The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-05-17
rhe Irextinguishable Vitality OF
the Democratic Party

p .rs ,s63-4-5, he might compile from
w.. w., curious body of extracts illus
wv" the vanity of political propho-
w. T. was said and re-echoed, with
e', 1less repetition and every variety of
e,hrsseology, that the Dem"cratic par
pnts ass n dog that had had its day.
" ""' o,as no paper which so constant
Ihe.u ua the changes upon this text as
y fa Na, York Times, then journal of
the !. iNI consideration, which had not get
mush into; r the empty brawle- and com
snhN wi, il has become since Mr.. Ray
mon ~ s.' death. That journal. now
mopa "A asa reckless liheller by its
biah ',Moon contemporaries. was then
kep"',lle and it was possible to no.
rSpeA UT onpearcd in its columns with
w. '.t descent from the decenc'es ana
ou uar Il of journalism. AT present,
e eDare IS no person connected with II
tne,0 has any recognized position, or
WIZ the slightest social or politi-
p iaI consideration. 1t is mere conduit
e e." tha ,eHoble spleen of writer's who
W. W. nnder social ostracism. 1t is not the
a Times of to-day, but the Times edited
H. Mr. RAYMOND, opinion we think it
~ while to notice. The journal,
t,nr or five wears ago. declared hun
dred times over that the Democratic
Marty was dead, and that its corpse re-
NAMED too long above ground without
the rites of scpnlture. The party had
rnined itself by its course dnring the
war. The public sentiment of the
country repudiated it. 1t had no pos
sible future. Such was the opinion OF
Mr.. Raymond.
Most of the eminent Republican jour
nalists agreed with HIN, and among
others. Mr.. Thurlow Weed, who al
though he had ceased to be the editor
of the Albany Journal, was much adj
dcted to publishing letters. The as
tnte politician compared the Democra'
tic party to the Hartford Convention
Federalists, and asserted that it must
inevitably meet like fate. The paral-
lei struck the Republican fancy, and
was echoed by several hundred jonr-
nails. They pretty unanimously agreed
that the Democratic party had killed
itself by its course during the war, and
that the burial of its defnnct carcass
had been too long delayed. We are
sorry that we have not at hand facilities
for compiling eight or ten columns OF
extracts affirming this view.
Time has passed on the years have
persued their ceaseless course; but.
unfortunately for the credit of the pro-
phets, their predictions have not been
fulfilled. The corpse has stepped out
of it's coffin, and made such a display
of muscle and vigor that the grave-dig
gers have more use for swords thar
spades. The Democratic party is re-
latively stronger now than it has been
at any period since 1856. Instead OF
being repudiated and scorned, like the
Hartford Convention Fe1eralists, it is
courted and caressed by many OF its for,
mer opponents. A majority OF the sur
yivinc members of President Lincoln's
Cabiuet, who were in Office when
Messrs. Raymond and Weeds predic
tons were so confidently and compla
Gently uttered, look with mora favor
to-day apon the Democratic than the
Republican party. Secretary Chase
was willing. three years ago, TO be the
Democratic candidate for President
Postmaster General Blair, together
with his father and brother, all earnes
Republicans when the Democratic par
ty was pronounced,a corpse, are among
the foremost in our ranks. If Secretary
Welles is not Democrat, he is surel,
no Republican we dare say he voted
for Governor English in the late Con
necticut election. Secretary ,Sewar'
long ago ceased to be Republican
leader. Andrew johnson returned t
the Democratic fold almost as soon h
become President. If that able states
man, Charles Francis Adams, is still
Republican, nobody il that party trust
him. General Grant ignores him a
completely as he ignors Andrew John
son. John Quincy Adams, Repnbli
can when the Democratic party wa
proclaimed dead, has since been twic
the Democratic candidate for Governo
of Massachusetts. David A. Wells.
JEALOUS Republican in those days, holt
an appointment under the Democrat
Governor of New York. Those EN-
nent Republicans, Gratz Brown an
Carl Sclurz, made coalition with til
Democratic party in Missouri. job
A. Logan, Lyman Trumbull, Goverht
Alcorn, and Governor Geary, wouI
prefer liberal Democratic Presider
to the reelection of Generai Gian
and at least one of the four would
willing to be the Democratic candida
himself. Now, it is evident that q pa
ty which has, within the last three (
four years, made so many proselyte
was prematurrly consigned to tt
tomb.
Nor is it among statesmen alone TIL
the Democratic party has gained a
cessions from the ranks of its opp
nents. The crests of the waves mer
~ show in what direction the body
the water is moving We can point
one perfectly conclusive proof that Il
Democratic party is altogether strong
among the mass of the people than
was three or four years ago. The co
elusive proof is this that the large a
cession of colored voters since t
adoption of the fifteenth amcndmer
has not enabled the Republican par
to hold it's own. 1t is weaker than
was before it received its hosts of bla
reinforcemcnts. OF course, then, the
has been stampede of white vote
which the negro vote does not sutfi
to balance. There is not a Republic
politician in the country who believ
that if suffrage were withdrawn ire
the negroes, and our elections were
be controlled by the same body of v
tiers as in 1868, there would be anv pc
Df ~ II D,.n