Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-05-06

EA8ELe
The Albany Argus exhibits With yigor
and clearness the actual strength and re-
sources Of the Democratic party and The
waning power of Radicalisin, which has
estroyed whatever good intention the Re
publican party set ont with. Facts demoE-
strate beyond cavil the deeadence Of the
Republican party, not only in numerical
strength, but in moral force. sIn 1885,"
says the argus, "the Republican party
was in an actual minority on the aggregate
vote of the country Of 947,2S9. This mi
-noriiy it has wiped out, not only by gains
from the Democratic party, but by adding
1,032,47 voters from the colored race.
The gains of the Republican party have
not been from the white race, but
from the black race, for the Opposition
to-day is able to bring TO the polls from the
great reserve vote of the country $4,000.
more voters than it was able to poll in 1860;
leaving still million and a half Of non
voting citizens subject to the call of that
organization which shall best succeed in
quickening their consciences. Thecountry
to-day contains three millions of active De-
mocrats, two-and-a-half millions of white
Republicans, one million colored citizens,
and one million and a-half of non-Voting
citizens who are SO disinterested that only
deep political excitement reaches them. The
aggregate white vote Of The country was only
about 100000 more last fall than in 1860.
lit were now possible to deprive the col
ored voters of the elective franchise, the
Democratic party would Immediately re-
gain its former supremacy. But the ques-
tions invoved in the amendment have been
irrevocably settled, for better or for worse,
and the Democracy have freely pledged
themselves against a reSctionary policy,
even if it were possible to undertake it with
probability of success. Yet the Democrat
ic party has to-day stronger nucleus than
the Republican party. lis three millions
have been baptized in fire and blood for
their faith, ard are held by ties strOnger
than even "the cohesive power of public
plumber" for they have remained banded
together Notwithstanding every reverse.
They are Democrats because they be-
lieve in Democracy. Republicans haze been
such, also, because they believed in Repub-
licsnism; but that party having accomplished
all it undertook to do, and its leaders hav-
ing organized as public plunderers, those
who now believe in the Republican party
are rapidly diminishing. Counting TX the
one million of colored voters, and yet there
are five millions OF the eight aud half mil
lions of voters in the country which the
Republican party cannot bring to the polls.
With the loss of confidence and loss of in
terest, now apparent among Republicans
on every hand, and with the growing con-
viction that there is security only in the
tried principles of Democracy, it requiJes
very little faith in the ultimate triumph of
the right to become convinced of the COM
plete success of the Democratic party. a
comparison of the returns of the elections
with the census returns shows that of the
non-voters full one million belong to the
non-Voting whites of the South, who, if
they had voted, would have cast their suf-
frages for the Liberal ticket, thus giving the
opposition a large majority of the entire
vote. More than ne-hslf of the electors of
the country, including two-thirds of its in
tslligent population, are welded to the De-
mocracy; and political courage and popular
confidence cannot fail to make that SEN
timent effective at The polls. The
State of New York contains 9S1,5S7
citizens, a majority of whom are naturally
Democrats; as has been attested by the
many and brilliant successes achieved by
the Democracy. Over 10000 voters stay
ed away from the polls last fall. The Re-
publican party having trampled upon its
platform of last year, and having been con-
victed of high crimes against public mOrali-
ty and sound principle, it but remains for
the Democratic party to vigorously assert
its own vitality and the value of its own
distinguished principles, to secure the
confidence of the people, and TO
redeem the State. The Republican party
misgoverns wherever it rules. The appli-
cation Of Democratic maxims in the con-
duct of government viii remedy alI the
consequences of its misrule. He prsttles
like parrot, then, who pirates of Demo
cratic doubt and Democratic dsmay. Just
now is the precise time, above all others,
when the Democratic party has the right
to be most confident. lis principles are
eternal, and the vitality Of its organza-
ton equally SO. Immortality possesses it,
because its life is the life of the nation"