The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1871-11-26
THE BULE,EI[4FN.
1.-THE DENo6RACY.
~, lsaVkbs
ETA fJClT COMMIT SUICIDE TO
Y sttBTAIN A, EEW LEASE
SHALL TssURRENDER TO WIN
THE VICTORY?

Il
llss9J NE f,,iitor Of Tie Chicago Times:
/ As democrapof the old school and OF
the strictest sect, venture, with your per-
mission, 10 present through the columns Of
you' widely circulating and Heightened
pub journal, q few suggestions for the
css I'D nfhin'elli ligert eon Iideration of my
14hiocratic iriends. desire to reason
with their in the spirit Of truth and sober.
4 fnessSfPon grave matter Of personal duty
LslEpubiic interest. In So doing | shall
y&fI& frankly and freely, yet respectfully,
spdid4s rather 10 convince than to offend
Sohtrary opinions. Seasonabe and court
leouGG iscussion employed TO this end will,
nof foub,, as it ought TO be, receive a fair
| and dhinprejudiced hearing. In this faith,
| | proceed to the task | have undertaken
| viz - First, to expose what | believe 10 be
| q hurtful political dclusiOn second, to in-
cukBte what deem to be a saving political
The history Of the country Ia u certain
sense may be reduced TO three principal
actsf |. The revolution 2. The action
| of the democratic party g. The action of
the republican party. The revolution, in
ITSELF was simply political, cventuating in
the national independence, and the consti-
tuition Of the United States embodying the
federal form ofgovernment. This form Of
government wa, founded upon pre-existng
states reiaining their municipal inst.tu-
tions slavery and property was one Of
| them. Thi. Limitation was one of the polit-
| ical necess sites Of the time Without il, as
| al existing fact understood the revolution
could not have been effected. Without
! IL. as "a fact to be needed, the constitu-
| tIou would not have been framed. With
out it, the act Of nationality, itself would
| have been cancelled as soon as accomplish
ed Indeed, in the circumstances, it was
| Indispensable and unavoidable.
| ,The democratic party, born of the revolu-
| tiontary spirit found itself bound by this
| limitation, and as the party of strict con-
struction, obeyed its authority in common
| with that Of the whole constitution. They
| could not have done otherwise, and vet
| have been faithful to their Inspirations and
sense of duty. Hence, the political pro-
| gramme marked out by them for execu-
tion was exclusive Of any interference
| with the local institution OF slavery. They
left that, as pre.existing fact, to the
| operation of opinion and circumstances,
believing, as did all the great men of the
day, that in the rpeness OF time it would
gradually and peacefully pass away. In
all other respects, they gave themselves
up, in the most liberal spirit, to the work
of reform, innovation and reorganization.
They became the party Of progress, and
combining and directing their efforts to
that end, developed and utilized the fruits
| Of the revolution TO the fullest extent COM
patible with the fundamental law. This
was their voluntary mission. The proofs
of its fulfllment shall now proceed very
briefly TO detail. They placed curb up
on the encroachments Of power, as essential
to liberty and the equilibrium Of the fed
e-al system by giving authority to the
rule of strict construction. Avowing the
right of sef-expatriation, it stripped the
president of an arbitrary and dangerous
censorship over the motives and conduct
of immigrants from foreign lands by re-
pealing the alien law, and extended to
foreigners the rights of American citizen
ship upon Just and liberal terms. 1t wit
messed its devotion to the freedom ofspeech
and OF the ,press, by repeating the sedition
law. 1t opposed monopolies, and put an
! end TO the arrogance, corruptions, and ex-
stence of the United States bank. 1t re.
claimed the public revenues from the Gus
tody of irresponsible private corporations,
and committed them to the safe keeping
Of sworn and responsible officers of law.
1t restored gold and silver to its just pre-
| tiillututt US an VI "a
standard of value. 1t husbanded the pub
lie treasury by putting an end to the
scheme of dissipating it US largesses among
the states 1t anticipated, successfully, the
policy of reducing the price and granting
the public lands as homesteads, to settlers.
1t made the first great step toward the
realization of the doctrine of free trade by
initiating the restriction of imports TO the
| legitimate ends of revenue and wants OF
government. And last, but not least, it
encourages the extension of the elective
franchise in the states. In the meantime
it proved itself as great and courageous IN
war, as wise and efficient in peace. Thus
it punished and represscd the piracies OF
the Agernes upon our commerce, in q
distant sea. 1t counseled the second wal
of cur independence against Great Britain
and unawed by the odds, bravely, heroic
| ally contributed to crown it with success
1t demanded and obtained from the king
of the French the long delayed indemnity
for spolations, upon our commerce. i
nerved the arm that carried our sonquer
ing banner to the distant halls of the Mon
tezumas, aud mt the same time our public
finances were never better sustained and
as though its energies were exhaustless, i
added to all this the acquisition of the pro
| vince OF Louisiana ana lOrluu ana tu'
annexation ofTexas, extending the bound
aries of the union to the natural limits o
sea and river Teeming, noble record
compres sed within the brief space Of SOM
half century; alike worthy and com
memorative of the "dnterrtied,' "the lion
: hearted democracy" and of the genius an(
craftsmanship of their ilIustrious and intre
pid leaders for in those days great mel
thronged the councils OF tho nation. Jci
I ferson, the father of the democratic party
thought and planned for it Clay thunder
: ed his eloquencc and nvective in supper
and defense of il; Jackson dauntlessl,
strove and wrestled for it ; Polk faithful
: ly reflected and obcyed its impulses an,
Benton, as its avcnging spirit, hung mcrc
lessly upon the ilanks of its enemies, moi
ther giving nor asking quarter. Trul.
in those days the conflicts of statesme
were the conflicts of giants not for tn
tinsel of place nor tho spoils of office, bl
for the need of noble pre-eminence. I'll
age took its character from these men, ant
}. with their exit it closed in the full fruitio
of the first democratic programme.
- Pausing TO reflect for moment upo
this programme, it will be seen that, so Fl
as it was simply domestic and administr
tive in its character, it was based upo
l.. and limited by the constitution, havir