The Van Buren press., 1871-11-21
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 81, 1871,
Passivism.

debating its probable acceptance or re
lection by the people The course ofthe
uncompromisin2 journals Of the North,
aided by some equally indiscreet ones in
the South, led the {" new departure TO
an early grave as shown by the late cleo
tions Republicans of the Radical wing
were determined not to permit The De
mocracy to "get right, rs they term IT.
and, being aided by the Democratic jour
nails above referred to, it was but holi-
day task to kill and bury the famous de
parture. This movement having failed
thanks to Democratic want of fore
sight,-it has now become imperatively
necessary, IN order to SAFE the country
from financial rain and military despot
ism, for the Democracy to exercise all
their magnanimity and patriotism, and to
make final effort TO shake off the mighty
serpent, whose crushing folds will soon
deprive our free institutions of the last
spark of vitality
The course proposed now is erronc-
ously denominatcd " Passyism " 1t is
proposed to the Democracy to abandon
their name and, separate organization, in
the campaign Of ~ and vote and work
with the liberal wing of the Republican
party. We say the name is misnomcr,
because Democrats are not expected to
be passive by any means. They have
much cork TO do. Simply casting vote
lstlessly for the Liberal Republican can
didate is by no means all we are to do,
Our unhappy country has arrived at n
point of danger, and her condition can
not be ameliorated by inaction In aban-
doning our separate organization for
this canvass, we by no means abandon
the party forever. Its fundamental prin-
oiples are the fundamental principles of
our government, and can never be quiet
ly abandoned until our present system of
government ceases to exist. In the
name, all true democrats glory, because
it has been inscribed on our victorious
banner ever since the first permanent for
nation of parties in our country. But
the greater our love and rcveration for
it, the more noble The sacrifice when we
say, we will told our party banner for n
time, for the great aim of wrestling our
country from the grasp of those who are
now depriving her Of her life by build
ing up an oyershadowing dcspotsm.
The contest of 1872, is to be the people
against the one man power. 1t is civil
law against military power Who that
feels the throbbing Of = patriotic heart
can hesitate for moment to accept the
proposition. to-. ahqRd,plP plP 5nref t6r secure
a triumph of the Constitution. The pas
sage of the Ku Klux bill hiss demonstrat-
cd to the country how far partisan
Congress can and will go. It's enforce
ment as we now see it, daily, demon
stratcs how far military man clothed
with so much power dares to go. Let
us not forget the salutory lessons of his
tory: France had her Louis Napoleon I;
America may have q Ulysses Grant, who
fully determines to follow the course of
the French Emperor The Chambers
were subservicut to Napoleon, the army
at his command, in what respect does
our present situation differ from that Of
France when Napoleon declared himself
Emperor, and the people dared not resist.
Shall we, then, hesitate to join hands with
any party wherein there is hope Of hurl
ing this incipient Gar from his thrown.
Our country is Of far greater value to us
rs citizens, than our party Our consti-
tuition and our free institutions founded
on it arc in imminent danger 1t is no
time to sickle forparty names. Let the
new party banner be thrown to the
breeze, with no further motto than de.
termined and unceasing opposition to the
One Man Power" and to corruption in
Office. Let us bear in mind that the de.
feat Of Grant will be death blow 70 the
growth of monarchical ideas on this con
tnent for perhaps centuries to come
His election will be an accleration of the
growth of these ideas, already too deep
ly seated in the minds of many. His
administration has disgusted many wise
men With our theory of government, be-
cause Of the corruption he has not only
permitted to creep into it, but has assid-
uously fostered, by an unlimited exercise
Of fayortism, regardless Of qualification
or integrity. Congress has demonstrat-
ed that our written constitution can be
interpreted or amended so as to author.
ize them to confer unbounded power on
Grant, and leave him entirely irresponsi
BILE for its exercise.
We then say, boldly to our democrat
ic friends, let patriotism swallow up par
ty measures and party differences, and
let us unite cordially and fully with the
anti-Grant party, which is the party op-
posed to corruption and incompetency,