The Van Buren press., 1871-08-22
The War Proclamation

nuncamento of the Little Rock Gazette, an
nouncing Its determination, henceforth t,
"make war; on all those who may differ Will
II in the policy Of conducting the approach
ing campaign, and the platform to be adopt.
ed by the party. The Press las never haC
any very wide political differences with th,
Gazette, but there are democratic papers in the
State that have. and for this reason, If for nc
other we thought il Objectionable and un-
wise in the Central Committee of the state
attaching itself to the Gazette. or any other
paper. We felt that the Committee should be
left free from ali alliances, free to act indie
pendently, as the representatives of all the
Democracy, whether O the old, "new dcpar-
turs," or 80 called" until a National or
State platform has been adopted. While we
have always expressed desire and dcterm-
ination to act in faithful cooperation with
the Central Committee in the thorough or
ganization of the State, for the coming mo-
mentous campaign, we do not hesitate to say
that we do not feel bound to adopt and fol-
low all the vagaries of the so called organ
Of the State Committee, whether it expresses
the sentiments of that Committee ornot. We
acknowledge no master, but the people, and
shall always be found readily acquiesing in
their decisions, be they what they may
We copy the article of the Democrat, that
our readers may see, that it is not alone the
Northwest (as the Gazette would have them
belieye) that is not satisfied with the dictato-
rial course assumed at Little Rock:
THE Word with the Bark on It,
Under this heading the Little Rock Gazette
OF the 4th inst. has an article which we must
confess excited in us some astonishmcnt, and
more regret that such an article should have
found place in that paper
We have been forced by our convictions at
times TO differ with the Gazette, but we have
always regretted such difference aad been
sorry that ourselves and the Gazette could
not view party measures from the same
stand point and arrive at the same conclus-
ions. These differences have led both papers
ut times to indulge in harsh comments that
were unbecoming to them and distasteful to
their readers for our own part We believed
that we were right and defended our views in
the way that We thought best, and have ac-
corded to the Gazette the same honesty of
purpose and the like privilege we claimed
One Of the main points Of difference be-
tween the DEMOCRAT and the Gazette was the
necessity Of Democratic convention this
u
Valandigham's new departure. Side by side
with the Democrat in this contest, and not
under its leadership as the Gazette intimates
but as equal soldiers lighting for the same
cause, were several Of the leading democrat
ic papers of the State, among them the Van
Buren Press edited by }. 5. Durham an old,
respected and gallant leader of the party.
When the Central Committee held n meet
ing and invited the Congress sional Committee
Vii a
convention, and such other questions as
might be considered of Interest TO th, party,
we attended ak member Of the Sd congress
sions,l committee; we knew Immediately up
on our arrival in Little Rock that the quos-
tion of calling convention was decided
against our views aud when the vote III the
committee room was taken we acquicsccd in
the decision OF the majority. but believed it
10 be question of such vital Importance, and
the decision fraught with such evil to the
party, that we had our protest recorded
against the action Of the COMMITTEES and
washed our hands of any evil that might
arise from It, IL became evident TO every
member of the committee that two conven-
tions would have to be holden next spring,
one before the meeting of the national con-
yention to select delegates TO that body. and
one afterwards to nominate candidates for
State officers and to determine upon the poll
cy to be pursued to secure the vote OF the
State to the democratic candidates, both State
and National. In fact this was so evident to
all, that we yet believe had an effort been
made, the previous decision to hold no con
yention this fall would have been reconsider
ed the motion was not made and there the
matter rested.
Since our return home, "a the'editor Of n
democratic newspaper we have endorsed the
action of the committees and so far as our
knowledge extends so have all the democrat
c,,tt thn afn
the Press was greivously disappointed be-
cause no convention was called, but declared
In his paper the Van Buren Press that he
would abide its decision and work to carry
out its policy and we cannot understand why
II Is the Gazette attacks him, accusing hlm
and other papers of something like cordi-
ality of reciprocity" whatever that means)
with the Clayton organ, and calling these pa
pers that have fallen under its ban "pretend-
ed democratic papers," stigmatising them as
amischiet makers" and saying that 1t has
the authority Of the central committee en-
powering II to make war on a. such'
When the committee were in sese.oh INC
writer of this introduced a resolution III
which occurs the words that it "otliCially en-
dorses no platform or paper leaving that to
be done by 4 convention" The cause of in
serting the word paper in that resolution wa>
that the Gazette, presuming upon resolution
previously adopted by the resident members
Of the central committee had claimed to be
the official organ of the democratic party, but
In the discussion of a motion to strike out the
word paper" the editor of the uazette with
Its business manager present and asserting
distinctly and emphatically dissvowed any
such claim because Of that resolution. putting
their claims to be an organ Of the party up
on the same grounds that are common TO all
other democratic papers, the advocacy OF
democratic principles. We had never denied
this position TO the Gazette and though we
showed from its own columns that il had pre-
viously based its claims upon other grounds,
we chcarfully accepted the disayoWal of its
editor and business manager.
We had every reason to believe that We
should hear no more of such assumptions of
superiority on the part of the Gazette, and
regret TO see them, for the whole tenor Of its
article is THREAT to the Democratic press of
the State, that If they dare to differ with the
Gazette and furnish what IT chooses to des-
ignate as thunder" for the republican par
~, they shall read out of the democratic par
ty. We have but little now besides the priv
ilege of living to thank God for, but one of
the few things we have, is the knowledge that
we hold our allegiance to the democratic par
ty from higher authority than the Gazette,
or the Central Committee, THE PEOPLE, and
that only by them can our democracy be
questioned, and we cannot be driven, nor do
we suppose can any other democratic editor
by threats Of the Gazette, or the central COM
mittee into any line, or course of conduct that
Is not consistent with our honest convictions.
We deprccate the necessity which compcls
us to write this, but a due sense of our own
position compels it, for should the Republi-