The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-10-04
The Great Issues Involved in the
Contest of 1872, and the Unity
OF the Democratic Party.

1t must be admitted by the friend
of constitutional liberty everywhere il
this country, that, all other question
apart, the chief and vital issue in th
political contest next year, in tn
United States, will be Constitutional
ism, or the preservation of the Fedora
Union of States, on the one side; ant
Centralism, or the consolidation OF tn,
whole people of all the States into .
Despotic Empire on the other.
| This view is clearly presented in til,
late Congressional Democratic Ad-
dress, which was signed by every
Democrat in the present House O
Representatives: from the Territorie:
as well as the States, and no one a
all conversant with the signs of the
times can doubt its correctness.
The Democratic sentinels at Wash
ington have so announced it. The
Radical Senators, Trumbul1 and
Schurz, virtually admit it with alarm;
while Senator Morton, the Platform
maker of the Imperialists, in several
of his late speeches has openly and
boldly proclaimed it. The contest
oTcr the principles and issues involv-
ed, as thus presented, must and will
be fierce and bitter, for the fate OF
! Public Liberty on this continent for
generations TO come may depend upon
! the result.
No such contest, involving so mo-
mentous consequences, has come of
lin this country since the memorable
struggle of 1900, between the Central
lists of that day, under the lead of the
elder Adams, and the defenders OF
the Constitution and the cause of pop
ular rights, under the lead of Thomas
Jefferson.
The chiet issue, then, with its re-
suits, being so unanimously admitted
by the friends of Public liberty every
where, as well as by their opponents,
the next most important question is,
how the most lamentable catastrophe
ofan overthrow of the free institutions
of our ancestors can be averted ?
On this point we have no hesitancy
| in saying that it can only be done by
unity in the Democratic party. Up
on the united and harmonious action
of the Democracy of the Union, there
fore, in the coming contest. the hopes
for liberty, not only in this country,
but in all countries 'or season, rest.
This is our view of the subject.
Upon what, then, is it essential that
they must first be united? Unques-
tionably upon the most vital question,
or issue, involved in the contest
! There can be no proper union in ac-
ton, until their is perfect union in
sentiment on this point.
We make these remarks in answer
to quite a number of our contemporaries,
who speak with so much earnestness
in behalf cf unity on the part of the
Democratic Party; and occasionally
refer, directly or indirectly, to the Sun
as one of the Southern ''impractica-
bles" and extremists" &c.
Now, to all such we say, that we
think their zeal is beyond their knowl-
edge. They either do not understand
us, or do not understand the difference
/ between US and those who advocate
what is styled the "New Departure.
We advocate unity With all the
earnestness at our command, but uni
ty upon the essential question involv
ed in the contest-unity, in opposition
to those usurpations by the Ruling
Dynasty-which clearly show its pur-
pose to be, to establish Centralized
Empire, in lieu of the free institutions
established by the Fathers while the
"New Departurists" advocate unity
upon an acceptance as "fnalities, and
an endorsement as verities and right
full acts, all of those usurpatory meas
ures, which so clearly show the ulteri-
or purposes and real designs of the
party now in power; and from whose
grasp the liberties of the country must
be rescued, or all will be inevitably
lost Now, waving the question of
what is the real object of those call
ing themselves Democrats, who advo-
cate the policy of the "New Depart
urc" movement, we would, at this
time, simply ask if anything could be
more 1mprac:icable than the adoption
of such course as they recommend,
with fhe view OF thereby arresting fu
. ture usurpations. Can power or tyr
amy ever be displaced, either by yield
ing to its demands, or sanctioning its
crimes by open approval?
If the design of those who concoct-
ed the "New Departure" programme
was real and in good faith to defeat
Centralism, could any plan for such a
purpose be more prePosterously alb
surd2 The absolute foil y of the idea
is enough of itself to raise suspicion
as to the motive and objects of those
who present it; for some of them are
unquestionably men of sense in the
ordinary affairs of life.
We are now, however, discussing
the question in a practical, and ration
al point of view, without reference to
the motives, or fidelity, to the great
cause, on the part of those who pro-
posed it.
We want unity, as much as any of
our contemporaries, South or North;
but we hold that unity upon the main
and chief issue, is altogether essential.
Is this either extreme" or impractic-
able? Can any rational man expect
or hope for success upon any other
line2
With one other remark We shall
conclude what we have to say upon
this subject to-day.
The idea has been given out, and
repeated again and again, in divers
quarters, that the s'New Departure