Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-10-28
TIE NEW DEPARTURE DEMO UNCEL
BYDEMOCRA TIC ORGANS.

Since the late elections some of the DEM
ocratic organs in Maine have found back
bone enough to tell the truth about the
new departure. The republicans pro-
nounced it before the election fraud up
on the public, for which they were coarse
" assailed, but it having proved failure
to catch votes the republican opinion of it
is endorsed in high democratic quarters.
The Maine Standard it will be remem-
bered was the chief advocate in this State
of the new scheme. Assuming an air oil
superior wisdom it denounced all VINO
could not see with its eyes, holding them
up as old iogies, dead weights upon 'he
party. incapable of organizing victory,
and told them they must "eiear the track
for the Young democracy and the new de-
narture Alas for the Standard. its gilt
ter:ng visions were false. The new de-
parture deceived no one but its advocates.
The voters were wiser than the democratic
leaders. And now the Standard is obliged
humbly to submit to lectures from the old
fogies upon the failure of its pet plan, en-
forced by such reference to facts and tig-
ures CLEANED from the elections as makes
defence impossible. The Bangor Demo-
crat has a long article upon the subject in
which it says f
SIN the State convention at Augusta the
large delegation from Penobscot county was
unanimously opposed to the adoption of the
L. l. - -ka,.
donment of principle for doubtful expedien-
cy. They knew that whilst it would chill and
dishearten the masses Of the democracy, it
would not give them single republican vote.
Their wishes and views were disregarded.
They came home with heavy hearts. They
knew that the vantage ground they had gain
ed last year must be lost. The platform of
oak had been torn from beneath their feet,
and rotten plank substituted in its place.
Still they fought the battle the best they
could, and it is not for the new departurists
of Augusta tc say that they did not fight
bravely and well.
Here the platform of the Standard is
called by its democratic colleague in Ban
gor ''rotten," and its adoption by the dem
ocratic State convention IAN abandonment
of principle all of which the Standard
knows is true. But we pass from this to
another witness The Maine Democrat
of Biddeford takes the Standard and the
new departure in hand From a two
column article we quote the following: -
But it is presumed that even the most zeal
Gus supporters of the s'World Valandigham
movement must now be convinced that stoop-
ing to conquer is an improbable operation.
The only ground upon which the new departure
was defended and urged upon the acceptance
of the democratic party was that it presented
platform upon which shaky radicals opposed
to Grant, and what are know as conservative
republicans, might stand, and TINS ensure
the success of all anti-radicals in State and
federal elections. 1t was persistently argued
that Notwithstanding the notoriously fraud
ulent manner in which the Fourteenth and
Fifteenth Amendments were foisted into the
Constitution, their unqualified acceptance,
not only as de facto, but also as de jure parts
of the organic law, was imperatively neces-
sary before these conservative gentlemen
could be induced to ally themselves with the
democratic party. There was no other way
to convince them that the "fruits of the
war" were secured beyond peradvcnture.
This once accomplished-bol frauds, palpa-
bic violation of law and usurpations of power
the organic law of the land, and understood
and represented by men of both parties
hosts of disaffected republicans and disap-
pointed Office seekers were to flock to the
democratic camp, with arms and baggage,
and then glorious victory was to be ours.
There were men who could not see the
force or morality of this argument, who could
not be persuaded that false and fraudulent
declaration that enactments illegally passed
had all the force and validity of laws consttu-
tionally adopted, was either moral or polite,
but they were denounced as Bourbons, inn
practicable obstructionists, enemies of their
country, scarcely less dangerous than the
radicals. To question the propriety of tell
ing palpable G.Ssehood to achieve success
was hooted as g cc Incompatible affectatisn. To
doubt that the Unaffected republicans and an
ti-Grant radicals would be silly enough to be
caught with such poor chaff as the promised
acceptance of the amendments was the stoid
ignorance of those who never learned or for
got anything. In reply to the argument that
it was inconsistent to endorse the amendments
and at the same time denounce the laws to
enforce them, we were sneeringly told to
'stick in the mud" while the progressives
scared to ga more elevated position;' and
this taunt has been hawked throughout the rad
ical papers. Well, we prefer to be the mud
sills"-foundation-of democracy, to the
mere rushwood-sweep-of radicalism.
These extracts are sufficient to show the
humiliating position which the Standard
occupies in relation to its party. 1t led
its party into falsehood and abandonment
of principle, and now it reaps its reward
in such condemnation as the above. 1t is
under the guide of such leaders, mere po-
litical will-o-the-wisps, that the democratic
party is being led to destruction, for which
Heaven be praised.
ASTROCIOUS SENTIMENTS.