The Van Buren press., 1871-11-21
NO. Is,
From St. Louis Republican Of the 7th Nov.
Passivism and Partyisn.


and supreme vIndcation that it is al
ready meeting with. Let us not be mis-
understood we are not in haste to claim
fer it the approval Of all members of the
party to which it was submitted; we
merely wish to note the interesting fact
that it meets with the disapproval Of all
members Of the party to which it Is not
submitted. II it has not received the
unanimous appreciation of Democrats, II
has, at least received the unanimous and
unqualified condemnation Of Radicals
Some Democrats are not quite convinced
that it would be wise policy; all Radi-
Gals are firmly convinced that it would
be unwise, A iew Democrats are afraid
that it would break mp their party all
Radicals are sure it would break up
theirs, and, for that reason the aflec-
tionate fellows--sre opposed to it. II is
stil a subject of earnest consultation and
discussion among Democrats, and it is
not to be wondered at that many mein-
bers OF that party should require more
than single months time to make up
their minds on q proposition that 10 with
out national precedent, and that really
involves a revolution in our system of
party management But the administers
ton partisans are not so sluggish in their
ratlocnation they saw clear through the
proposition, and detected the logical end
ing of it, from the moment it was FIRST
broached 1t is ervelopsd In no mists
Of doubt to them it presents no by ways
whose ending they cannot see it involv
es no possibilities wlrich they cannot es-
innate. They know precisely what it
means, and although the matter is none
Of their business. they have that degree
of fond devotion to Democratic interests
and principles, that they cannot bear to
see the Democracy rush headlong to
destruction, without raising their warn
ing voices, with one accord, against the
step.
This unusual solicitude Of the admin
istration partisans for the welfare of the
Democracy is y phenomenon which de-
serves to be noted in weighing the rner-
its and dement's Of passiyism. Our an
tag onists sometimes sec the effect of our
movements better than we sseEthem oYr
selves, because they know their weak
points better than we can know them,
and when the administration partisans
come forward without invitation 80 take
part in Democratic consultations, and to
furnish unsolicited arguments against
passisism, their singular conduct sug-
gests that there may be good deal more
in the policy than we ourselves had at
FIRST detected. When an army makes q
movement which its antagonists does not
want it to make, it may safely conclude
sive policy has met WIN - hIvrJ'hs. osa
BILE reception from the thinking men and
the masses Of the party TO whom it is pre-
sented than we expected; the weight of
Democratic opinion is largely in its 70.
vor and when to this IL added the fact
that the organs Of that other party, which
passivism proposes to defeat, are earn
estly, and without exception, opposed to
it, it would seem that the Pre-eminentpro'
priety Of the policy 10 demonstrated be-
yond dispute.
1t Is the moral power ofpassivism that
spreads this dismay through the admin
istration ranks. The presidents adhsr
ents and organs offer US nothing but an
ever recurring party struggle over the
questions which they profess to have set
tied forever, but which they themselves
unscttc and revive at every new canvass.
The president has even reduced partyism
to the contracted limits Of personalism,
by outlawing many leading representa-
tives Of Republican sentiment, aud ostra
cisiug large portions Of the Republican
organization, for the simple offence Of
dissenting from his policy or being op-
posed to his person; and yet, even whilo
those Republicans are imperiously exclu.
ded from his favor, and denied the poor
comfort of party rights, they are coolly
told that their party duties remain, and
that the supremest of those duties is to
vote for the re election of the president
to a second term. On the other hand,
passivism proposes truce to partyism,
while the people unite to rescue the re-
public from the malign personal authori-
ty that can dictate the decisions OF the
supreme court, dcpose the chairmen of
Senate committees, control conventions
by artillery and infantry, commit acts OF
war against feeble friendly power, in
terfere in State elections, lay whole dis
| trlCtS unueT multldl IaW. WlIuOut TeDuhe,
and extort denomination from servilc
party. A crisis in which the rights Of
States, the liberty Of citizens, and the
original structure OF the republic are en-
dangercd by these extraordinary and I'M
rebuked executive measures, is one in
which the people may well forget party
ties and obligations, and make a patriot
ic effort to avert the peril which such
measures, if persisted in, must lead to.
Administration organs tell rs derisively
that passivesm will destroy the Democ-
racy, because patty that valves is
right to fight, forfeits its right to live.
Bvt let them not deceive themselves 1t
the Democracy can forget itself for a
time, and adjourn its party claims on the
attention OF the people, till after the cleo
ton Of 1872 if Democrats, while adher-
ing to their convictions, can, for one
|, campaign, release themselves from party
ties, and struggle for the safety of their
couutry's institutions, the spectacle
would evoke a moral force which the par
ty in power, though armed with all the
special enactments that could be devised,
would be impotcnt to withstand.
- Little Jessie had been doing some.
thing which her mamma had told hcr she
mustn't de- She had been eating currauts,