The semi-weekly Republican. (St. Francisville, La.) 1872-1872, 1872-05-10

but now that the instruction which
their passiveness was to provoke and
stimulate, has burst forth with un.
comfortable impetus, and taken the
field with defiant banners, with an
impressive proclamation, and with
leaders whose names produce dismay
in the camp of the dominant des-
potic power at Washington, the nee
essity for this passive expectancy no
longer exists. Democrats are Amer
lean citizens and American patriots,
and because they are such, it is both
their right and their duty to take
part in the struggle now beginning.
What will that part be j?
They will not hail the division in
the Republican party as mere par
~ opportunity, and obtrude new
ticket Of their own between the con-
tending factions. That would for
felt, and justly forfeit, the popular
good will and the mortal power
which their patriotic se!f-denial of
the last three months has given them.
Tt would benumb the country with
the chill Of q cruel disappointment,
revive at the North all the former
war bittesness against the Democra-
cy, and disable them to profit in local
contests by the Republican schism.
Nay, it would do more it would
destroy the very opportunity that
they seek to take advantage of !; it
would crush the Liberal revolt, break
its line of battle, dispense its adher-
ents, and insure the reelection of
Grant. The Democratic party cam
not commit this enormous folly. It
has made many mistakes and blum
de1s. But it cannot, with its eyes
wide open, forfeit its magnificent flu
ture by making so monstrous a blum
der as this. The great mass of Dem
ocrats do not want Democratic
Presidential ticket presented to them;
they are satisfied with the field as it
is. They not wish to be placed I'M
der any party laws on this Presiden-
tial question they want, for this
single occasion, the holiday privilege
of doing what they please to. They
have made up their mind to do this
so decidedly that they would not
support a Democratic ticket, i'll mass,
even if one should unwisely be pre-
sented to them. They will vote, jim
mass, for either the Cincinnati ticket,
or the coming Philadelphia ticket -
They will either elect Greeley or
Grant.
Which Of these they will vote for
and elect is question that will be
decided by the logic Of politics, and
by Democratic instincts. To vote
for Grant would be to give . second
triumph to the man who triumphed
over them in 1868, and to le-estab-
lishel the shaken foundations of that
party which is, and ever must be
their relentless foe. 70 re-elect
Grant would be to betray and mas
sacre an army of gallant allies, up
hold the miserable ,nisrule and cor
ruption that now afflict the country,
place the Constitution and the States
at the mercy of the central power,
and arm with triple imperial piano.
ply that lawless Radicalis,n which it
is the supreme mission of the De-
mocracy to perpetually fight against.
If, on the other hand, they vote
for Greeley, they elect a President, it
is true, who is Republican, but
who is a Liberal Republican who
was from the beginning in favor Of
amnesty and justice to the South ::
who is in favor of the restoration of
the afflicted and despoiled Southern
States who will give us pure and
upright administration, and hold
high the American name at home
and abroad ; who will remit to the
people their withheld right of legal
self-goyernment, place an offensive
and arrogant military power in SUBJ
lection to the civil authority, and lay