New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-04-15

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pc ffhis eonnfxy havs steadily maintained
s. ths head Of the national government
Representatives Of tho Republican party.
During that time there have been some
partial reactions, and frequent false
alarms The Democratic party has occa-
Gionally gained temporary local advar-
tages, and immediately thereupon all the
Democrats in the country have sent up
shouts of victory. These were sometimes
echoed by feeble walls Of defeat from
spineless Republicans, but both the shouts
and the walls we're always shown to De
premature by the next turn OF the eiec-
| toral wheel. And why? Not because the
country is profoundly sensible Of the debt
Of gratitude it owes to the Republican
party, for the gratitude which would re-
tain party in power after its usefulness
has ceased would be political blunder 80
stupid as to draw down speedy punish
ment; but because of the risks connected
with the restoration to power of the
Democratic party. These have been clearly
and tersely set forth by Senator
Morton in his recent speech; and no
amount of ''pooh-pooh"-ing can. blind
the public to their importance. 1t is
true that the will of the people on all
these questions, namely the payment of
the national debt, the ignoring of the
rebel debt, the maintenance Of equal po-
htical rights among. all our citizens re-
eardless of color, etc., has been solemnly
and repeatedly asserted in the most'un-
nistakable manner; but the leaders Of
the Democracy will not accept the answer;
will not accept the chance Of success
which the acceptance Of the answer and
the starting ola new issue might possibly
give them; but with political stupidity,
equaled only by that of the restored Bour-
bons in France, will persist in fighting
over again their lost battles, still trusting
in the defeat-blunted weapons of the past.
The Republican party has brilliant
record. It has always been the party of
patriotism, Of progress, and Of human
rights; the party Of law, and order, and
economy; the party of true democracy.
The record Of the Democratic party, on
the contrary is one Of treason, tyranny,
and reputation. Retrogressive in its
tendencies, and oppressive to the labor
ing classes in its workings, its present
practical statesmanship, as seen where it
holds local sway, may be summed up in
one word-Ku-kluxism. To stick to ex-
ploded political dogmas, and hang, stab,
and burn out those who hold different
views, blaming its victims for the violence
of which they have been (by the simple
fact of their existence) the innocent
cause; to break faith with the survivors
of the patriots who fell in the war and
cheat the national creditors, or else null
tiply the national debt by assuming that
incurred by the defeated rebel govern
ment, in addition to pensioning bereaved
Confederate families and paying for all
the slaves freed by the war; to deprive Of
the franchise, and SO remit to species of
serfdom almost as bad as slavery, all the
colored citizens in the United States.
This is the gospel of the Southern De-
mocracy, and to this, under various
specious tretences, they confidently ex-
pect to convert enough of the floating
political element Of. the North to give
them the administration of the govern
ment at the next general election.
They can not do it. The time for
such q reaction has not yet come,
and never will. The country is
not prepared to stultify itself by
undoing what it has SO lately, SO COM
pletely and SO wisely done 1t will main
tain the constitutional amendmentswhich
guarantee the fruits of the war; it will
fight its thrice won battle over again as
many times as the enemy may renew the
attack, and every time with the same re-
satisfactory. The Democratic party,
however, though powerless for positive
good from its natural tendencies, and i'm
potent for evil through. the force of cir
cumstances, yet exists, and therefore
there must be some work for. it to do.
What is that work? We know Of but
one: By its existence and its unfriendly
vigilance to consolidate the Republican
party, and to prevent it from falling into
the errors and breaking into the fac
tons which threaten every organization
invested with undisputed power. This
is the present mission of the Democratic
party, and well is it fulfilled. Its political
blindness; which will not or can not see
that what has been done by the logic of
the last ten years can not be undone; its
ostrich-ike stupidity, seeking to hide its
head while it's great vulnerable body is
protruding on the public view; it's senile
return to old tricks and characterized
tactics; its occasional paltry triumphs.
and the imprudent exposure of its un-
patriotic plans which such triumphs are
certain In elicit-a1l serve to keep the Re-