Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-11-03
A DLSHONORED PARTY.

The Philadelphia Gazette notices in an
editorial the remark by a democratic con-
temporary. claiming that the party has not
lost its honor. The Gazette expresses the
opinion that ''no American political organ
ization has ever SO entirely and thorough
ly dishonored itself us that which bears
the name of democratic" 1t continues:
"This is the only party that ever went into
open rebellion, to prevent a lawfully chosen
President from assuming the position to which
he was elected. 1t is the only one that has
ever sought to divide the Republic into two
separate and hostile natonalities. 1t is the
only one that has ever sought to paralyze the
arms of the national government when en-
gagged in great war for the defence of the
national integrity. 1t is the only one that in
the midst of such q contest has stigmatized
the national troops as mercenaries, the patri-
otic President as despot, and the command
ing general of our armies in the field as a
butcher. 1t is the only one that has ever
raised secret organization all over the
country, to defeat the enlistment of troops to
fight the enemy. 1t is the only one that has
ever raised an open and dangerous riot to
render the CONSUMPTION odious and to pre-
vent its enforcement. 1t is the only one that
and comfort to those against whom our own
troops we're arrayed.
If there be any remarkable degree of honor
about such a course of policy as that, we
should be glad to have it pointed out, for
there is nothing that gives us more real pain
than to be obliged to say such things of
great and powerful political organization of
our countrymen, who have claimed to be Pc
cularly progressive in tendency, and many
of whom really believe themselves to be so.
And as it gives us no particular trouble TO de-
feat such a party at the polls, we should be
willing to strain point, to believe some of it
if we could, especially as some Of our best re-
publicans have come from its ranks.
But if we suppose the war record of this
party to be only such as a party in opposition
might be gradually led into by bitter and
prolonged contest, how shall we account for
its course since the return of peace? Over
looking its long continued championship of
slavery and the abominable fugitive slave law,
why has it resisted every effort to make the
rights and franchise of the freedmen secure?
Why has il struggled to establish a PERM
cious system of caste? Why has it declared
the constitutional amendments invalid? Why
has it stigmatized by opprobious epithets every
influential northern man who has settled at the
south? Why has it patronized the rebel BAN
ditti who are ravaging the south in midnight
bands of masked and armed assassins? Why
has it sought either to prevent the colored cit
liens from using the right of suffrage or to
render the right mockery?
For this course of policy we can see no
more excuse than we did for rebel sympathy
during the war; and, SO far from such a party
preserving its honor, it is dshonored utterly
and completely. 1t has made for itself re-
cord inimical to the whole tendency of free
Institutions. 1t has stamped the brand OF shame
upon all its measures and schemes, and so
clearly feels its disgrace that it is obliged to
seek shelter behind the regimentals of every
obscure or hide-bound partisan who was
soldier in the war But as we beat it in the
war period and upon all the war issues, and
as we beat it upon every phase OF slavery,
caste, reconstruction and sectionalism, so now
we have beaten it soundly upon the great
questions of national industry, national cred
II ana national taxation, upon which it has
taken course thoroughly dishonorable.