prejudices OF his audience
SO grossly that he confined his CON-
ments on the broken Ring to u single
sentence.
His speech will benefit the cooler
headed of the Democratic party, and
swell the Republican vote in the
next campaign. He himself has
plainly no place in The Democratic
ranks. The-party that threatens to
nominate Thurman for President will
rendsr no honor to any man who
Thurman's most effective
utterances and the fraction of The
party who adopt Groesbeck's posi-
tion will find no method Of expressing
their sentiments save by casting Re-
publican ballots.