The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-06-26
DEMoGRMy.
TUE NEW DEPARTURE.

r'Jh. without regard to the eousa.
qusnccs, leaving them TO take care of
themselves The New Departure, be-
sides being essentially wroag can never
command tho approval or the support
Of the true Democracy Of this country
They will never consent 10 the disgrace
OF the eminent persons who are forever
DISTINGUISHED BY the 18th Amendment,
which this New Departure" aerspts,
AMI might as well say approves, for the
word means ito receive with apprcba-
ton or favor" 1t therefore receives
with appreciation or taror. tho denial
of all rights necessary to be maintained
under tic Constitution of our fathers
1t shuts out Inquiry into the means nee
cssary to right ourselves when We are
able, For who can say the Supreme
Court would not declare these Amend
ments to be utterly voii. 1t may be
maintained that the Supreme Court has
no jurisdiction but it will not be de-
nicd that il this is the case, Congress
could confer upon that tribunal the
necessary powers to pass upon this
question. We think that such course
should be pursued. In common with
the Democracy of the whole country, as
evidenced by the platform of 1868, we
have and still maiDtain that all these
reconstruction denominations are unccn.
s,i,utional and void. This position has
been affirmed and re-affirmed by the
Democracy in the most solemn form.
And yet these gentlemen now propose,
regardless Of consistency, TO accept all
measures, and shut the door of investi-
cation as to their legality and legiti-
macy. And our Parkersburg friends,
out Of their abundant desire to out
IIerod IIerod, and their haste to en-
brace their own dishonor, go further,
and dequiiesce in the three unconstitu-
tional Amenmdcnts. and oil their at
tendant usurpatious aud consequences.
Surely it was enough to accept such
disgraccful, dangerous and damnable
hercsics without covering ourselves
deeper with political degradation, by
ocquiesciag in them aud the means by
which they were forced upon the peo-
pie. Acquiesce means to assent to,
upon conviction, as to acq uiesce in an
opinion; that is, to rest satisfied as to its
correctness or propriety." In the name
of all the gods at once, do our astute
friends at Petersburg desire US to fel.
low their example, and make asses Of
ourselves? To keep them company as
the political mouutcbanks of the State?
Do they desire US, and the Democracy.
TO Willy our record, and to assent,
upon conviction" to all the usurpations
Of Rump Cougrers, as right, proper,
and legitimate? Are we to "rest sat-
is6cd oftbe correctness and propriciy"
Of the 14th aud 18th Amendments?
Nay, verify! We prefer rather to fol-
low the teachings of the fathers-to
maintain the right, whether policy die
tate such course or not; and we 60
further, and say: 1t we're better to
postpone the time when we shall ad-
minister the Government, than to OBJ
tain poverty such detcstable means
such monstrous sacrifice Of principle.
1t we're far better o adopt the immOr-
tai declaration Of the matchless Ken
lucky statesman-Henry Clay-after
his defeat for the Presidency in 1874,
BY reason of the frank avowal of his
opinion that at Is BETTER TO De RIGur
THAN TO DE- PRESIDENT"
Those who cannot live without Office,
and those who are anxious on the sub
ject Of the loaves and fishes, may adyo-
cate the "Ncw Departure. upon the
ground that the end justifes the means
For our part, we spit upon it. The
Ohio Democracy, at whose hands this
New Departure" from Democratic
principles originated, have always been
impotept to aid US on all National ques-
,ions, by reason of their numerical
inferiority. They are now seeking to
give tone to the policy of our party in
the Nation, without the capacity to cen
tribute anything to its success; and we
regret to find among our own people, OF
whom better might have been expected,
i disposition to accept the "New De-
parture," with all its bideous deformi-
ties, rather than to be right. Ourpeo-
pie will never consent to accept or dc-
guiesce in any act, constitutional or stat
utory, which disgraces those who gal.
lantly fought for what they thought was
constitutional liberty,in the Confederate
armies, and consequently they will not
accept the 18th Amendment, which
imposes odious determinations and in.
fiicts disqualifcations upon them. Nor
will they acq"iesee in the 18th Amend
ment, because it robs the State Of the
right to regulate It's own domestic al
fairs. is contrary 10 the genius Of our