The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-05-05
s. G..
Sunday Morning, May 8, 1879.
Tho Cincinnati Convention and tho
Democratic Party.


Tho Cincinnati Convention and tho
Democratic Party.
The great reform convention at Gin
"oinnati has met and acted. The princi-
pies upon which !. proposes to enter
into the Presidential campaign have
been laid down emphatically and clearly,
and its standard bearers, Horace Greeley
:and Gratz Brown, are announced to the
people. In point Of numbers, enthusi-
asm and the character and ability Of the
delegates, the Convention was an un-
questionable success. It is now patent
that the movement for reform and for a
return to the ways Of peace and oonsti-
tutional government, within the Repub-
loan party, or what has hitherto been
called the Republican party, is not con-
sdned to o few seli,seeking soreheads, as
'the 'henchmen Of Grant have 80 vehe-
mently and persistently charged. but
that there 10 q mighty under-ourrent Of
popular feeling supporting them. The
Convention was called by Republicans
and was attended solely by Republicans.
Its great suecess shows that the liberal
Republicans are power in themselves,
and 9 factor in solving the problem Of
the coming canvass entitled to high con-
eideratiou on account OF their own in
trinsic force. In this respect, the libe.
ral Republicans have shown that they
possess the first prerequisite demanded
OF them by the Democracy, as expressed
through the Democratic press through
.out the country. They are not body
: simply Of disafected politicians, seeking
sto ride into Office by Democratic votes,
but show that they are impelled by mo-
tives of genuine patriotism, and have
goodiy band Of Republicans of the rank
and Ale at their back. Thus far, at
least, they have fulfilled the conditions
:: required for Democratic support.
Let Us look now into the platform,
aud see il it. too. does not accord with
Democratic views and is not entitled to
their hearty support. Presuming the
telegraphio reports received on Friday
evening to be correct, we find embraced
in the resolutions the following prinoi-
piles and pledges Of the policy which the
party will maintain: Local self.govern-
sment; supremacy of civil over military
authority; respect for habeas corpus; a
return to methods of peace; mainte-
nance OF constitutional Limitation Of
power; civil service reform; and single
term for the Presidency. If those are
mot pure and unadulterated Democratic
: doctrines, we do not know what are.
Farther. the principles therein indicated
are an that the Democratic party deem
essential, and for the violation Of which
they denounoe Grant and his admins
&rstion. The resolutions are declara-
4ions against Grants usurpations of
power, his violations of the Constitu-
tion, his trampling upon the rights of
the States, his policy OF hate to the
South, and his S,ilitary oppression of
our people; his abuse OF his high Office
TO secure his denomination. and the cor
"ruptions which he has fostered in the
civil service Of the Government.
The Democrats have not done and
cannot do more. The declaration that
There shall be no re-opening OF questions
settled by the thirteenth, fourteenth and
fifteenth amendments. may create some
differences Of opinion among Democrats.
In our judgment. however, it should not.
The only questions whioh can properly
&be considered settled by those amend
.ments are the emancipation of slavery,
the civil rights OF the freedmen, and.
finally, that there shall be no discrimi-
nations against them in the exercise of
the rights Of citizenship on account of
their race or color. Being freeman, it
ds but right and wise that the negro be
allowed to enjoy all the rights OF citizen
ship which the white man claims, cub
.Jeot to precisely the same conditions,
and no others.
The violations of the Constitution in
the Reconstruction Acts are different
questions altogether. These the Demo
q