The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1871-07-27
Fhs True Policy Of the DeMocratie
Party.

Party.
The Hon. Michael Kerr, of In
diana, rising politician, and one
the most distinguished representa-
tives of the Democratic party, has
written. a letter to the lion. Jere-
miah s. Black, Of Pennsylvania, in
which he sets forth what he regards
as the only practical issues before
the country, MS we'll as the great
obstacle which prevents true
patriots everywhere from uniting
with the Democratic party in vindi-
eating the principles of the Consti-
tation, and securing needed reform
in the administration Of the gov
ernmeut. Republicans as well as
Democrats are disgusted with
broken pledges and violated rights,
with gross insurpatiousa as we'll upon
the power of the States as the
rights of the. people, with extraya
CANT expenditures, and enormous
taxation, and with the immortality
and corruption which pcrvade
every department of the govern.
ment; but they are deferred i'll their
efforts at reform, by the fear that
It may become too sweeping; by
the fear that with the restoration Of
the Democratic, party to power, it
would become too ooreactionary-too,
rsyolutio nary.
"They fear chiefly, says he that it
does not in good faith accept the
: Constitution aa it is, with the fun
damertal and fixed results of the
late struggle embodied in the Thir-
sesnth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth
11fHcltutuSHlSs .. 3. =
What are those results? Stated
without reference to the chronology
cal order, they are
/. The perpetual abolition Of
slavery. Z; .
2. The counting of all ex-slaves,
instead of thrce.fifths only, in max
ing q basis for the apportionment
Of representation in Congress.
8. The equality Of civil rights to
citizens of allzraees and colors.
4. The, inviolable character Of
the Federalpubfc debt.
5, The perpetual invalidity.of all
the Confederate de1ts.
6. The sacredness Of pensions
and bounties.
I. The disqualification of certain
persons to hold Office, unless re-
fieved therefrom by Congress.
8. The equality Of all citizens in
political rights aud privileges, III
cluding suffrage.
8. And certain lnhfDl.l0ns on
the States and negative guarantees,
chiefly declaratory in more spe-
cifc terms of the pre-existing law
of the land.
Such, it appears to me, are the
legal and constitutional pith and
marrow of those amendments. Tc
the manner in which all those pro-
positions were ratified, and to tho
substance OF only a few of them
the Democratic party, upon thu
highest grounds Of public policy
and personal conviction, were op
posed. So far as they made oppo
sition on either ground, they We're
prompted by no spirit Of faction o.
fevolution, and simply hy a fcrven'
desire to vindicate the true
principles of our Government, ant
to maintain the integrity and puri
ty.of our institutions. But those
several propositions have been de
!. clared to be legally and constitu
tionally ratified; they areso accept
ed and executed by every depart
ment of the Government, aud b,
every State in the Union, and the.
are resisted by none: They have
been acquiesced in by no portion o
the country more promptly than By
the Democratic party aud by Dem
oeratic States. Practical acqnies
ence by all classes Of the people i:
now general and complete. Radi
cal leaders almost alone now abuse
and exceed their provisions. Con
Sictions in most minds are perhaps
unchanged, and await the results Of
experience to determine their COT.
rectness or error But resistance
by yiole1re, orby reactonary poll
Is, 10 contemplated by no party.
The policy Of wisdom end patriot.
ism looks alone to the future
and Is peaceful, just, and
honorable reform. Such / under
stand to be the true policy Of the
Democratic party"
Such is no doubt the true policy