Wilmington journal., 1871-07-14
TIE South and the Democratic
ROCKINGHAM, july 7th 1e-,

oy you In regard TO the next ID. n,.
National Convention. Unless bsvo
taKen your meaning, You think that ~.
pride OF the Southern people, as WILL
their true policy forbid their being reora.
sented in the Convention, and theTshonI,
content themselves with "a wise ord ,o.a
terry acknowledgements, hovcvnr
to support the principles promulgated and
tho nominees put forward by the Convex
ton. cannot concur in these conolu
sions.
To my mind it is clear that the presar
vatlon of American liberty depends
IN a very great degree, upon
speedy return to those ssanc;e,t
landmarks which our fathers se+
and this desirable end can onIv ba ot,o;n
cd by restoration of the Democratic party
to power. This party, as now composoj
comprises nearly all tho true friends os
Constitutional liberty, which the deoa,e,
acy and corruptions OF the times bava Iot,.
and it is surely wisdom in its members -
allow neither jealousy, the feelings of pride
imprscticable adhesion to past opinions
upon past subjects, nor sectional di,trnet
to distract the harmony OF its coupseIa ~
the unity of its action. All personal feel.
iDgs-ail differences upon points oricins-
ting 10, or derived from, the Issues of ,r,r.
er years, should bo subordinated tn Tho
great end OF wrestling the country from the
hands OF the spoilers and placing its DOW
ers Ill the keeping of those who baye
sacred regard for the principles upon witch
Its former greatness and prosperity vera
attained.
What would be the effect of declining to
have delegates In the Convention? Wo1ld
it not give fatal stab 10 our pat,onoI
unity Would it not be practical 90.
acknowledgement, which would estop all
acordS % the contrary, that the larty Ind
lost the confidence Of ono section of tno
country, aud WIS, therefore, not to be
trusted !? Would it not cause uu to Ioso
, the good opinions of the friends Of tho
Constitution at the North, who, diseu,sa
it as we may attempt 20 do, have, ia Ihtir
efforts to preserve its Integrity ,pon mat
ters peculiarly Interesting 10 lis, staked
their own success, and lost-when time
serving would have produced q different
result ? Would it not cause forte, ur,. of
their s, mpathIes ? 1t Seems 80 to me-. II
We are not represented, and declaia n Of
priuCi pies IS set forth by "A seCti0auI ,artv
how can we stand forth and advocate the
success OF - sectional party, with any pros.
pect but defeat ahead Of us
We must lot j judgm' nt, not /eelia,y guide
us III our cCuise. Practical dIcta,i II as
t. the course of the party d Jes not become
us, and refusal t. co operate in delIbera-
tion Is practical dictatioD. IT is neither
more nor less than holding ont a threat,
that if the Northern Democracy does not
G me up to the andard which we have
ert cted. we will fold our arms and give no
aid in the great battle which is TO be
fought Our standard must be 10 owered. -
Living issues must take the place of dead
ones and make the inscriptions on its
folds. We must take, in other wordc, the
best that we can get. We muat content
ourselves with a half loaf, if we cannot get @
whole one; and the experience of the last few
years must nave convinced us that if the
! Radical party continues in power we shall
| get nothing but stones for our portion.
| We canuot and ought not to expect tho
Democratic party OF the North to concur
with us IL many of the opinions aud feel
iDgs connected with the Iats war. The
south affords too many lamentable exam.
pies OF men, "natives here and to the man.
ner born, who have yielded all the priu
clples which they so valorously proclaimed
aud have embraced a hideous morster'
from a professed belief that it was "the
be st thas circumstances allowed" Seeing
that our Own Pc p are not spoilers, can
we expecf that the people of the North
sre better tnan they, and may not Yield To
the demands of the times Far bo ii from
me TO ,mpare the two. The Democracy
OF the North have been reckIessiy true to
principle, and, as has aireDdy been said
have often jeoparded their success when
a graceful yielding would have brought
yielded ourselves aid accepted practical!
facts, though depouucing the foul
means by which they were accom-
plished, it is but just shat we
should allow others to follow our own ex-
ample, and then join them in de ,ising
means to save what little is left Of oonAti.
tutional liberty.
But then 1t is eaid, although We stand
aloof from the Convention, we shall never
the'ess endorse Its action by support OF
It's nominees. This is giving O pledge in
advance without being a party to the con.
tract. L cannot agree to it, and honestly
think 1T ls asking too much of our people
to expect them TO give any assurances Of
support, unless they participate IN the
work which they are called upon to uphold.
Your correspondent will, probably, give
AL the aid he can to the nominees Of th3
Demo cratic National Convention, but he
desires the Convention to be enti I'd to.
his confidence by being composed OF
delegates from every Congressional District
within the limits of the country. Ifls is
not, lie naHy. as mere choice of evils, s1s-
tain its action, but he will not J,leolge him
self to 40 SO. If, however, all the enemies
Of the Radical party shall get together and
comsuH for the public good, he has no
he station in declaring that he will give
his jealous aid towards carrying out the
W shes Of oar National organization.
with such unity as would be produced by
q free and equal interchange Of
opinion among our friends in all
parts of the country, ! entertain no
doubt of success and the consequent
safety of the public liberties. If
from feeling of false pride. an over
weening sensltiveuess, We destroy the
nationality of elaboration, see nothing
ahead but defeat aud the loss of constitu.
loDal repubicanism.
These opinions are expressed in great
difference to those whose positions and in
diligence entitle their judgments to great
weight, but they are sincerely entertained
~ one who yields to no man in the depth
If his devotion to thoae nrincipla. in