The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1871-11-18
The Late Democratic Party.

the ucdtl struggle VI tiidt great I'o-
litical party which has so long sway
ed the destinies Of the American
people, comes with a peculiar and a
startling Significance. 1t is true it
received it's mortal wound ten years
ago, by the disruption of the Union,
but with the reconstruction of that
Union, it's leaders and it's followers
fondly hoped for its restoration to
power. Again stricken down in the
Presidential campaign Of 1868, its
friends rallied it's remaining energies
for the State elections of 1871, with
a full knowledge of the fact, that
upon those elections depended its
last hope Of life. The t%elegraphic
lightning has pierced the smoke Of
it's last battle, and the world looks
silently and thoughtfully on it's dead
and mangled remains.
The consequences to American
politics, and to America itself, Of the
destruction of the Democratic party
cannot now be even cOniecturcd.
That it will hasten the crisis in
American politics, foreshadowed by
the congressional legislation Of the
last few years, and quite recently by
a few prominent political journals
and orators, can scarcely be doubted.
That crisis will result in an increase
of the legislative, and a decrease Of
the executive, powers ofthe national
government. Wendell Philips Ut
tered an important truth recently,
in a speech at Music Hallin Boston,
when he said that Jackson was the
last real President, and that since
his time, only third and fifth rate
men had been, and would be, eleva-
ted to the Presidency. The Demo
cratic party was a stronger check
upon congressional legislation than
the Constitution itself, and now that
that check has been broken and
thrown away, the day is near at hand
when Congress will be the State.
We have not the time nor the abil-
ity to write the epitaph of the Dem
ocratic party. Its victories and re-
verses; it's strength and weakness;
its patriotism and venality, belong
to history. 1t is no longer a thing
of the present. Even the galvanic
battery of the press cannot again
warm it into life. It's the old story.
Politicalparties are necessarily cphc-
neral. The policy of tie State chan
ges, and must change, with changing
events, and the platforms of political
parties are placarded with the warn
ing "Don't stand on the platform
while the cars / moying!' The
immense extent of our national do
main the diversified interests of the
East, West, North and South; and
the radical changes in the agricultu-
raj, commercial, social and political
interests of forty millions of people
caused by the late civil war, have,
er nccessitdte rei, changed the views
and the policy of men of all political
parties. Even the Republican party
is not the same to-day that twas i'll
1S61-and in the Presidential cam
paign of next year it will not be the
same that it is to-day. The times
change, and we change with them.
The duration of any political party
is no conclusive. argument for or
against it's principles.
IN the meantime the absorbing
question of the hour is elbow, and
Of whatmaterial, and with whatprin-
ciples, shall thatnew party be formed
which must meet the dominant party
in the campaign of 1S72?" There is
plenty Of material, plenty of reasons,
and plenty Of principles lying ready
to hand: but the difficulty lies i'll the
two-feld necessity of wisdominchoice
and promptness in organization. In
making that choice, and effecting
that organization, three propositions
must be remembered and conceded,
or the new party will be strangled
in it's infancy. They are
T LIST. The hopelessness of attempt
ing to revive the Democratic party.
I'd. The binding force and efficacy
of the national constitution, with all
It's amendments.
Sd. The absolute necessity of a
rigidly economical administration of
the national and the State revenues.
Tt is true that the leaders Of the
Republican party, with that keen
appreciation of the necessities of the
hour which has characterized their
course hitherto, have already adop-
ted the second of these propositions,