Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-04-12

The New Grk W0Ftd OF Inc TIN lnsC.
devotes nearly two columns to an editorial
designed to prove that true Democracy deals
only with the present, and shuns alike all
traditions of the past and conservatism as
applied to the future. 1t says: "A Democ-
racy that sets any Ualae on traditions be-
lies its name, and renounces its principles"
Traditions are species of knowledge that
a generation learns from its parents or i'm
mediate predecessors. This knowledge
may have great and lasting value, or it may
be ephemeral in its nature and application.
President Jefferson's enunciation of demo-
cratic principles in his inaugural address,
like those in the Declaration of Indepen-
dence, are of a Character not to die
with one mans administration, nor
with the age that witnessed their birth.
It is absurd to say that there is nothing
sufficiently stable in our republican govern
ment to descend from father to son as
democratic principle, in the form of an oral
or written tradition. 1t is wise to set
fair and just estimate on the new facts and
ideas developed in every decade of our his
tory; at the same time a greater folly can
not be committed than to assume that the
long experience and accumulated knowl-
edge of past sges are va Ueless to the pres
ent generation. A sons progress does Lot
require him TO forget that he has father
and mother, whose teachings be ought to
respect as a matter Of duty. In one
sense, all Democrats of to day are the
sons of Democratic fathers. If the
Democracy of to-day paid more regard TO
the maxims and virtues of the wise men
who planted the seed Of this party in Amer
lean soil, we should have larger and more
creditable harvest, INSTEAD of blight and mil
dew to the public injury.
RaiicAlism, like fated smut on good
wheat, is a parasite on Jeffersonian DEM
ocracy. Men change, principles never.
We believe with the World, not only in
the rights of man, but what is quite as i'm.
portant, in his duties. The World says:
at the dead can overlap US and impose
their will upon the unborn, it is evident
that that would not be selfgoVernment.
Nor is it any moro self-goVernment if they
rule the unborn by making us the inter me-
date agents for perpetual ug and imposing
their authority. From the very definition
and nature of Democracy, tradition mill
tates against it, and Conservatism, though
not necessarily its enemy, is not of its kin
bred"
If one carries his conservative views and
feelings too far, they become ant.-demo-
cratic, not otherwise. Such also is the fact
in regard to traditions. They are not
necessarily bad nor defective, when rightly
taught and applied. Hssty and premature
conclusions, leading the nation into great
peril, like curing the prevailing ignorance
of the ballot box as it stood before the war
by allowing 100000 ex-slaves to vote, with
view to elevate the elective franchise, i'm
prove legislation and the morals of the
white race, are the curse of this age and
generation, Errors ofths magnitude are the
legitimate offspring of the Worlds theory.
Democratic statesm en- of the Daniel d.
Tompkins and George Clinton stripe took
over twenty years to set free the few slaves
held in the State of New York, after eman-
cipation was commenced. Not one colored
man was permitted to vote in that State
before the war-without a property quail
6cafiOn Thesa sanitary traditions wera
apparently with view to Afri-
canize the cotton growing States. 1t is as
necessary 10 have fixed landmarks in a re-
publican government, as in the boundaries |
of farms; and that these metes and |
bounds may be known aud respected, they |
should not be often changed. Sound |
Dem ccrscy will deviate neither into radical |
ism on the one hand nor into conservatism |