New-York tribune., 1871-05-01
THE DEMOCRATIC METAMoRPHOsES.

The World exults over "the IneXtinguisha-
"ble Vitality of the Democratic party" If it
lad ,S,, merely affirmed the unconqucrable at;Hty
of tho Democratic name. its boast would have
been well grounded. So long as Whisky
breeds rufllans, there will always be found a
large class rejoicing in the apellation Of DEM
Ocrats.
But the "inextinguishable vitality" afore-
said is that of Proteus. The Democratic party
can "turn, and turn, and still go on" In our
very young days, most Democrats were thorough
Protectonsts, while nearly alFfederaliSts were
Jealous Free-Traders. The Tammany Society
issued an intensely Protective Address about
1918. Jackson voted for the Tariff of 1924 !;
Van Buren,, Silas Wright, Thomas H. Benton,
Richard NJ johnson, John IL. Eaton, Michael
Hoffman, &c, for that of 1923. Boston was
the headquarters at once OF Federal
ism and Free-Trade, and Daniel Web
ster made as her representative the most
forcible anti-PrOtective speech ever made in
Congress, about the timo that Jackson wrote
his ultra -PrOtectionist letter to DR.. Coleman.
We believe every Protective measure that ever
passed Congress down to and including the
"Black Tariff" tho "Bill of Abominations,"
in 1925 received a majority of its votes from
tho Democratic party. Yet The Euening POST
which was then advocating Democracy with
the zeal of a new convert, and which did not
renounce its Free Trade with its Federalism,
supported jackson for President and Van Bu
rem for Governor directly after the passage of
that bill.
For the last quarter of a century, Democ-
racy (in the party sense) has meant down
with the Nggerw To keep him enslaved
degraded, ignorant, p0weress, was the ac-
cepted mission of the Democratic party. I'm
der its auspices, New York and many of the
old States disfranchised most If not all the
Colored Men who had previously (when free)
enioyed the Right of Suffrage on equal terms
with Whites. 70 allow no legal barneT to be
intcrposed to the diffusion Of Slavery over the
Territories became a leading tenet of the Dem
ocraticcreed. Every Territory everadmitted into
the Union as q Slave State came in also as a
Democratic State. Arkansas decreed that all
Free Blacks found on her soil after a certain
date should be sold into Slavery. Democratic
orators and journalists right here in New
York argued that TO free the slaves would
degrade Free White labor and deprive II OF
half its recompcnse. In short all the sophiStry
now Iemployed to compel the expulsion ol
Chinese labor from our country were tneh
employed TO rivet the chains of the negro
In 1860, Democracy meant ANY ana every
Surrender to Slavery, 80 that the slave
States may not secede from the Union" In
1861, it changed to "No coercion of orr South
"crn brethren. but let them coerce us TO the
"Iost exyremity.r In 1923, "Let the Union
" 90 if il mist but save Slavery any how"
In 1864, "An immediate cessation OF hosti'i-
"tiesp was its demand. In 1866, Restore
"the Rebel States instantly to all the powers
and privileges they enjoyed before their re-
"bcnion.r with tho Rebels at the head and the
"Ncprocs under foot" In 1858, "Fy the
" National Dott in Grecnback. aUl leC Che