The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-11-10

upon that principle 1t took issue with the
democratic party. The contest of 1856
was fought upon that issue, as was that of
1860, when the battle was won for ever.
Practically, the republican or democratic
parties are not the same now they were
thirteen years ago. The issues and princi-
pies, an adherence to and support of which
then constituted the parties, are settled,
dead and buried. In 1864, new republi-
can party was formed, SO to speak, COM
posed, to be sure, mainly of the same men
although the national convention of that
year, at Baltimore, contained vast num-
Der of delegates who, four years before,
would have considered it an insult to have
been called republcans-bu founded upon
a new and distinctive principle, namely a
vigorous prosecution of the war An adj
herence to this, and its furtherence in every
possible way then constituted republi-
can. If voter subscribed to this doctrine
then he was a republican If not, then he
was on the other side.
When we come to 1868, we find the same
state of facts to exist The army had made
the platform of the republican party, as
LAID down in 1864, something more than
declaration of principles. They had en-
forced it at the point Of the bayonet, and
there remained no authoritative declaration
of principles upon which the people could
range themselves, and go before the voters
of the country for an endorsement thereof.
The old issues were thus, again, settled,
dead and buried. There were enough is
sites before the country, but no authorta-
tive declaration thereof We say "ali-
thoritatvc declaration for such il is and
such it must needs be, in order to form
party or continue it in existence. as our
politics now is, and has been, for years,
conducted. This Authoritative dcclara-
ton is obtained through national CON
Vention. Prior to the meeting thereof, n
man may be an honest, sincere republican
or democrat; at the adjournment thereof
he may be as honestly and sincerely BIT
ter opponent of the party bearing the name
OF that with which he had long been associ-
ated. In May, 1868, delegates from the
republican party, as it had before existed,
met at Chicago, and made a new declara-
ton OF principlcs-entirely different from
any which they had before announced. In
decd, up to that time, or to within year
or two prior thereto, they would have been
meaningless. We have no reference TO
those glittering generalties, which ALWAYS
form the larger part of every platform"
but to the living, vital questions upon
which men differ. The burdens of this
declaration consisted of an endorsement of
the reconstruction policy of Congress"
and equal suffrage" The belief in and
advocacy of these measures, or the reverse
determined mans political standing
-Four years more pass by. The southern
states have all been reconstructed in ac-
cordance with the ''policy of Congress"
and equal suffrage was secured The
republican party had accomplished all it
had set out to do, and, in our judgment,
had accomplished it in the best manner
possible under the circumstances. All is
sues being again settled, dead and buried.
the people, who had heretofore acted with
the republican party-and some who had
not-went up to Philadelphia TO declare
where they placed themselves upon the
ISSUES OF the cay-Ir, lnueed, there were
any tissues of the day Whoever hon
estly acIuiesces in that declaration and en-
beavers to give them practical effect, is a
republican-otherwise not. 1t is not a
question of men, but of measures it is not
a question Of Irregular nominations, but of
principles it is not question of subservi-
ency to caucus dictation, but of an earnest
advocacy Of belief in sentiments promul-
gated at Philadelphia in June 1872 We
are republican we believe in each and
every principle enunciated by that conven-
ton; and we propose, tomorrow, to pro-
pound a question or two in order that the
people may see who are and who are not
true republicans.