Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1874-10-01

rebellion invincible, and, if they real
ly believed so, they could hardly be
expected to display much zeal in
struggle they believed to be hopeless.
The spirits are rare and very choice
who lead forlorn hope with any,
thing like gaiety. But those who
lead a real hope, no matter how for
lorn, and do not merely follow a dread,
are not apt to look so dismal as these
Democrats did when the rebellion
was finally crushed.
Possibly, however, even that singu-
lar detection was but the effect of
modification at their own misjudg-
ment and want of provision. But
when the rebellion was crushed and
they were invited to aid in removing
its cause, as well as. a cause for future
rebellions, by abolishing slavery, they
refused to do that How can that re-
fusal be excused or forgiven? The
great act of emancipation, while it is
the grandest in history, is also the
least expensive. 1t cost nothing but.
a vote, yet even this they refused to
give. BY simply writing 'syes'' upon
their ballots, instead of Hno,r thev
knew they could give freedom to four
millions of human beings. They
were sure of victory if they said
'tyes;" they could only hope for VIC
tory if they said "no''-and they said
mo-" It was a mere question of vo-
lition. The question was squarely
put to them after they had been led
shuddering through the Red Sea and
stood dry on the other shore-stood,
too, in that marvellous blaze which
irradiates the nineteenth century as
it sinks into the twentieth-they
were plainly asked, care you willing
the bond should be free ?n and theV
said "no." When is that generation
coming, and whence is it coming,
that shall excuse or forgive that i'm
pious refusal?
And when, in. spite of Democratic
resistance, the bond had been made
free and secured against return to
eral Constitution, this same opposi-
ton was asked once more, ''May the
freedmen become citizens and be ad-
mitted to civil rights ?'' And again
the answer was "no."
And when, in spite of that resis-
tance, the freedmen had been made
citizens the Democracy was asked,
'fMay these citizens, though they be
black, have the protection of the bal
lot which the law benignly grants to
all citizens, however humble, of every
coIor?' And again the answer was
stno." .; ......,. -..+si-..
And when the Ku-KIux, armed
with brand and bludgeon, hunted the
neW-made citizen by night, hunted
him through swamps and pursued
him to death-when the local author
tiles stood poWerless in the presence
of organized murder and arson, and
this opposition was appealed to to
lend the protection of the national
tribunals to the victims of such in
carnate hate, they still Knocked at
such calamities and refused all re-
lief. t-.. .- .-... ~. ..-'-
It is often f1ippantly said that all
these crimes and horrors are past, and
it is absurd to attempt to maintain
political party on the memory of
them. Perhaps SO. But would it not
be insane. to. trust a political party
that could SO readily forget them i?
1t is not magnanimous, it is indeed
hardly manly, to persecute men for
sins of which they have really re-
pented. But that is not repentance,
it is hypocrisy, which processes to re-
pent of sins and does not forsake
them, but embraces worse ones
Such is the anomalous repentance
displayed by the Democratic party.
1t never ceases to denounce the Re
publican party for what it has done
or is trying to do, but it straightway
thunders with fiercer denunciations of
what the party has not done and is
determined shall not be done. The
moment Democrats forget to decry
Republican policies, they begin to be-
lie Republican, motives. For twenty
years they deemsd it sufficiently OPP
probrious to call Republicans t'Radi-
cals;n now they claim to be radicals
themselves, and denounce RepubIi-
cans as rascals. 80
DEMOCRATIC PROMISES. -5a.
Since the early part of 1872 they
have been diligently seeking to suborn
renegade Republicans to turn States
evidence, and to swear that all politi-
cal virtue is in those discounted
forces which resisted the progress of
the last decade, and all villainy is in
the forces that marshaled that pro
gress. To such witnesses they have
lavishly offered honors, offices, dig
mites, presidencies, everything
which could be made the subject of
promise. l7
To answer to any name; to profess
every creed; to follow any flag; to
sleep in any bed, to fraternize with
all factions; and to offer saIve for
every sore such is the mission of the
opposition to-day. Never before in
politics was a lie enacted so transpa-
rent and so audacious as that paraded
by the Democratic party in 1872,
when they gravely introduced Horace
Greeley to the people as their repre-
sentative man. It is not possible
such "signs and wonders" can " de-
ceive the elect" So far they have
failed to deceive even the electors.
If that party feels it to be unkind
to remind it of its past career, how
must it feel to be reminded of its
present attitude? Once it's members
professed distinct principles; all that
could be objected to them was that
they professed the worst principles
extant. But bad as they were, they
were more becoming than this utter
abjuration of all principles. You
may not like to employ, but you do
not wholly despise, the zealot who
constantly asserts that sarsaparilla
will cure every disease, and SO urges
it upon every patient; but who can
respect the charlatan who persist
emily cries to the sick, "give me your
money and you may take what rem
edies you please"
When in 1860 Democrats said,
q continue us in power and we will
fieck the Territories with slavery ~
when in 1854 they said, Hrestore us
to power and we will barter with
rebels, giving freedom for peace !"
when in 1868 they said again, ''re-
store us to power and we will abro-
gate three great amendments to the
Constitution, secure government to
white men, and return slavery to col
ored men, it. could only be replied
that such invitations were very unat-
tractive. But when in 1872 they
cried, 'restore us to office once more
and we viii do every thing that any