Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-10-08
THE COMING LIBERAL PARTY.
An Interview with Carl Schurz.


Our clever German was right. We want
new party. The country needs it. We
declare for it open and above board. We
must have it. We viii have it. The time:
are ripe for it. MALCONTENTs Of both par.
ties demand it.
But shall we disrupt the Democracy, tc
peet the emergency? Never so long as
there remains one shred of the Constitution
worth preserving. The Democracy has
ever been the defender of the Constitution.
1t has ever been the advocate of strict adj
hesion to that sacred instrument against the
successive factions that have arisen and
urged dangerous departures under the in
sinuating plea of Liberal construction.
1t was Just such a Liberal" construction
Of the war powers that has brought the
country to-day to the verge of military inn
perialism, so that no man is certain whether
next years election will be more than a
Napoleonic plebiScite at the bayonet's point:
No, we cannot abandon our vantage
ground of national party already in exist
ence, and battling with varying success from
Maine to California. And this Omnipres-
ent party is not fighting on dead issues, as
Radicalism would have the country believe.
What interest las Maine in the negro? What
interest has California in secession? The
fact that the Democracy of those States are
working with us, shoulder to shoulder,
against power, patronage and pelf, is proof
positive that the issues which link us to-
gether from one end ofthe Union to the other
are live issues-principles of universal ap-
plication.
No, we cannot afford to disrupt the Dem
Ocracy. 1t is not in our hearts to abandon
at this late day, the gallant band of North
ern Democrats who have held fast to the
principles Of constitutional government
through all the adversities of dozen years
who have held alUft the beacon light of lib
erty, through all the dark night of civil
war. When they become respondent, it
will be time enough to argue the matter.
But so long as they push on the manful,
hopeful fight, it would be folly, ingratitude,
treachery. for us to organize mutiny in their
rear. The Democracy need reform move
in New York-yes, and they will have it.
But here we need, not Reform, but Organ
izati0n.
Do we Democrats accept the status of
the negro2 He who asks SO eagerly must
have little confidence in the stability of
Al sH:an character. Has not the nation
deco 4 it? Are you. afraid the nation may
log ould not the nation have the right
to e its decree, if the negro proved in
capa Of perpetuating his freedom?
White men have lost their freedom in times
past, and it may happen again. just now,
the white man is more in danger than the
negro. Bluntly, white and black are in the
same ship, and it depends on themselves,
severallv and collectively, to transmit to
their children the rights of freemen. Still
more biuntly. our cry IS "The Union as II
was and the Constitution as ii is
The sensational Vallandigham has be-
us q silly squabble about words
He died before he could explain himself. 1t
has the appearance of a division to those
who fail to perceive that theyDemocracy
no more depends on the status of the negro
than il did on the old United States Bank.
This family fuss about a new departure will
die out of inanitv long before we enter the
Presidential canvass.
Where, then, shall we look for the COM
ING party. which the times urgently demand?
Where shall the good and great Horace
Greeley find refuge, with the honest Trum-
bull. the interrupted Wilson, the purist
Sumner, and the masses of Republicanism
whom corruption has not reached? Where
shall those of the South go, who were hon
est Unionists, and those who went into Sc
cessinn against their own judgment? All
these are like fish out of water: they cannot
endorse Radicalism, and they do not under
stand Democracy. regarding the latter mere
" as another partisan Office seeking ma
chine. We meet these wandering spirits
every day. What shall they do?-what can
they do?-unleSS they form new party,
calling themselves Liberals, (Reformers
of Radicalism would be better,)
drawing off every intelligent Repub-
lican who is net Office-seeking, and
reducing Radicalisn to the Grant family
and its grand army of retainers. Such
u ,rty. as the heir and legatee of Radicalism,
would naturally control a large negro vote
for some years yetI And 1t would also
draw off from us a lot OF " liberal Demo
Gratis. who are but loosely attached TO the
partv. and whose presence among us IS
really source Of weakness. All our poliG-
cal trimmers, who have no notion of prin-
CHILE, except as something TO barter and
compromise for office, would be dazzled
with the rising sun Of Liberalism.
As Know Nothingism buried Whiggery,
and as Radicalism grew up from the ashes
of ow-NOthingism-SO now, Exit Radi-
caljsm, Enters Liberalism. We hail it as
good omen for the country. The new party
will be on their behavior, and viii have
some respect for the Constitution. The
weakness of the transition state will be the
PEOPLES opportunity TO restore the Demo
cracy. The darkest hour precedes the
dawn. We are not prophesying, but, as old
Edwin Paschall was wont to say, Nous
TERRoNs.
And that is what Southern Democrat
told Carl Schurz. Carl said he would ''sleep
.o,,,tn o, s,