Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1871-08-04
Tas True Policy Of the Democratic Party.


cd representatives of the Democratic party,
has written n letter to tho Hon. Jeremiah S.
Blaok, of Pennsylvania, in which no sets
ffrth What he regards us tho only practical
isslea before the country, as we'll as the great
obstacle which prevents true patriots every.
whore from uniting with the Democratic par.
IN yindicatipg the principles of the Con
stit1tion, aud securing needed reform in the
administration Of the government Rcpub.
kcans as we'll us Democrats arc disgusted with
broken pledges aud violated rights, with gross
'iDsurpations as we'll upon tho.po Of tho
States as the rights of the people, with cx.
travagant. expenditures, and enormous taxa
tion, and with tho immortality and corruption
whioh pervade every department. of the gov.
ernmont; but they are deferred in their Of.
forts at reform by tho fear that it may become
too sweeping; by tho fcar that with the rcsto
ration Of tho Democratic party to power, it
would become too reactonary- revolution.
ary
'tThcy fear chiefly" says ho "Lhat it does
not In good faith accept the Constitution as it
Is, with the fundamental and fixed results Of
the late struggle embodied in tho Thirteenth,
Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments
What are these results2 Stated without
reference to tho chronological order, they arc
/. The perpetual abolition of slavery
2. The counting Of all exslaycs, instead
Of three fifths only, in making basis for the
appOrtiOnment of representation in Congress-
g. The equality Of civil rights to citizens
of all races and colors,
4. The inyiolable character Of the Federal
public debt.
s. The perpetual invnlidity of all the Con,
federate debts.
6. The sacredncss of pensions md bountcs
Z. The disqualification Of certain persons
to hold Office, unless relieved therefrom by
Congress.
8. The equality of all citizens in political
rights and privileges, including suffrage.
8. And certain inhbitions on the States
and negative guarantees, chiefly dcclaratory
in more specific terms Of the pre- existing law
of tho land.
Such, it appears to me, are the legal and
constitutional pith aud marrow Of those
amendments. 10 the manler in which all
those propositions were ratified, aud to the
substance Of only few of them, the Demo.
cratic party, upon the highest grounds of
public policy and personal conviction, were
opposed. So far US they made opposition on
either ground, they were prompted by no spir.
it of faction or revolution, and simply by
fervent desire to vindeate the true principles
Of our Government, and to maintain the in
tegrlty and purity of OH: institutions But
those several propositions have been declared
TO be legally and cons,itutioually ratified they
are so accepted and executed in every depart
mont of the Government, and by every State
in the Union, and they are resisted by none
They have been acquesced in by no portion
Of the country more promptly than by the
Democratic party and by Democratic States
Practical acquicscence bJ all classcs Of tho
people is now general and complete Radi
col leaders almost alone now abuse and exceed
their provisions. Convictions in most minds
are perhaps unchanged, and await the rcsS11tt rcssSy1ts
.of experience .t9.detsrmins tAe7ir correctness
or error. But resistance by violence or re.
dictionary policy, is contemplated by no party.
The policy of wisdom and patriotism looks
alone to the future and to peaceful, just, and
honorable reform. Such understand to be
the true policy Of the Democratic party"
Such is no doubt the true policy Of the
country; policy Us we'll recognized by Dem
ocrats us Republicans. Without sanctioning
the means by which they were adopted, they
accept these Amendments as valid parts of
the Constitution, and as equally binding with
any of its provisions, until changed through
tho agency Of peaceful and legal means
through tho forms prescribed by the Const
tuition itself. This indeed is to accept the
situation, but it is to discard no principle, to
prove rocreant to no trust, and to abate no eft.
fort in the way of legal aud Cons titutional
reform. To accept the situation is to sane.
ton no present abuse, nor pledge anything
for the future, but to abstain from forcible
and revolutionary reform. And to this we
think, all good citizens may we'll give in their
Bdhesion.
''rhis wise aud noble policy, says the wr.
ter, made our past history ilustrious it will
not bear any less beneicicnt fruits in the future.
it will give greater. confidence to just and
reasonable men who desire release from Rad
cal leadership, and " i'll render Democratic and
Conservative success in 1872 certain. It will
impose humiliation upon nobody, and it will
require of none distastcful atfiliation in polit
ioal action. 1t will most effectually facilitate
cooperation amongst good men all over the
country to relieve it from its thradom, to in-
augurate reform, secure obedience to the Con
stitu.ion and to re estab blish peace, allity, and
prosperity everywhere. These ends are pro.
cious and priceless, and transcend in impor-
tanco all considerations of personal or mere
party character
IL feel most confident that wiso and saga.
cious management on our part will guaran ee
the complete triumph of correct principles in
1872. and will again restore our country to
the practical control Of honest, capable, ard
x.o.,,;ns, ,oo,, Q'bo ,yolfovo .od Dp;noso e