The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-05-25
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The World flies into towering passion at
the bare suggestion that the Democratic
party, by following the lead of Vallandigham
and Adams in their "new departure" would
virtually surrender to the Republicans. Here
is the way it repels the imputation;-
It is falser than lying to say that the Democratic
party there accepts and seeks to win power by the
Republican doctrine. No. the Democratic party
says Of the Constitution It is no less than OF the
Constitution was that the difference Is as high
as heaven and deep as hell which divides the Re-
publican from the Democrat"
This, we suppose, is what the World con-
siders strong writing, but, like most strong
writing, it enly betrays the weakness of the
argumentative resources of the writer. Ao-
cerdinply, we find in the two columns and a
half of dreary twaddle with which the World
labors to sustain the above frantic declara-
ton, nothing half 30 strong as the declara-
ton ITSELF. In spite of its special pleading,
and its profuse extracts from the Constitution
of the United States, the fact remains that
the Democratic party, from the standpoint
of its ''new departure, is unable to present
to the country any important principle or
measure of general application to the whole
people which is materially different from
that entertained and advocated by the
Republicans. Great stress is laid upon
the Ku-klux bill, and even Mr.. Adams
is constrained, out of Difference to
his Democratic associates, to repeat the stale
slang about the browning infamy" of this
measure; but the Ku-klux bill was only rem
dered necessary because the Democratic party
and their allies lately in rebellion refused to
abide by the issues of the war. 1t is only
feature of that "hostile vigilance" which Mr..
Adams truly says 'the people will never re-
sign until they know that no one Of their war
trophies is longer disputed" If the Demo
cratic party is sincere in its "new departure"
and proposes, in good faith, to "accept the
situation" and ''abide by the issues settled
by the war;" there will be no further need of
the Ku-klux bill, and it will become inopera-
tive and void. f..r.-.-
AS to the questions of tariff, paper cur
rency, national banks, etc., these are not
distinctive Republican measures. There are
free-trade Republicans and free-trade Demo-
Gratis, but neither the Republican nor the
Democratic party would dare to go to the
people on free-trade platform pure and
simple, nor would either dare to adopt an ex-
elusive metallic currency as party principle,
or attempt to substitute the old State bank
system in place of the present national banks.
There are, in fact, no really important issues
in which the whole people take an interest
that divide the two parties to-day, except
those growing out of the late rebellion; and
if the Democratic party adopts the platform
of Vallandigham and Adams, the next Presi-
dental election will be a contest not for
measures but for men, not for principles but
for spoils. 1t will be virtual surrender by
the Democratic party of all the positions they
have heretofore held, in order that they may
be placed in position where they can COM
pete with their opponents in a general
scramble for Office. The very words-''new
departure" - which the Democrats them
selves give to the movement, imply that
they have abandoned their old line of march
and started on a new course, and one need
only look at the finger post which they
have marked out for themselves to see that
it points directly to the Republican camp
IEdeed, the reasons given for change of
course are a free confession that the people
would not follow the Democrats in the path
they are now pursuing, and that their only
chance of obtaining recruits consists in fol-
lowing the track of the Republican party.
But they will be greatly mistaken we appre-
hend, if they imagine that Republicans are
going to desert their own ranks the moment
they see the disorganized Democracy coming
up in the rear. If the contest is to be simply
one of men, no Republican is going to desert
his own leader for any leader that is to be
found in the Democratic party. They
may adopt our principles, but they
must not expect, just yet, to lead our armies.
They must be content to ride, without asking
to drive. When it comes to men, we entirely
agree with the World that ''the difference is
high as Heaven and deep as He'll which
divides the Republican from the Democrat.
The people have experienced this difference
in times past. It was fully illustrated in the
contrast between last Democratic President
Buchanan, and the first Republican Presi
dent, Lincoln. We have striking examples
of it in this city-the headquarters of modern
Democracy-as, for instance, the differences
between "Boss'' Tweed or ''Dick" Connoll,
and Republican, or any other honest man.
THE REVENGE OF OUTRAGED MA
TURE.
From the n. Y. Sun.
ice-President Colfax was seized with yer
tigo on Monday in the Senate Chamber
owing, as it was said, to the heat and bad al
of the room. But as none of the other occu
pants of the same room were similarl,
affected the cause of his sickness must ais,
be attributed in great measure to thepreviou
condition of his health. Had he not beef
already prepared for the seizure, the circum
stances in which he was placed would no
have occasioned it,
Mr.. Colfax, though strictly abstinent fron
alcoholic drinks, has long been great drinke
of tea and coffee, and an excessive smoker O
tobacco The morning of the day on whic
he was prostrated he had smoked five or 81
strong cigars on an almost empty stomach
and had been necessarily busy writing letters
The treacherous ally on which he had hithert
relied to supply physical energy which ha
been denied him gave way at last, and ou
ragged nature took her revenge. Mr.. Cola
falling from his chair is as awful warnin
against the excessive use of narcotics as
drunkard with the delirium tremens is againi
the excessive use of alcohol.
1t is to be hoped that the press and th
pulpit, and every one who has the respons
bility resting upon him of directing th