National Republican., 1874-05-09
SEVENTH PAGE
A DEMOCRATIC REUNION

A DEMOCRATIC REUNION.
The result Of the late elections in New
Hampshire and Connecticut have beer
deemed of sufficient importance by the De
mocracy to call forth what is called "re
union" Reunions" are, as a genera
thing, good. In the first place, they form
an excuse for good drunk" the oppor
tunity for the delivery of the old Sc
speeches about the glory and honor ant
integrity of the ancient Democratic party
with sweet references to Jefferson and Jack
son, and the action of the party in wha
may be termed the modern phase of its his
tory. The peculiarity of the Democratic
party of the present time is, that it is always
going to save the country. If it were only
intrusted with power it would find solu
ton for every evil, real or imaginary, with
which the country is troubled. If it could
only succeed in obtaining President and a
majority in Congress in sympathy with it il
would find way out of the financial diff.
Guilty. Itwould solve the transportation prob.
lem; it would introduce a new era in State
politics, and give peace to all the northern and
southern country. Louisiana would cease
to groan under the rod of the oppreSsor; we
should have peace in the Carolinas, in Ala
bama, in Texas, and in Arkansas. The
workingmen would be content; the reign
Of the Commune, foT we are practically now
under the control of the Commune, would
come to an end and the whole republic,
under its benignant sway, would blossom
and bloom into a new loveliness and new
vigor, in which all men should be free and
equal, and the sway Of the monopolies and
the giant corporations would be q an end.
' We will do our opponents the justice to
say that we believe them 10 be sincere in
all this. They have honestly enough, per-
haps, an idea that the country is going to
the dogs under its present administration;
that Republicanism is another name Tor dis
honesty, for the violation of the most sacred
pledges, and the oppression of the people
But the trouble is that the country cannot
look at events in the same lignt that these
well-meaning gentlemen do. Democracy
has its uses. 1t serves as check upon the
party in power. 1t acts as q sort of
break upon the machine; to point out
the dangerous shadows and shoals which
threaten danger and disaster in the
navigation of the Ship of State. Dem
ocratic ideas, Democratic utterances,
State and National, are so many fog
bells, warning Republicans against the
.shoal water and the political Coral reefs.
Where they invite we may be certain
that there is danger; where they would lead
we may be sure that there is lurking evil.
The meeting at the Manhattan Club house,
In New York, few evenings ago, about
which so much ado is made in the Journals
of the Empire city, should be accepted in
this light The recent Democratic victories
in New Hampshire and Connecticut could
not, of course, be permitted to pass without
due celebration. The presence of so many
men FROM different sections of the coun-
try, from the East and the West, from the
North and the South, and the letters of so
many more who were unable to be present,
make it very apparent that the gathering
was intended TO be national in its character,
10 have an influence upon national politics.
Mr. Young, Bayard, of Delaware, was
there, and he made one of his usual pleas
ant and polished speeches which is all
duly set forth in the columns of
the New York World. Clarkson N |
Potter was on hand, and spoke !
fttingly and well from the same standpoint.
Then there were letters of regret from the
Seymours, the Ingersolls, the Pendletons,
from Mr.. Thurman and Gideon Welles,
from Thomas A. Hendricks, Governor
Kemper, and almost q hundred others who
are leading the forlorn hope Of Democracy
in the various States of the Union. They
all rallied under the battle-cry of 'hard
'smoney and free trade" and, borrowed a
phrase from their Celtic supporters, ''home
rule" the new term for Estate rights. "
Said the historic Dick ScheI-"peculiarly
'formed to preside over Democratic assem-
"blies, as the World sings in sweet COM
mendation: 1--WE have met once more to |
recognize, or rather to feel, that the great |
Democratic principles Of government are |
recognized throughout the country. The |
''recent elections bring wildly to our minds |
'the condition of our country twenty years
f'ago, when the Democratic party was in |
''fun tide of successful experiment, and
so forth.
This twenty -years-ago business is just the
rock upon which the Democracy has split
for the last score of years. The less they
say about it-about what occurred then and |
what has occurred since-the better. 1t is
ancient history. 1t is black and bloody
history, full OF misery and wretchedness,
of treason and dishonor-a history of which
the American republic is ashamed, his
tory every line of which It has endeavored
to eftace in changes Of the organic law, In
the expenditure Of millions of money, and,
greatest loss of all, in the sacrifice of hun
dreds Of thousands Of precious lives. We
do not quarrel with our opponents. If the
Manhattan club and its friends, who were
the friends and supporters of the most cor
rupt local government that ever cursed a
State and great city, are satisfied we are.
But the great blqnder they are max.
ing. and have been making for twenty
it would seem are likely to make |
for twenty years to come, if they hold out |
so long-is in living not in the present, or
The future, but in the past. They forget |
that almost generation has passed since
then; that the country, in governmental
theory and policy, has since passed through |