The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-12-01
FRIDAY EVENING, DEC. i, 1871.
THE "woRLDr AND THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY. M

The Democratic party is wonderfully
reticent one just now. 1t looks out upon
its magnificent future THAT ,cas to be) with
anything but the high expectations it enter
tained few months ago. The effect of the
unhappy Fall elections has been to compel
the drawing in Of its more branching antlers
and leaving its head to be borne less proudly
eminent" than was arranged for the conn
ing Presidential programme. With its
''new departure" platform it was to walk
over the next Presidential course, without
a competitor in the Republican ranks; or,
if one were offered in the person of General
Grant, he was to be dstanced by this new
goldsmith Maid, the departure plat
form-beyond a peradventure. The party
was happy and jubilant. 1t almost saw
the glittering bauble of power and emolu-
ment within its grasp. The political skir-
Inishes of III were to be the certain pre-
ludes to grand Democratic victory in
1872. 1t was so heralded in proclamation
so emblazoned in armorial bearing. 1t
seemed good, even to us, to see the radi-
ant and beaming faces of the Democracy,
as they ''smiled," one with another, over
the prospective result. AS Lady Easy
would have said, in speaking of her hus-
bands reformation, sit made us happy
even to pang of joy" to see these much
satisfied and over-expectant Democrats.
They felt good-so good, in fact, that we
caught part of the infection, and almost
felt good with them.
But the ides of March were followed by
the noaes of October and November, when
there was nipping frost" to all their
hopes and expectations. The Goldsmith
Maid" had not come to time with I" Dex-
ter" In fact, she was SO completely dis
tanced that she was ruled off the course al
together. The Wo,ld, which had done
nothing but pipe "new departure" before
the elections, did not even peep it after
wards. 1t was the promised Goldsmith
Maid" which was to out-trot "Dexter's"
best time in less than no time; and yet,
when the time came, it did not 50 much as
put in an appearance.
But nature has kindly made provision
for our deeper pangs of heart, by enabling
us to shovel our best friends out Of sight
when they are no longer of any use to us !;
and the Ford can now, with even less an
guish than it could have done month ago,
kick its 'new departure" pet out of sight
with something of that emotion which
Ssncho Panza felt when he tumbled into a
pit in the dark, and catching with his hands
upon its sides, hung there in terrible dismay
till morning, only to find himself. within a
foot of the bottom. The absurdty of the
Worlds position can only provoke our
laughter. Its new DEPARTURE platform
was all well enough, as was the hole into
which Sancho stumbled, but its ignorance
of what it involved, and of the depth to
which it might sink its party, with all its
alacrity in sinking, made its position on ex-
tremely ludicrous one for the time being.
But not more so than its position of pas
sivity or "Micawberism, at the present
time. Like the great head of that illus
trious family in David Copperiield, the
World is now patiently waiting for some
thing to turn up" Stricken by misfortune,
it wisely and greatly turns its attention,
not to the "evils it knows not of in the
future, but to that essence of expectation
which the magnificent Micawber always en-
joyed. 1t is this happy position of Spas
sivitism" to which the World has now
come, and which it commends as the great
antidote of the party for 1872. Wait and
see what will ''turn up!" 1t looks very
like Democratic defeat just now; but the
clouds may change. and what was only a
''camel's back, may, with the next shift
of the wind, become exceedingly like q
''whale." 1t WAS so with old Polonius, q
statesman somewhat past his faculties in
Hamlet's time; and it seems equally so
now with the WoJld-a journal that has
outlved its usefulness in the Democratic
party, in spite of all its collected maxims of
wisdom and experience, which do not save
it from being the same buffoon in states
1nanship that old polouius was in his day.
But, seriously, is there such thing as
the Democratic party to-day? From the
Worlds standpoint, there is not, except in
name. 1t appeals to all the conservative"
elements of the country, so-called, to bring
nlong their platforms for Democrats to
stand upon, and they will not object to a
single plank in them, if the name of De-
,nocracy can only be preserved. 1t Is a
grand old historic name which must not be
thrown overheard. 1t is broadly national
ized, and has depth Of significance that no
other party catch-word admits of. 1t Is
the legendary bean-stock by which all the
political Jacks the gant-killers' are to
ascend in the hope of bringing down gole-
nn shower of wealth upon their heads. 10
cut away the bean-stock before they make
their ascent, is the sheerest piece of folly,
according to the WOrld. 1t would leave
no opportunity for any OF those po-
iitical giant-killers to indulge in their favor
itc amusement Of giginticidc; and as Grant
Is the chief giant in their way just at this