Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-05-04
The First Democratic Gun for
1879

The address of the Democrats in Con-
gress to their party is Il singularly feeble
and pointleSs performance. 1t denounceS
the Administration. of course. 1t de-
nounces the Republicans, of course. 1t
declares that radicalism is rlinirg the
country, of course. But upon the one
important point in which the country is
interested it is silent. Does the Demo
cratic party accept the amendments with
their consequences lfit does not, it can
have no hope of electing a President. If
it does, let it say so. And that is precise
ly what it does not say. That Is precisely
what this address avoids. 1t arraigns
the Republicans. 1t begs its Southern
wings to be quiet. But tie representa-
tives of the party which connived at the
rebellion, and whose last National Con-
vention- declared the amendments and
constitution to be revolutionary, un-
constitutional, and void, decline 10 say
whether they are of tie same opinion
still, and whether they acquiesce in the
settlements of the war.
Indeed, they can not say so, for they
know that that is thevery question which
internally rends their party. Some OF
their Northern organs declare that, of
course, they must acquiesce; that they
would be tomfools not to acquiesce.
But the Southern leaders retort that they
do not acQuiesce; while Major-General
Francis z Blair, author of the Brodhead
letter. and late Democratic candidate foi
the Vice Presidency, rubs his hands and
shouts, st, boy!" The Major-General
is frC IN Missouri. and he does not object
to what is there sometimes called scrim-
mage. Meanwhile the jesting Mr.. John
Quincy Adams looks on from Massachu-
SettS and remarks, pleasantly, that the
Democratic party had better begin by
trying to be- democratic. Indeed, wha;
this Democratic address does not say Is
very much more torcible than what 1t
does. Its silence shows concluSively that
the Democratic representatives from
every part of the country feel that the
party does not acquiesce in the settle
ments of the war, and that the mainten-
ance ofthose settlements viii be, as the
lively Gen raj Blair says it ought to he,
the issue of the Presidential campaign.
If these gentlemen thought that the SEN
timent of their party would justify ii,
they would have asserted without reser-
walton that there was no intention to re-
open the question ofrecOnstruction. To
say that they leave the subject to their
National Convention is folly. They IN
derstand very we'll the political situation
They would not hesitate to speak If they
were sure of support, and their silence
betravs their conviction that the Con-
vention will ut most avoid frank dec
laration.
The address, indeed, bcgs fellow citi-
zens in all parts of the Union not to vio-
late any right secured by the Constitu-
ton or by any of its amendments But
it very carefully refrains from saying
whether the Fifteenth really is valid
amendment. And why should Demo-
cratic body appeal to its friends not to
violate rights, if it were not conscious
that its friends were somewhere viola
ting rights? Then the gentlemen say
and Mr.. Fernando Wood heads the list
of representatives-tha no indignation
can be stern enough and no scorn too
severe for the assertion that the the Dem
ocratic party sympathizes with the de-
privation of any body's rights under the
Constitution, But whether voting is a
right of colored citizens under the Con-
siJution, which is the main question,
| they Carefully omit to state. The Demo-
cratic party. as such, has not indeed de-
| clared for the ku-KluX but tie ku-KluX
is composed OF Democrats, and its crimes
are poo l-poohed and denied by Demo-
Gratis; and whenever there is Il prospect
/ OF Democ a i: success the Ku- KluX outra
ges are doub bled.
Indeed. it is not easy to fancy a more
contemptibly feeble manifesto than that
with which the Democratic campaign
| is opened.-Harpers Week ly.