New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-06-20
Demise Of the Democratic Party

Demise Of the Democratic Party.
1t seems almost impossible that we are
never to meet the Democracy as vital or
eanization again on the theatre of American
politics and yet such is the incontestable
truth. The malign elements and mischievous
tendencies of that party by kind of political
transmigration will certainly reappear, and
require all that is healthy in the body polite
to resist and comteract them but the party
itself is authoritatively doomed to an igno-
minious death. The day is fixed. The para
phernalia necessary to its execution are al
ready prepared. Whatever doubts there
might have been of this result a few weeks
ago, has now been set arrest. Indiana, with
Thomas Hendricks at her head, has resigned
the neck of the Democratic party to the axe.
Had the Democracy of this State followed the
comsels of Voorhees, instead of the cOunsels
of Hendricks, some hope Of the life of the
Democratic party might have remained. As
the case now stands Indiana has pronounced
the doom of the party, and the 9th of Julyi is
the time, and Baltimore is the place of its
execution. Like everything else in this
world that has any hold upon life, this grand
old political organization, with all its glorious
traditions Of power and victory, has shown
a reluctance to die. The efforts Of its
high priests to Undue it with spirit of resig-
nation to its fate have been indifferently re-
warded. The pearly gates, golden streets,
and balmy air as awaiting beyond has been
wildly described, and in the momentary ex-
element created by such eloquence the Dem
ocracy have said, "Let us depart and go
hence" Yet while there is life there is
hope, and deep down in the soul of the party
there is an earnest struggles in every
other living thing-for life. Delaware De-
mocrocy, at least, does not want to die GER
tainly not such a death as is provided for it
on the 9th of July at Baltimore. 1t prefers
existence with defeat and restitution to anni-
hilation. But Delaware is always a few years
behind the age, and her clinging to the past
and present and her disregard of the great
future are quite characteristic. Her Bayards
and Saulsburys have not yet learned that
slavery is abolished in the United States.
They are still cracking their slave whips in
the vacant air as Justify as if they were draw
ng the warm blood of negro at every blow!
70 the Democracy Of the whipping-post State
will never say die" though all the world
hsides itself, knows it must die, and that on
rs tombstone will be written: "DIED OF
HUNGER"
But we will no longer deal in figures of
speech. 1t is plain that the National Demo-
cratic Convention to be held in Baltimore is
as certain to indorse Greeley in July as the
Republican Convention in Philadelphia was
certain to nominate Ulysses S. Grant in June.
Indiana, Florida, South Carolina, Iowa,
Kansas, Vermont, Missouri, and Wisconsin
are positively committed to the Endorsement
Of the Cincinnati nominations, and as these
States have gone SO will go the Democracy
of the other States. Looking at the certain
nomination Of Horace Greeley as the certain
dissolution Of the Democratic party as it will
be, the fact is another proof of the impossi-
bility Of preserving any national political
party for any considerable length Of time
which neither has power nor the hope of at
tanning power. The Democratic party, so
long the dominant party, has been minority
party during twelve long years. 1t has made
three desperate efforts to get possession Of
the Federal Government and has failed of
success, and so the ''unterrified" have at
last become disheartened The effect Of re-
peated defeats has been TO convince its lead
ers that success in their appropriate character
and under their recognized name is impossible
to them. The several Democratic Conven-
tons already referred to, have notified the
rank and file Of this conviction and of the
determination to climb up some other way,
to seek old ends by new means, and under
new names. They say in their action more
plainly and emphatically than the same can
be rendered in words, that the Democratic
party has been made Odious by its past devo-
lion to slavery and its sympathy with slave
holding treason; that it is party of the past
and Of the dead, and that it no longer meets
the wants Of the living present, nor can it
anticipate those Of the boundless future.
Vallandigham before he shot himself. stam
mered out something like this in his new de-
parture> proposition, and the Blars have been
teaching it with success for two years in Mis-
souri,, and now it is confessed by nearly all
the party. The upshot of it all is that no
party can live in this country which fiagrantly
cOntradicts the moral and patriotic convic
IONS Of the American people and which is at
Mar with the genius of American institutions.
The lesson of the situation is that the party
which Is most true to the broadcast American
doctrine of Liberty win be the party Of the
present and the future.