Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1871-11-30
The Impending Crisis of The
Democracy.
BY HON. SCHUYLER coLFAx.


Death or defes,ti Surrender or overs
throw! These are the unwelcome alter
natives which now confront the once
proud and powerful Democratic party of.
the natiou. Last spring how jauntily
their leading presses talked of Republican
disintegration how boastingly they pro-
phesied the overthrow of Republican do
minion; how oracular they discussed as
they have for SO many years, of Republi-
can violations of the Constitution which
were at last to be rebuked by the uprising
of an indignant people! Anon the state
elections began to be heard from but their
rebuke fell on the Democracy instead,
and the New Departure became the theme
of their discussion, they might be willing,
they thought, to escape the odium of their
past course by accepting the measures
they had fought against so zealously, if
tie people would again entrust them with
power. But the elections went on; and
with the clearest possible voice they de-
clared, either on old platforms or new
ones, on the principles of "a or '6S, even
with the resolutions of '98 attached or
detaehed-the people would not have the
/ Democracy to rule over them. -.a
The anthem OF Republican victories
thus resounding across a continent''-in Il
year, too, when the visitors themselves
scarcely expected such a succession of
triumphs-has had chilling result on the
Democratic leaders, but recently SO buoy
ant and elate. Their .iubil; II, roosters re-
fuse to crow. The pyramids of States
which were to insure the Democratic
triumph of 1872 have tumbled into ruins
Their bitter personal attacks on the
President continue, regardless of their
evident lack of effect on all unprejudiced
minds And the railing accusations
against the Republicans as Constitution
: breakers are kept up; for during ten years
democracy has consisted in arguing that
every measure for the protection of the
nation or the individual was fagrantly
unconstitutional. But the utter hopeless
, ness of the party is evinced by the discus
sion now going on in its presses Of the
plan proposed by the ST. Louis Republican,
! one of the ablest and boldest of their lead
ing papers, that the Democracy should
i, make no national nomination, but sup
port the independent Republicans for
: President and Vice President. And
: Senator Blair, their last candidate for the
, latter ctfice, and one of the frinkest of
: their public men, declares to u Southern
J audience that rather than go back en- my
principles (by agreeing formally to the
New Deparure,) | would prefer to make
a a choice of Republicans, and 20 for man
who should be nominated by the disafect
ed Republicans" etc.
What change is this that has come
!; DER the Split Of their dreams!
The once great and potential organiza
tion that for SO many years governed thi
:. country; that in The days of its prim
y. overthrew every party that resisted it
Or sway; that but recently was so full O
its return after its long exile, TO nationa
n. power, is now discussing whether it vii
ps dare to run Democrats at all at the pTesi
n Dental election of 1912! To nomina;
e. candidates Of their own party, believers i
y their own principles, is, as they see plaii
rs ~, to go down to foredoomcd detea
70 aba7do the field i'll advance is poIit
cal death, real or assumed. Such is I'll
sad dilemma affecting the Democrat
I'd mind
~ There is a reason for this decline al
ne fall Of a once powerful party. 1t is wri
all ten in its later history. Itself has bee
mn 'ra its worst enemy. 1t has forced the pc
pie to believe that it has still, as G-4rir
the Rebellion, a southern and Northe.
face. That, as it then on the one 81,
, warred for the nation, and on the 9th
IL side warred on all the war measures of Il
n Government, so now at the South it i
spires or palliates organized outrages al
assassination, and al the North denounc
every effort of the nation to punish su,
horrid and unexampled crimes as tyrani
al and unconstitutional
In the issues they have voluntarily ma
on this question, they have been smitt
with political perhaps misl
by the fact that some able Republica
doubted the wisdom of all the details
he the Ku-Klux bill. But our opponel
&c could not have made themselves veal
before the people at large, than by
~ bitter denunciations which have been
staple Of their canvassing speeches t
M. year. Their arguments that the matt
row had no right to enforce its Constituti
and laws for the protection of its citize
seemed exeetiy akin to their theories
ten years ago, that the nation had no ri
TO coerce a State which was seeking
~ = destroy the Union. Through all IL
, sephistries the people recognized that
,fac. der the amendment which devolved
OF Of Congress the power, and hence also
And duty to enforce (the strongest word in
dictionary every jot and little of the g
- Gle by appropriate legislation. Cong
had enacted that wherever disgui
..s bands, organized and sworn to com
outrage and murder, have made the
binary process of law impractica
fe 4 where local authorities approve their
,rics a-iaa rid iniquities or are ovcrawed by tn
l this reign of terrorism and fiendish
lence is to be ended by the national p
er, welded not for oppression, but to
ssaay sarG press disorder and protect the helpl
re- protection for the poorest and hunt
G.. against outrages that would disgrace
z4t convicts of Botany Bay or the briga
of Italy is the object of this much