The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1872-03-29
THE DEMOCRATIC POSITION.


The following sound advice, from the Nes
io,A World, indicates the true position which
should be taken by the Democratic party, at
the present juncture in political affairs, if they
would hope for success at the next Presiden.
ial election. The position of the two great
political parties, at this time, is not dissimlar
10 that exhibited in the Presidential cam.
paign of 1860, when the unfortunate divisions
in the Democratic ranks enabled the Repnb.
Leans to elect Abraham Lincoln. Now the
position of affairs is entirely reversed, and the
Democratic party, by preserving the unity OF
their organization, and nominating proper
candidates, may succeed in defeating both
The antagonstic Republican factions The
World says:
We hope Democrats will have the good
>rusc, self respect and political confluence to
stand aloof and make no attempts to inter-
NEEDLE with the proceedings or influence the
action of the Cincinnati Convention. 1t is q
Convention called by Republicans it will be
attended only by Republicans and if it is
managed in spirit of loyalty and fidelity to
she Republican party, Democrats will have
no right as we trust they will have no incli-
nation, to complain. The result may be that
we shall have three parties in this Presiden
tial canvass, instead of two. Democrats will
find it easier to fight the Republican party
divided than the Republican party united ;
and it would be q prodigious, short sighted
FOLLY for rs to nullify the influence of the Gin
cinnati Convention by officious informed.
Hing with movement begun and prosecuted
outside of our own party. If this movement
does not gain the confidence Of honest Re
publicans, Of what value is it? fit were
engineered and controlled by Democrats, or
even if Republicans believed it to be- it would
he regarded as mere tender of the Demo-
cratic party and would leave the old party
lines unchanged The result would be that
the Democratic party would have lowered
its tone and relaxed its discipline without any
increase of its numbers. What the honost
Republicans want is an opportunity 10 vote
against Grant without ahiuring their party
allegiance. The Cincinnati Convention can
he useful and potential only by giving them
this coveted opportunity. It's whole purpose
might he thwarted by Democratic oilicious-
ness. The proper attitude for Democrats ia
that Of spectators.
For this reason, and reasons similar 10 this,
it is ineXpedient and impolitic for the Dem
ucratic party to press any candidate upon the
Cincinnati Convention. If, for example, the
Democratic party should unite upon Judge
Davis, and ask the Cincinnati Convention
Ia nominate him for President, it would he
quite impossible for the Convention to take
him, even lift thought him, in other respects,
thr strongest and tittcst candidate. It would
no fatal to this Republican movement 10 seem
81 act from Democratic dctation, or to accept
4 candidate previously selected and agreed
on by the Democratic party. Let the
Liberal Republicans make their own nomi-
nation; they have every motive to make one
which will command the greatest number of
Republican votes, and we have no reasonable
motive for obstructing choice made with
this view by men better qualified than we
are TO estimate the temper and preferences of
the Republican citizens.
We can afterwards indorse their candidate
if we like him and think it expedient and
if not, we can freely make q selection to suit
ourselves. The preference for Judge Davis
which has been expressed in influential DEM
ucratic quarters, sufficiently indicates the
willingness of the Democratic party TO pursue
n liberal, patriotic course but it seems to us
that these advances have gone far enough
/ concentration of Democratic sentiment
and preference on any one of the rival can
didates would be fatal to him as competitor
Tor the Cincinnati nomination, for the simple
reason that a Republican Convention cannot
without stultifying itself and losing its hold
on Republican voters, permit the Democratic
party to make its ticket beforehand Let us
wait and see what the Cincinnati Convention
will do. live like their ticket we can adopt
it; if not, we shall be just as free as before
to present new candidate. Our range of
selection will not be narrowed by anything
done at Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Conven.
II to Coz
it draws away Republican votes from Grant.
Its whole purpose would be frustrated by an
appearance of Democratic dictation, or fore
Sailing of its action by the Democratic nrnss