The weekly Louisianian. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1872-1882, 1872-04-27
THE TWO PARTIES.

pert from one side to- the other, q
this or that measure may please o:
displease them. 1t is of the highes
moment that the citizen clearly un
derstand the real question, O
which these and others that ar
certain to arise are but the phe'
nominal phases. u. ~.,s
Had the Southern people justly
apprehended the nature Of the gov.
ernment and the tendency Of the
dogmas Of that political school
which gained their confidence, they
could never have been betrayed into
civil war. Had the Northern mas
ses accurately estimated the signiA.
cancy Of the same dogmas, there
never would have existed a Demo
cratic party to cherish and cham
pion a rebellion. IF that which
radically distinguishes the two par
ties can still be obscured to the
popular eye by the glamor and cla-
NOR Of demegogues, this country
will, sooner or later, again be rent
with civil strife, or will be divided
into rivaland warning confederacies.
As precious as are the peace and
prosperity Of this vast land, wrap
ped up in the union Of states, SO
essential is it that the anti-republi-
can theory of the constitution shall
cease to have party threatening
the republic.
Are we q nation, or a mere con-
federation of States? The republi-
can answer is: 1--WE are q nation,
and not a mere confederation Of
States" The democratic answer is:
"We may be called a nation, but we
are a. nation as far only as may be
consistent with the fact that we are
a mere confederation of States"
Republicanism hold that the con-
stitution makes us not merely con-
federate States, but literally, and in
the highest sense, one grand State,
whose people are united even more
indissolubly than are the people Of
any one of the constituent States.
For while Virginia may be separat-
ed into two new commonwealths, it
can only be because such division
cannot reach the unity Of the peo-
people Of the great including COM
monwealth. Democracy declares
or did but yesterday-that the con-
stitution is a compact to which each
State is q party, and from which it
is entitled to release when the COM
pact shall be broken. The imme-
diate effect Of the war, and Of q
banishment Of democracy from
power, has been an acknowledge
ment by democrats>tha as a conse-
quence Of the war, States now have
no right to secede. But this con-
cession does not touch their actual
right under the constitution, nor
does it prevent democrats from pro-
claiming that, unless the sovereign
ty Of the states is respected, the
constitution is perverted and liberty
clean gone forever.
Theories rarely produce facts; II
is the facts that give rise to theories,
Selfish local interests and jealoums
brought but the common exigenciea
ofthe whole people made US a nation:
and make the national theory Of the
constitution both true andnecessary.
Nothing did more than slavery to
develop the hostile theory. Demo.
cracy then took it up and untortu.
nately still maintains it as essentia
to popular rights. Slavery and tht
rebellion are past, but the constitu'
honal theory which slavery planted
and nourished, and whose beauties
the rebellion illustrated, still lives
and is that which characterizes dem;
ocracy. It's latest concrete form il
the .'ant- oonsoli dation" n" outcry, join
ed in BY . few seeding republicans
in opposition to congressional 1egis
lation in enforcement Of the reoen
amendments to the constitution
But the future must bring man,