The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1872-10-05
R RICHMOND ID.

emanate. The principle, that call
men are born free and equal,'' was
right a thousand years ago and
will be thousand years hence
time and circumstances cannot
change it. Principles are not Gre
ated; they may be embraced and
then abandoned, but they remain
unchanged; and when political
party is compelled by common ex-
pertence and the march of events
in order to be successful, Ito aban-
don the principles it has advocated
and embrace others, it neither de-
stroys nor creates, but plainly con.
fesses, that those abandoned were
wrong as applied to the affairs of
men. @ .h46b6l]sts
The Democratic party pretends,
that it has abandoned the princi-
Piles to which it has so long adher-
ed, and is now osienslbly adyocat-
ing those upon which the Republi-
can party has acted from the first.
The Democratic party now claims
to recognize as true, the great
principle, that "all men are equal
before the law, that it is the duty
of government, to mete out equal
and exact justice to all, of what
ever nationality, race, color Or
persuasion, religions or political"
This principle has been cardinal
with the Republican party "from
its youth up" 1t now acknowledges
the great truth Of universal emau-
cipation, that all men have a right
to be free, that human slavery is
an abomination and curse. For
this the Republican party has bat
tied for years. 1t now gives its ad-
herence to the principles contain
ed in the thirteenth, fourteenth and
fifteenth constitutional amend
ments, and pledges itself to oppose
the reopening of the questions
therein settled. These are the
works of Republican hands. 1t
renounces the dogma of secession,
and plede es itself Ito maintain the
union of States" From the begin
ming the Republican party has
taught, "that it is the highest duty
OF every American citizen to main
tain, against all its enemies, the in
tegrity of the Union
These are strange doctrines to
come from the Democratic party.
Let US hope that they are honestly
taught; if they are, the party may
yet be redeemed, for do not be-
lieve in the doctrine of total de-
pravi:y, and if there is any redeem
ton for Democratic sinners it is in
the imitation and practice of Re
publican virtues; therefore let US
say to our Democratic brethren,
you have started in the right di-
rection, "be ye steadfast" and "re-
member Lots WIFE" Bnt when l
come tc examine the record of this
party my faith is shaken as to the
ability and disposition OF its mum.
bers to hold out in the great work.
When turn back few pages in
their history, l find emancipation
opposed and slavery upheld, l find
secession advocated and traitors
defended, and when / ask, why,
what is all tbis they answer me
and say: yes, we know that such is
our history; we have done all this
and more, but these are "dead is
sues" and must be forgotten. "Let
the dead past bury its Dead" we
are changed, Greeley. Brown l. Co.
shave put head on u.s." and we
are liberal Republicans now, you
know.
1t is not strange, that the Demo
cratic party should strive to bury
its past and write its epitaphs in
the words, "dead issues,,' for the
Democratic past, is as "whited
sepulchure full of dead mems bones
and all uncleanliness.". 1t is past
not to be forgotten. for ."she evil
that men do live after them" The
past is the great fountain of prac-
tical knowledge. 1t is the furnace
in which men and parties are test
J ed In 1t the Democratic party
has been tried and the baseness OF
it's metal proven. The Republican
party has been submitted to the
test and has come forth as gold
tried in the fire, and to-day, i,
stands pointing proudly to the re-
cord Of it's deeds in the past and
says: "Behold the work of my
hands." 1t has done no act to
which it now points in shame and
calls q ''dead ISSUE" and begs the
world to forget. 1t does not seek
to ''turn its back upon the past
but the principles it has always
defended are great "living issues''
! and so will always be. Herein the
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