The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-08-30

time of the first Revolution there was
Tory party; at the inception OF the
movement for independence this party
was quite large, but it rapidly dwindled
away, until its members were glad to
hide in obscurity all evidence that they
had once resisted the patriotic desire OF
vast majority Of their countrymen to
throw off the yoke of an oppressive Tor
cign power For long time the Wing
and the Democratic parties were closely
balanced. The Wing party comprised
in its ranks the best average intelligence
and responsibility of the country; its
members were scrupulous, technical, and
refused to be disciplined; it contained
within its ranks almost all the anti
slavery or slavery restriction elements
of the country, and gradually alienated
the South from its standard. On the
other hand, the Democratic party courted
the South, adopted its ideas on the sub
iect of human chattelism, attracted to
itself all the floating population, main
tanned the discipline of an army, boldly
declared its adherence to the doctrine
that " to the victors belong the spoils, !"
and finally subordinated every interest
of the people and of the Government
to the preservation and extension Of
/" the peculiar institution" of the South.
Confronted by an opponent so dcterm-
ined, so INSCRIPTIONS and SO skilltul, the
Wing party was gradually but surely
disintcgrated, until it only opposed to
its naughty adversary the moral power
of its higher intelligence, its superior
cultivation, and its constant protest
against the fearful strides slavery was
making toward the entire subversion of
the Constitution and of liberty. At
this period the Wing party had become
drained of all its grosser elements, which
naturally hoated into the ranks of the
victorious legions of the Democratic
party. Then, flushed with long line
of triumphs, the Democracy committed
the overt act of attempting to fasten
the blighting institution of human slav-
cry upon new territory. Out of tlis
grew the Republican party, and into the
ranks Of the new organization, based up
on the great doctrine of freedom, the
mass of the membership of the Wing
party entered. There was also in the
Democratic party an element which
took alarm at the subScrvicncy of the
Supreme Court, at the encroachmcnts
of Democratic Executives. at the
naughty, dominecring attitude of the
Southern slave oligarchy, and at the
cringing, cowardly conduct Of Northern
Democratic statesmen, sufficiently large
to rcnd the Democratic National Con.
vention of 1860 in twain. This divis,
ion in the Democratic party resulted in
the election of Abraham Lincoln to the
Presidency. Out of his election came
the abolition Of slavery, universal suf-
fragc, and all the grand events in the
interest of freedom and equal rights
which have rendered illustrious the
twelve years reign of the Republican
party.
Those courageous Democrats who
broke from the despotic rule of the South
ern oligarchy, and, in severing their al
legiance to a party which had become
an organized system of crime similar to
the Kuklux Klans of the present day,
broke their party organization, gradual
ly-during the progress of the war
foated into the Republican party, and
formed a part of the noble column of
heroic, patriotic men who fought for and
defended the Union, both on the battle
fields of the Rebellion and with the
silent ballot at the polls.
But through all the terrible events of
the rebellion, while the nation was strug-
Cling for existence, the Democratic party
maintained its organization, opposed the
prosecution of the war, declared it a
failure, favored dissolution of the
Union, rendered "aid and comfort" to
the enemy, embarrassed the Administra
ton of Mr. Lincoln, and occupied all
attitude of hostility to the Government
only less traitorous than the Southern
people, who committed the overt act of
organizing the machinery of the Con.
federacy, and openly rebelled by force
Of arms
In 1868 the Democratic party polled
forty-seven per cent. of the entire popu.
lar vote of the country, showing mem.
bership, an organization and vigor
dangerous to peace and to the future
vell.being of the country. 1t shows a
strength scarcely abated by twelve years
of constructive treason discipline al
most as perfect as ever, and determin-
alton to conquer, but never to die. In
short, the Democratic party is as danger
Gus to-day as it was in 1856 and 1860.
In the Baltimore Convention it REQUIRED
to its old tactics of adopting as its can.
didate Northern man with Southern
principles in its platform it made sol
emn oath with its lips to declaration
of principles, no one of which found
echo in the heart of single Democratic
member of that body, thus periuring
itself as political party before Heaven
and the American neonle