Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1871-01-26
A Straw that Shows the Wind.

The resolution of Senator McCreery, Of
Kentucky, was properly characterized by
Senator Sumner as an illustration of what
may be expected if the Democratic party
should return to power The resolution
proposed substantially that the remains Of
seventeen thousand Union soldiers should
be removed from the Arlington estate, In
order that the widow of Robert Il. Lee
should live there Such proposition was
the grossest insult to the patriotism and
good sense of the country, and therefore to
the Senate, their representative, and the
Senate almost unanimous Y resolved that IL
should not be received. The Democratic
Senators were greatly confused by the mo
ton Of Mr. McCrcery. AS partisans they
saw its effect 1t was an unnecessary rev.
citation OF the real spirit Of the party, and
the party leaders know that the country is
at least loyal, and that they can hope 10
succeed only by persuading the people that
the party has rcnounccd its sympathy with
the spirit ana the principles which pro,
duced the rebellion Some Of his Demo
cratic friends, therefore, rebuked Mr.,
McCrccry who assumed all the RESPONSE
bility of the resolution, and tried TO with
draw it. But Senator Edmunds held him
fast to the rules, and by vote Of tifty-nine
TO four the Senate refused to receive the
resolution
The Democratic press does not openly
defend the resolution. But the manner in
which it alludes to it shows how gladly it
would defend il if IL dared The death Of
General Lee gave that press an opportunity
TO show the tendency of its sympathy,
which Is zcalOusly improved The eAtfay
agant eulogies which were heaped by the
Democratic papers upon man whose only
claim TO the notice of history is that he
tried to destroy the Government Of the
United States in order to establish slave
empireupon its ruins, were very suggestive
And the fact, which is constantly refreshed
in the public mind by such incidents, that
the ID mocratic party is the next friend
and mourncr of The lost cause, should i'm
press upon the country the great and con
trolling truth Of the political situation
That truth is that the nation has entered n
new epoch, with new principles and new
policy; that the principles are those Of the
Republican party; while the Democratic
party is the representative of the era and
the principles which have passed away
There is no evidence Of any disposition
upon the part Of the Democratic party 10
accept the new situation, or aCQuiesCe in
what has been accomplished. It's last ma
tional declaration was that the new order
was unconstitutional aud void, and its con
duct, wherever it has the ascendency
shows an undiminshcd sympathy with a
spirit which the country abhors
And even were this not sn--eVcn had
the same policy which led the Delaware
Democratic Senators 20 censurr Senator
McCreery's resolution persuaded the party
to profess sympathy with the regenerated
Union--it would still be impossible to say
why party Of such composition, and Of
sncn n history should be intrustcd with
the administration Of policy which il had
always opposed, and which is founded
upon political principle which it has al.
ways deridcd, After the Revolution the
government of the new Union was Contid-
ed to the friends of the principles upon
which it was established men whose
convictions and ability had opened the
new era TO the country, After the war Of
lSl2 the government was controlled for
many year by the party which had made
the war, aud which was in full harmony
with its spirit. And now, the country
having entered upon new era more gloT.
ious than any in its history, and under the
auspices OF the Republican party, that
party is the one which will deal with all
questions in the spirit of the new time,
and with the sympathy OF profound con
viction
A party whose newspapers hate 10 speak
with dcCcnCy of Abraham Lincoln, but
which Quiyer with aduiation Of Robert L.
Lee, and from one Of whose Senators pro-
cccds the astounding proposition that the
bones of Union soldiers shall be removed