Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-08-25
Can the Democratic Party be Trustedi .

Can the Democratic Party be Trustedf
THE Democratic party has had no lack
of opportunity TO demonstrate its capacity
10 govern, If such capacity it posses sed.
II Is not to be denied that IL has had withi
In its ranks statesmen of efficient ability
and worth. But party may, as whole,
be very different In character and capact-
ty from some of the men who are attach
I'd TO it. The wiser and more patriotic
men of the Democratic party have been
those least influential in shaping its
course. II is notorious that, year after
year, the party has been losing from its
ranks its most eminent and worthy men,
because the hot-heads of the South, and
the plundering rings of New York, com.
pletely overturned all their patriotic and
prudent counsels Bearing and torbear-
ing, as many of them did for many years,
in hopes of effec,ing reform the party be-
came 80 corrupt, so revolutionary, 80 un-
patriotic, that no consideration could in
duce them to remain longer in IT, That
class of men have found home in the
Republican party, and are an important
element of its strength. The party, in
the States, and in the General Govern
ment, has held power only to misgovern
and retard the moral and political progress
of the country. 1t has in order to control
the elections, pandered to prejudice, igno-
rance and crime. 1t has combined with
oppressors, and made leagues with corrup-
tionists and plunderers 1t became the
bond-slave of the reasonable oligarchy
which plotted the peTversion of the Con-
sttution, and failing in that, its complete
overthrow, by dividing the Union. And
by this base yielding to the worst ele-
ments and principles, the party became in.
capable of governing in the interest OF
thrift, order and freedom.
In its financial management 1t has, at
the dictatation Of cliques and ruling in
terests in the party, made frequent, reck.
less and violent changes in our financial
policy, SO that the currency was depreci-
ated, commerce prostrated, and bankrupt
cy and ruin spread over all sections OF the
land. In its general politics it strength.
ened and fostered into gigantic proper
| tions the Southern secession element,
while denying its confidence to the earn
estly patriotic men of the South. 1t put
raining and reckless fire.eaters to the
| front, and made it's wise and prudent men
succumb to them. A generation of Dem
Ocrstic rule at Washington crushed out the
| patriotic and conservative element at the
| South and developed the treason of 1861.
That rebellion was the fruit borne by
generation of almost unbroken Democrat
| ic control of the government.
| Passing the conduct of the party during
the war, we note its unpatriotic action in
encouraging the lawless element of the
South to obstruct all measures for promot-
ing peace and progress there. 1t has viii
| fled and DETAINED Northern emigrants to
the South. 1t has derided the teachers
| who have gone there to educate the ignor-
ant 1t has promised to put the Ku-Klux
Democracy in unqualified control in the
South in the event of the Democracy be-
ing restored to power, and in every way
possible has contrived to keep alive the
most bitter feeling between the blacks and
the whites, and also between the people
of the North and the South. 1t has en-
bittered and fostered the prejudices of
caste, and section, and race, for the basest
of partisan purposes. This is, as all can
see brewing trouble for the future.
New York, both the city and the State,
is under Democratic control. The New
York Democracy is the element which
will rule the party in the coming contest,
and, if it shall be successful, control the
governme Mt at Washington. The New
York regency-the Tammany ring-will
rule at the national capital precisely as
the chiefs of the South Carolina and Vir-
ginia oligarchy ruled before the war.
What kind of government can we expect
from the Democratic party thus ruled and
officered? Let the scenes of the 18th OF
July answer. The Democratic authorities
then sacrificed some of the most sacred OF
our rights and ussges, namely, the rights
of free assemblage and of religious liberty,
ia Difference to a turbulent, proscrlpt1ve
and riotous element, to which the party
owed its majorities at the elections. Tne
officers forgot their oath to keep The peace
ana enforce the Law, i'll their Zeal TO con-
ciliate Iiish Catholics and secure their
votes. Thus it always has been with this
party, and thus it always must be. The
hesitancy, cowardice and vacillalion o
Gov. Hoffman was fatal to his own repu
tation, the preservation of peace, anC
strikingly reminds one of the inconsistent
validating, ruinous course of James Bu
: chanan in dealing with the treason OF 1851
The incapacity Of both Buchanan an6
Hoffman may be traced to the same source
the Influence of the bad and destructive
elements of their own party over them
In them the flesh lusted against the spirit
: evil waTred against the good-and thence
, the ef1l vacillation and int fhciency
, in their conduct
Now, in all candor, we ask the free and
intelligent voters of the United ates If i
is safe to trust the governme INT OF the
Countrywide care of our liberties, civi
ana religious, ia the hands of men who
F have often and plainly demonstrated al
incapacity, both of purpose and OF char
acter, to rule in the interest of civil anC
religious liberty, or to preserve the peace
, and order of the country unbrokenf-1O
? Ied0 Blade.