The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-03-08
WEDNESDAY EvE'G, MARCH. 8, 1871.

that the Democracy design to go before tne
country in the Presidential canvass of
1872, upon the platform of opposition to,
and destruction of, the reconstruction mea-
sures, including the Fifteenth Amendment.
Among the grounds for this opinion, we
will specify the following:
The Democratic party was committed in
1868 to principles essentially the same as
those just named, aud, though repeatedly
charged with still adhering to them, has
never denied TIE charge. Individuals and
few journals have undertaken to declare
that the Democracy accept the situation,
but no organization or body authorized to
speak for the party, has formally or inn
piedly repudiated the doctrines OF Frank
Blairs Broadhead letter, which were en-
bodied in the Democratic platform Of 1868.
We have right, then, to conclude that
the national Democracy stand now, where
they did then.
Again, in the Democratic State OF Ken
lucky the heretofore leading Democratic
journal, which has dared to advocate the
sinking of the past, and the acceptance of
the situation, in good faith, is frowned up
on by the party leaders, and is in fair
way to be supplanted as party organ,
by rival started in the interests Of the
genuine negro-hating, Ku-Klux and ire
concilable Democracy.
In Missouri, too, where the Democracy
pride themselves upon being peculiarly
'Liberal," the indications point in the same
direction. Not long since, in order to test
the sincerity of those Missouri Democrats
who profess to be opposed to disturbance
of the reconstruction measures, the follow
ing resolution was introduced in the House
of Representatives of that State:
Resolved, That we, as representatives of the
people, will resist all opposition looking to-
ward unsettling or rendering void the Thir-
teenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments
to the Constitution of the United States, let
such opposition eminate from what source it
may.
This resolution created great consterna-
ton in the camp of the Missouri Demo-
Gratis. 1t was evident that, if they were
brought to a vote on it, they must show
whether their professions of willingness
to accept the situation, were genuine or
hypocritcal SO they set to work and
strangled it with parliamentary rope,
thereby saying as plainly as they could
have done by words, that the Democracy
of Missouri will not "resist," bnt will IA
vor Opposition looking to the unsettlng
and rendering void" the reconstruction
measures, the Fifteenth Amendment inclu-
died.
The Missouri Democrat, commenting on
this action, justly observes: "We ask
every citizen of the State, who is friend
of the peace and prosperity Of the coun-
try, to take this action of the Democrats
of the Legislature, and this speech of
Frank Blair in the Senate, and judge
therefrom whether there can now be any
other party in this State or the nation
than the Republican friends Of reconstruc-
tion on the one hand, and its Democratic
enemies on the other"
Another sign of the times, to the same
effect, comes from Georgia. Mr.. Linton
Stephens, who is recognized as the leader
of the Georgia Democracy, recently made
a set speech, 10 which he evidently de-
signed to foreshadow the policy to be pur-
sued by the National Democratic party.
The speech was delivered to large and
sympathizing audience in the city of Au-
gusta, and the subject, as announced by
Mr.. Stephens, was "the preservation of
constitutional liberty"
In order to show our readers what Mr..
Stephens and the Georgia Democracy I'M
derstand by preservation of constitutions
al liberty, we quote the following siguifi-
cant passage from the speech. We ask
them to carefully read it, and ask them
selves if they think party which either
tacitly or openly proelaims such senti-
ments, and entertains such designs, is fit
to be restored to power. Hear this repre-
sentative of the Southern and Northern
Democracy
"But suppose Frank Blair comes to me with
the New York Democratic platform of 1868,
which declares that all these carpet-bag govn
ernments in the South are usurpations and
tell you, my friends, that we lost the fight in
1868, not by standing up to that platform, but
by backing down from til for if Seymour had
planted himself as firmly upon it as Blair did,we
should not have been defeated as we were-sup-
pose, say, that Blair and his party come to
me and say, 'We will stand by that platform.
We still say that these governments in the
South are revolutionary usurpations; we still
say that the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amend
ments are null and void and we still say that
the bayonets should be Withdrawn, and the
Southern States restored to their rightfnl posi-
tion,' What answer would make2 | would
say, Il join you-sink or swim, live or die,
survive or perish, | will unite myself to you
with bonds which no power on earth can sever
or Destroy"
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