The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1871-11-09
NUMBER %

out the South, notwithstanding negro suf-
frage, showed that this was a mistake.
Then We had the Ku-Klux bill, and we
now have martial law proclaimed in South
Carolina. This is the beginning-un-
doubtedly 1t will be followed up by such
further use Of force to control elections as
their political necessitiss shall dictate.
There Is but one way G. 3 this. The
Democratic party mus .llch q course
as will prevent the peoi # the North
from betraying the country INTO despotism
by sectional passions. 1t is by this agen-
cy that Grant is now absolute. Greeley
and Sumner, and Fenton and Bryant-in
word, all who contributed to build up
the Republican party as aparty of liberty,
are powerIess in the organization. Grant
Is backed BY the sordid and interested
classes have described, and he will be
nominated in '72 and in A76 and 80. if he
lives that long and is not by that tine
enabled to dispense with that ceremony
and whether he is elected or not he will be
counted IN. It ig Of no moment that the
sentimental Republicans are all opposed
to him. 1t is of still less conseauence
that he does not now and never has had
the slightest sympathy with Republican,
Ism. He was pro-slavery Democrat and
professional solder, q trade in which men
don't learn to respect human rights or
value human life, or believe in the capaei-
ty OF the people for government. He
aesplses the politicians Of all grades, and
LOOKS upon them all az demagegHes. This
Is shown by the manner in which he con-
stituted his Cabinet without a single rem
resentative man Of the party which cleo
ted him mt. This, without his subsequent
snubblng of Sumner, Fentou, Greeley.
bryant, Carl SchurZ, and the other leaders
ana founders Of the party, showed that he
cared nothing for the ideas on which it
was established. In an evil hour these
men put themselves in Grants power bv
resorting to the military to reconstruct
the Southern States, so as to give them as
they supposed, the control there. That
folly made him their master as well as
ours. But Is there no way by which they
can lberate themselves /? No, none what
ever. Against him as the nominee of the
republican party with regular Demo-
crat IN the teld they cannot carry away
from hlm dozen votes. have canvass
ed IN Maine, New Hampshire, New York,
pennsylvania, and several other of the
great Northern States since the war. and
/ found 1t useless to talk to the people
about constitutional rights. nv own OBJ
servatlon and the results of the elections
demonstrate that whilst the real struggle
IS Tor sectional dominion the Constitution
IS dead letter. 1t was so whilst the
South held power, and it is so now whilst
the North holds it. The Southern leaders
Were as ready to force the Lecompton
constitution on Kansas in the interest of
their power as the Radicals have been to
force constitutions on the Southern States
to subserve their selfish ambition.
Ihe Democracy is identified with the
south IN the minds of the people of the
South, and the substance of all the argu-
ment addressed to the Northern people is
that the triumph of the Democracy will
secure the return of JEFF Davis and Bob
Ioombs to power over them-in other
words, VIII be the triumph of the South
and OF the rebellion. 1t Is no argument
against the capacity Of the people for self
| government that such arguments prevail
i What is wanted is that the leaders of the
Democratic party shall so shape the con-
test that the Radical plunderers shall be
deprived of this irresistible power. In
this way only can the great leaders and
the honest masses Of the Republican party
be liberated from the bondage IN which
they, In common with the Democracy and
the South are held. Can the leaders of
the party IN the nation initiate the SELF
denying wisdom by which the Democratic
leaders of Missouri emaneipated their
people from Radical thraldoH last year?
Wall they enable Carl Schurz and other
noble-minded, true friends OF liberty 70 DO
for the nation what be did for Missouri? +?
1t Is no Longer aqueston between parties;
1t Is whether We shall have as despotic
and absolute a personal government as
France had under Louis Napoleon. Let
us adjourn Democratic candidacy till we
restore constitutional government, and get
nd Of martial law and military domina-
tion