The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-10-04
No. 13.

programme is that on which the
Northern Democracy are united; and
that Southern Democrats should,
therefore, cease their opposition to it
| To this we say, emphatically, that we
are at direct issue with all those who
maintain any such position. We
should despair of the country if we
believed any such thing. This "New
Departure" programme is nothing but
the work or device of a New York
political Ring, composed chiefly OF
Those who never were Democrats, ex-
cept from necessity Their main OBJ
Iject, as we believe, is success for spoils
alone, and not with any view to the
maintenance of the liberties of the
country. Indeed, upon the direct is
sue between ConsLitutionalism and
Centralism, we believe they would
openly espouse the cause OF the latter
To the direct question, whether he
would support the Democratic candi-
date upon the Jefersonian Platform
of Principles, one of the chiefs of this
ring refused to answer, as our readers
know.
1t is true, this ring, in an evil hour.
by their corrupt means, got the States
of Pennsylvania. Ohio, California,
Maine, Iowa and Wisconsin to adopt
their scheme, more or less distinctly
set forth, in all their late conventions;
but we utterly deny that these con
ventions, by their resolutions, express
the views of the honest masses of the
Democracy in single one of those
States.
We do know that this ring endeav-.
ored to get the Democrats in Congress
to incorporate their views and policy
in their late address referred to, and
that they utterly failed in the attempt.
1t was then they sought to operate
through the State conventions, by the
manipulations they could there more
successfully practice But there has
been no fair expression of the senti-
ments of the masses Of the Democracy
on this subject, in single State of
the Union, as yet. The Democratic
members of Congress refused to give
the "New Departure programme
their approval. 1t is, therefore, moth
ing but bald assumption-a begging Of
the question-to assert, or argue, as if
the ''New Departure" is in accordance
with the views, generally, of the mass
of the Northern Democracy, or ever
will be. The masses of the Northern
Democracy are as true to the principles
of liberty and the Constitution, as the
Southern Democracy. This is our
view of their patriotic devotion to the
great Constitutional principles involv-
ed in the contest of 1872. We also
believe, that they are anxious for
unity upon the chief issue in the con-
test, and have as little disposition to
ignore it as we have. Then why not
all-every friend Of the Constitution
everywhere-unite in laboring and
striving, as we, and other opponents
of the policy, as well as principle of
the "New Departure" are earnestly
doing, to bring about perfect unity
of the party, upon the only program
me which can possibly secure success
in the rescue and preservation of our
free institutions While this is an
open question, before the meeting of
the General Convention of the Party
next year, ought not every sentinel
upon the watch-tower- every organ
of Democratic public opinion-who
does not at heart approve the ''New
Departure" openly and boldly so pro-
claim? Is not this the sound dictate
of the highest wisdom as well as the
purest patriotism 7-Atlartta Sun.