Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-05-11
DEMOCRATIC NABOBS IN COUNCIL.

DEMOCRATIC NABOBS IN COUNCIL.
The Manhattan Club of New York held
a meeting at its rooms last week. to jubi-
late over the elections in New Hampshire
and Connecticut, and consider and dis
cuss the general political situation. lnvi-
tations had been sent out to the demo-
cratic nabobs of other States, SO that the
gathering was aristocratic and select, and
entirely destitute of representatives of the
industrious classes of the country, who
were probably considered too vulgar to sit
at the same table with the democratic
magnates at the Manhattan. OF course
there were speeches upon this occasion,
the burden of which as might be surmised,
was the excellence of the democratic
party. and the exceedingly bad state OF
things brought about by the republicans.
As a sample ofthe speeches, we quote from
that of a gentleman from Maine, as we
find it reported in the papers. After say
ing that the democracy were taking fresh
courage from the elections in the West
and East, and beginning to wake up, he
remarked. probably with long drawn
sigh:
"We once had government that respected
the rights of the States and of the citizens and
that moved harmoniously in its orbit. 1t
loved freedom for the development fostered,
and which gave US mercantile marine which
put us in the front rank of the nations. While
all were protected under that Government
none felt any of the weight Of ito burdens; it
gave ~ . currency redeemable in coin, and
did not require the payment of extravagant
sums out Of proportion to values for the
nscessaries to sustain life. Instead of that
We have . Government based on = system Of
broken promises; an irredeemable currency /;
. Congress maintaining itself by enormous
Government patronage and larger standing
army than the nation had ever before known.
In every direction We see constitutions re-
peatedly trampled under foot where the
States have fallen under the ban Of the Fed
sral Government, and half score of States
have been stricken from their positions as in
dspendsnts, and dragged in the dust to feed
the throng who fatten on the spoils of recon-
struction. 1t was only necessary to look at
the acts Of Congress passed and pending to
see what awaited the people if this party new
in power should be accorded longer lease Of
life. What powers would be left to the
States, what rights Of the citizens unabsorbsd
In another four years, if this condition Of
things be allowed to continue 4? New York
Was now appealed to by her sister States to
know whether she will assist in this great
work Of restoration
This is the wall Of democrat from
Maine at the Manhattan Club meeting
Now if he had but remembered before he
uttered this lament that the war with all
its attendant evils, loss of commerce and
ships, deprecated currency, disorganiz-
alton in the South, and all the rest, lay at
the door of the democratic party, whose
leaders undertook to overthrow the gov
eminent when the control of it was about
to pass ont of their hands, he might have
concluded that his lamentation would not
be quite becoming. The republicans had
no desire 10 create new currency or call
millions of men from peaceful homes to
the battlefield. but the necessity of de-
Tending the life of the nation against the
democratic rebellion forced them to do
these things, which if they had not doic
the government would have been de
stroyed, the Union broken up, and the
Manhattan Club would have had no OPP
portunity to meet and mourn over the
country which their party almost betrayed
to destruction. 1t is strange that demo-
cratic leaders will forget the part they
acted in the rebellion, but though they
forget the honest people never will. 1t is
also strange that Manhattan nabobs should
whine about the invasion of State rights
by the general government, while at the
present moment the democrats are be-
sieging Congress to take full control Of
the political affairs of Louisiana, South
Carolina and Arkansas. Only that the
democratic party was voted out of power
in 1860 there would have been no re-
bellion. If the Southern States find them
selves in . peculiar condition, somewhat
politically and financially,
they know that the responsibility is upon
the originators of the rebellion. They
should have looked at the consequences
before they let slip the dogs of war;" to
complain about its evil effects and charge
them upon the republicans is both unjust
and unmanly.
We presume the mission Of the gentle
man Of whom we have spoken to the
meeting at New York, had reference how
ever to other matters than eating, drink
ing and speaking. The closing appeal to
New York means that contributions must
be liberal to aid the democracy of Maine
n the coming State election. 1.-The work
of restoration" will be prosecuted in Maine
during tho campaign according to the aid
afforded from New York. "Weeding
out corruption" will be carried on splen-
didly by the money bags of Manhattan,
but whether State rights will flourish in
the same platform with demand for Ex-
ecutive and Congressional interference
with several of the States is not clearly
seen.
THE HANDEL AND HAYDN FESTE-