The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1874-12-15
THE MISSHOy OF TIE DEMOC.
RACF.
Judge Blacks letter to the ID I'M =
ocratic Banquet In Phil.
/ adelphia.

ocrafic Banquet In Phil.
adeiphia.
sPHILADELPHIA, Dec "a Democrat
lc banquet was given at the Continental
Hotel tonight: The following letter
was read from Judge Black:
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 9. 1874.
GENTLEMEN: am honored by your
invitation to the dinner of Democrats TO-
morrow evening at the Continental Ho-
tel, and beg you to believe that moth
iEg prevents me from attending but an
imperative duty which calls me else
whetc
| think.I can understand how sincere
~ you all rejoice over the great political
events of the last two months If you
wish 20 know what my feelings are |
must decline to tell simply because I can
not do justice to the subject Democra
cy-whch is the common sense and
common honesty Of the nation organic ID
for public purposes-was supposed by
its enemies to be effectually killed. Il
was but natural that the heart of every
patriot should burn within him when he
saw it rising again, facing the oppressor
with front as determined as ever, and
denouncing corruption in high places
with the same mighty voice which in for
mer times went over the land like the
tones of a trumpet
But let US not merely congratulate our.
selves upoE the recent past. Think
nothing done until the work is finished
The victories of this year will put only
one House of the Federal Congress into
our hands, and we must wait year to
realize even that. Our perfect independ
enre must be achieved in 1876 by strug-
gle which will prove that we are worthy
to be descended from the men who pro
claimed the rights of .he States and the
liberties of the people hundred years
earlier. If we fail we must sink into a
servitude even more degrading than that
which we have endured for the last doz-
en- of years. If we succeed, then will
this puissant nation, like the awaking
Samson, "Shake her invincible locks,''
and start the new century under auspi
ces so grand that nothing can arrest her
free career.
We must bear it always in mind that
the triumph of Democratic principles
means the restoration of constitutional
government on basis which will give
absolute security to the rights of men
against the nights of men. The broken
walls of the Constitution are to be built
up anew and made too strong to be
thrown down again by the ruffians of the
''higher law" Oar opponents themselves
will become reconciled to the principles
Of American liberty when they pass into
the minority and find the magnanimous
Democracy taking every possible precau
ltia,ss-se guaru GIIcu,- IN ti.ei---,re,s,,.,oo noe
against the oppression which they inflict.
ed upon us in the days of their power
Peace will come,too, sectional strife will
be ended, and the public robbers who
now swarm over the Southern States will
cease their nefarous occupation when we
revoke the license which the "appropri-
ate legislation" Of the last nine years has
given them.
But we cannot reasonably hope to &C
complish the object of our mission with
out much labor and faithful exertion af.
ter the machinery Of the Government
shall be put into our hands. Fifteen
years of domination by an anti-constitu
tional party has utterly demoralized
every branch of the public service
These corruptions have become so nu
merous and so diversified, have sent down
their top roots SO deeply, have been prac-
ticed so openly, and have become in a
certain sense so respectable, that for ma
ny of them mere change Of admins
Etration will not speedily furnish rene
dy. But the abuses may be remedied by
the impulsion Of the same moral force
which carries their authors out of public
| life. When Hercules undertook the task
Of cleansing the Augean stable he did
not use the fork or the shovel, but turned
the current of river upon it and SO
swept all the filth to the sea. The stream
of public opinion if rightly directed will
in like manner aid Democratic Admin
istration. This hydraulic method of re-
form being necessary,the freedom of the
press and the untrammeled right Of the
people to speak their sentiments-every.
thing that let's the water on--should be
sedulously encouraged and securely
guarded. So may it come to pass in due
time that we will remember the days oil
the gag law, the practice of kidnapping
freemen, and the murder of innocent
people by military commission, as we re-
member tee years of mildew and potato
rot and cholera, to only shudder at them
and try to prevent their recurrence.
If I should close here you might mis-
understand me. have not the least idea
that we ought to unsettle anything which
has been fixed or determined, or take
from any hamal being right invested
in him by existing laws. We propose
no. counter revolution. While we mean
to be just we are determined also to be
liberal in the broadest sense of the word
The faith of the Government, no matter
by whom pledged. is irrevocabe The
whole civilized world knows that the
public credit is safer with US than with
our opponents, and this is shown by the
fact that since the November election
American securities have risen in every
market. We must submit to the amend
ments of the Constitution, though they
were carried by fraud and force, and the
two last were intended to take away oul
inh eritance of self government and-give
it to another race of men without right
and without ability to hold it or to use
it, But we will execute the whole in
strument, amendments and all, in way
that will save the rights of the honest
white man as we'll as those of the aboli
ZIONIST and the negro.
Another thing: large and most re-
spectacle body of men who, until lately
acted with the Republican party, voted
for our candidates last month. We are
not to forget how much we owe them
The debt can be paid by showing that
we deserve their confidence in our mod
Grafton and fairness toward all classes Of
the people / am faithfully yours, &c.
j. S. BLACK.
Nova days if you see man with the
skin worn off tho ton Of his nose and q