Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-09-27


with the people, to mete out equal and ex-
act justice to ALL Of whatever nativity, race,
color, or persuasion, religious or political"
1t pledges those who have adopted II to
maintain emancipation and enfranchise-
ment, and to oppose any reopening of the |
questions settled by the thirteenth, four.
teenth and fifteenth amendments TO the |
constitution" Could any language be
moro comprehensive or explicit than this |
Does Mr.. Greeley dishonor his professions
as republican in conserving to run for The |
presidency upon such platform
Alb, but the democratic party has nom
mated him, and the democratic party is a
bad party, whose sins should never have
forgiveness, either in this world or the
next. But has not the republican party al
ways been glad to draw recruits from the
democratic pnrty2 Whence came Grant,
and Butler, and Morton, and Forney, and
Logan, and hundreds of others And
when, pray, did the republican party close
its doors against democratic recruits, Ell
Their at the North or at the South Is IL not
even now willing TO pay bounty on such
recruits and hoping it may find enough of
them TO defeat Mr.. Greeley? Would there
not be great rejoicing among the friends of
Gen. Grant in any city or town in which
the democrats should meet in body and
come over to their slider Would Gen. Grant
become thereby any the less a republican,
or the Philadelphia platform be thereby
turned into mockery trow not. Now,
if democrats may consistently and honora-
bly, go as individuals o. in squads to the
republican party, and cast their votes for
Gen. Grant, where is the Inconsistency and
where the dishonor, when the great body
of the democratic party, forgetting the
things that are behind" even its own sins
against liberty and justice, marches by
spontaneous movement, with majestic
tread, upon republican platform, and, as
an earnest of its sincerity in 50 doing,
dominates as its candidate for president
one of the veteran founders of the republic
can party whose zeal for republican prin-
ciples and measures has known no abate-
ment, and who has not taken back word
| that he ever wrote against the democratic
party in the days when it supported sla-
very?
DO not hesitate TO say that the demo-
cratic party, in taking this course, presen-
ted the sublimest spectacle ever witnessed
in American politcs-thc spectacle of
great party conquering itself, setting aside
its old leaders and taking "new depar-
turc'' in the name and in the interest of
Justice and freedom. do not wonder that
hard headed old men in the Baltimore
convention wept over this spectacle like
children, and rejoiced with joy unspeak-
able, when ut last they saw their party lif-
ted from the slough into which il had been
cast by reckless and unprincipled leaders,
and placed on the firm foundations laid at
Cincinnati. Let those who think that men
are by nature children of the devil, and in
capable of noble action, scoff if they will,
and try to persuade themselves that the
revolution thus proclaimed had no better
impulse than n thirst for office, mean am
bition for power and pelf. | ,ln glad 10
think better of human nature. and TO be-
lieve that the pledges made at Baltimore
were made to be kept 1t Is my firm be-
lief that, If it were possible for Horace
, Greeley in the presidential chair to dishon-
or his record as republican, the first men
| to be ashamed of him, and to rebuke and
repudiate him, would be his new allies in
7 the demot ratio party. Why, when we
have seen the republican party slowly and
painfully, and in spite of itself, developed
from a party formed merely TO resist the
, extension of slavery into party of eman-
cipation and equal enfranchisement, should
we be so incredulous as to the fact that al
last the de mocratic party, 50 long misgud-
ed, has advanced to the same high ground ?
1t is in the nature of things, and according
to the law of human progress, that this
event should sooner or later come to pass
and for my part l rejoice that have lived
to witness il. This is one of the revolu-
tions that will never go backward. Hence
forth, in this country, the rights of men,
irrespective of race or color, are to be adj
mitted and defended by all parties, and OPP
portunity is to he afforded for the discus
sion and settlement of other questions that
have waited long for a solution. Those who
fear that if Mr.. Greeley is elected the coun-
try will fall back, through the influence of
his democratic supporters. in the slough
from which ii has so fortunately been de-
livered, do not understand the times in
which they live. They remind me OF a
sailor who, having fallen from the mast
head, couvulsively seized and held on to
the tafIrai for fear that he should fall back !
Let us not indulge such ill-grounded aud
irrational fears.
Ever since the abolition of slavery / have
voted with the republican party, and l
gladly give it credit for all that it has done
in the cause Of impartial freedom. Some
of the charges brought against it are no
doubt unjust, while others are exaggerat-
ed but having been in power for twelve
years, Il has become the victim of "rings''
that are using ii for their own selfish pur-
poses, and in my judgment tho time has
come for change. The corruptons that
crept into the democratic party were the
result in pare of its long continuance in
, power, and the republican party, believe
, is rapidly deteroratng from the same
cause. The election of Mr.. Greeley as
r one-term president will be almost certain
, to arrest the tendencies to corruption, and
put tho govern ment on better and sureI
[ footing. The time is suspicious for a re.
a construction OF parties under new leaders
Q and for burying the feuds and strifes of Tho
t past. / confidently expect that Mr.. Gree
, ley will be elected and while / do not sup
: pose the event will usher in politica
q millennium, am sure that his administra
@ and heart inspired by the noblest anC
: purest aims, will be vast improvement
on that which II will displace.
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