New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-10-15
Every Vote Tor Ms. Tiilen Helps
Ia bring on the Ruin Of the Country by
Helping 10 Restore the Democra ale Parry
TO Power.
BY GERRIT SMITH.

lbf tEkRlI SMlIH
Frequently hear and read that, inasmuch
as each Of the two great parties has nomi-
| mated worthy man for Governor, the people
have now nothing to fear from the election
| OF a Governor. That General Dix is worthy
! OF the office does not need to be argued. Nor
should 1t be doubted that Mr.. Tilden, whose
dlscernment and bravery were so efficient in
| terreting out those stupendous and matchless
| frauds in the city of New York, has in him
| self the qualifications for Governor. Too
much praise in this important work cannot be
awarded to him, nor to that eminently INTEL
| lectual and just man Charles O'Cnnor, nor
to the New York Times.
l admitted that Mr.. Tilden has in himself
| the qualifications for this high office. Bat, so
| far from his having them in his party also, he
has there only absolute and fatal disquaifi-
cations for it. Were he the Republican can
didate, his party qualifications would be as
ample as his personal. But, he is the DEM
ocratic candidate and hence, however great
or even unequalled might be his personal
merits, he is on the side, that has no right to
win. Every vote for Mr.. 1ilden is q vote
for the restoration of the Democratic Party
to power; and no one, who breads as he
| should do such restoration, can consistently
cast such vote. Mr.. Greeley was Il great
and good man-but, because his election
would have gone far to reinstate the Demo-
cratic Party, so those who dreaded such rein
statement, could not vote for him.
1t is a shallow conclusion that we must in
varably vote for the best man amongst the
candidates. The best man is the worst man
to vote for, if he is bound up in the worst
party.
For many years L went over the country
arguing that, as slavery could not much
longer withstand the progress of civilization,
1t must necessarily, unless speedily disposed
OF by political action, go out in blood. Nor
did fail to predict this i'll Congress. But
that my limbs and my voice are enfeebled by
age, l would, now, go over the country again
and, this time, with message not less i'm
portant, but far more important, than my
former one. would say to my hearers that
either the nation or the Democratic Party
must soon break up; and | would say this
because the nation cannot much longer hold
out under the war, which this Party contin-
ues to make upon its peace and safety, and
upon all its highest and hottest interests.
The Democratic Party, organized by our
fathers, was good one. 1t went, at least
in theory and with the honest purpose of a
speedy corresponding practice, for the equal
| rights of all men. 1t maintained its honor
and its usefulness, until in an evil hour it was
tempted TO increase its votes and power BY
taking slavery under its wing. And now,
for more than half a century, this slavery
transformed Party has not ceased to pour out
upon the country it has cursed its demoraliz-
ing and destructive influences. In fastening
slavery upon lis it, quite naturally and even
necessarily, dragged down our whole national
character into correspondence with this rul-
ing abomnation. Every valuable Interest
was damaged by it. Every virtue was di-
luted by it. Especially did temperance suffer
from it. Dramshops and Democrats sprung
up together everywhere; and Mike Walsh's
famous boast that dramshops are the nurse
| res, schools, and recruiting stations of the
Democracy was verified, everywhere. 1t was
the grave imperilling of slavery and then its
abolition. that caused the Democratic Party
to langush for these dozen years. Take
away from it its far more vital support of the
dramshop, and it would be left dead-stone
dead. Surely, not one step should be taken
toward reviyng such a Party. Surely, the
good men who are 80 unfortunate as to be an
it-(no good men can be Of iO--should has
ten to break it up by withdrawing from it.
For thirty years before the Rebellion the
abolitionists were working for the overthrow
of slavery. They could make but little head
way, however, against the Democratic Party.
In the eyes of this Party these self-sacrificing
|
be mObbed and murdered. Certainly, there
should not be one finger to help lift up this
Party from prostratiOn to power.
Tho Rebellion would never have broken
out but for the encouragement which this
Party gave it. 1t promised the rebels fifty
thousand armed allies from the city of New
York alone. 1t promised through Ex-Pres-
dent Pierce in his letter to Jefferson Davis
that ''the fighting will not be along Mason
and Dixons line merely. 1t will be within
our own borders, in our own streets between
; the two classes Of citiZeus''-meanIng the
aboitlonists and their pro-slavery or demo-
cratic neighbors. 1t opposed with fire and
slaughter, as in the instance of the riot in
New York in 1868, the drafting Of men to ill
up our decimated armies. During the whole
of the Rebellion the sympathies of this trea-
sOnable Party were ever with the Soath and
Slavery. 1t never rejoiccd in our victories,
but always in our defeats. The National
Democratic Convention held in Charleston in
1850 was openly and shamelessy for slavery.
No speaker in it was so vOciterously well
coined as w. B. Gaulden, of Georgia, whose
much applaudcd boast was that he repre-
sented ''the African slavetrade interest"
The National Convention Of this Party in
1864 sunk down to the very depths of treas on
by resolving and publishing, i'll the midst of
the Rebellion, to our enemy and the world
that our resistance to it had proved "iail-
ure," and should be given up, and peace
sought for in its stead. 1t was then and
there, too, that this Party undertook to GUST
our beloved Lincoln by nominating General
Mcclellan. l admit that this gentleman,
whose record is by no means wholly blame
worthy, honestly aimed to preserve the Union
but too evidently he would preserve sla-
very along with it. An instance of this is to
be found in the proclamation with which he
entered Virginia. In that he threatens to
put down servile Instructions with an iron
hand" He aimed rather to comfort than to
conquer her. He studied the security of her
homes rather than suffer them to be desc
lated. General Mcclellan was less North-
ern commander than mediator between the
North and the South. Here and there were
thorough "War Democrats" and they were
worthy of all honor for thus standing out
from the mass Of their Party. But General
Mcclellan was not one of them. Had he been,
he would not have been nominated for the
Presidency. The Convention which "yelled
ASSENT to the words of Judge Miller, of
Ohio, would not have nominated thorough
"War Democrat" Said the Judge "There
is no real difference between a War Demo-
crat and an Abolitionist. They are links of
one sausage, made out of the same dog"
! We pass on to the National Democratic
Convention of the year 1868. General Blair.
having been much spoken of as one of it's
probable candidates, wrote a letter to Colo
mel Brodhead, four days before the conven-
ton was held. In that letter he goes for
revolutionizing the politics of the country by
force and arms; and he closes his bloody
| T., I.C ,;o1x lie