The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1874-12-16
VOL. XLIV.}
The Democratic Party.

stored to power? No question OF
more momentous consequence was ever
addressed to the American people.
Those who are now disposed to an
swer it in the affirmative should first |
consider what the distinctive charac-
teristics of the Democratic party were |
when it went out Of Office in 1861. We
have but to recall the opening scenes
OF the rebellion-a cowardly, cringing
Democratic President, treacherous,
reasonable Democratic Cabinet, deh-
ant, threatening Democratic rebels In
the Senate and House of Congress ut
tering maledictions against the North,
and shaking off the dust of their feet
against the Union as they haughtily
stalked away to join the insurgent
armies or to accept civil Office under
the Confederate States Government;
wretchsd Democratic leaders skulk-
ing behind constitutional TECHNICAL
ties that the constitution, the laws,
liberty itself, might the more easily be
stricken down. This, in brief, was
the situatton-the nation playing with
gigantic rebellion for the stake of its
life, and the Democratic party letting
on the rebellion.
Was there, during all the dark
| hours OF the war, any suspension OF
! Democratic hostility toward the he
publican party, which, foet to foot
with the foe, wagcd doubtful struggle
for the preservation of the Union?
| History has made its record, and it
points to no instance where the DEM
ocratic party rose above bitter and un-
relenting partisanship to the dignity
of consideration of the superior
claims of the Constitution and of the
country. Witness, as the culmlnat-
ing act of a uniform course Of carplng
criticism and open opposition, the res
olution of the Democratic National
Convention of 1864. When the re-
bellion was trembling on the verge Of
helpless collapse, that convention, re-
presenting the principles and the per-
sonnel OF the Democratic party, sol :.
emnly declared the war a failure and
impudently demanded that terms of
peace, fatal to the unity of the nation,
he offered to the chiefs of the Confed
eracy.
How much better is the Democratic
record since the war? Which of the
amendments, now a part of tn. Con
stitution, did it support? Which OF
them did it not oppose with every
weapon of political warfare? What
act of reconstruction did the Demo
cratic party not oppose with the most
heated denunciation no less than the
last resources of entreaty and argu-
ment? But the amendments were
| oIn~taI onI ha nf
struction were supported by vast
majority of the people as essential to
the future peace of the country nc
less than as acts of common justice in
atonement for crimes done against 6
despised race in the abused name o.
liberty. Do the American people re
gret that they crushed out the rebel
lion, freed the negro, made him citi
zen, and conferred upon him the
right Of suffrage? Do they regre
that they pursued the rebels "fron
Atlanta to the sea, and finally brough
them to bay at Appomattox Cour
House? DO they regret that the
raised the flag from the dust where
was trailed by James Buchanan an
the Democratic party in order tha
rebels might trample and spit upon il
If they do they are in accord with tn
Democratic party as 1t was and as
is; for no single act of the Democrat
! party can be pointed to as evidenc
that, as political organization, it Ina
not been pervaded by the spirit {
: treason during every day and hou
/. from 1861 to 1874. And what "
mean by treason, as applied to I'll
. Democratic party, is state OF violeI
. and unyielding protest against ever
fundamental act of the Republics
/ party from the time of arming to resi-
I rebellion, down to the adoption of IL
: last statute growing legitimately OF
$ of the constitutional amendment
:; And We unhesitatingly declare th
!. there is no evidence in the recel
il course of the Democratic party tn;
% it has not been and still is hostile
Constitution as it is, and inexorab
: bent on the restoration Of the Const
tuition as it was. We are aware tn
: few will believe it possible to circun
> vent the Constitution or ignore Il
J.. letter, or nullify the spirit of Il
amendments. Few will believe Il
:, Democratic party capable of bas
i ness so great as the withdrawal fro
the colored race of all the protectit
afforded by the reconstruction law
= standing between them and their fo
Il mer owners and their would be rec
!. slavers. We are aware that in the
times, when great events sue iced ca,
+ other in rapid, almost bewilderil
!. succession, the record of even rece
: history makes but small impression
busy, preoccupied mind. But '
should not overlook the fact that on
dozen years ago third of the enti
population of the country subsist
almost solely off the enforced toll
9 some millions of negroes; that the
!, poor wretches were bought and so
. like cattle; that they were whipped u
K mercifully at the will of the ownt
- that they were not unfrequently kill
8 to crafty malice; that the black WON
had no protection against the lust
} the white man-in word, that tn
were slaves, borne down beneath
q the cruelty, oppression, and suffer-
which that horrid condition. hum
% slavery, implies.
y 1t will not be disputed, we thin
70 that the great mass of the white pc
PIE O1 Guc COulA are Vi Tic Opiul
70 still that a state of slavery is the pre-
% er condition of the negro. jeff Da'
says so; all Southern Democratic lea
n ers says so whenever there is not
view an immediate object to be pl
NOTED by concealmeht of real OPT
u ions. The Georgia labor laws, t
le attempt to pass peonage bill in Te
as, and like effort now in progress
Q, Arkansas, show plainly enough IL
t. the purpose of the white people of I
n South is practically to re-enslave
y blacks. But there are manv people
- the North who are ready to 81
T, Away with the Southern questit
"a let the South do as it pleases with
L negroes; we have freed them and CT