The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1874-09-12
The Real and Only Issue.
from the Republic. I

whether the party in power has been
so derelict to its great trust that il
ought not to be retained, or whether
the party in opposition has made fol
itself, in or out of power, SO excellent
q record that it should again receive
the public confidence. All other is
sues are but details of administration
questions Of policy to be settled with.
in one or both of organized party
lines. Economic theories are the
work of theorists and schools. Parties
are modified and influenced, but not
organized on them. Those that are
now marching to the front are pow
erfully influencing both the great
parties, but they will divide neither.
The real issue is, which of these two
political organizations can be most
fairly trusted. It must be one or the
other. Col. VIM. Grosvenor, Of St.
Louis, by many regarded as the in
spring brain of the Liberal !"
movement, as first Indicated and be-
fore it committed hayi-kari by the
nomination of Mr.. Greeley, said in
substance year ago that ~ an origi-
nal Republican, whenever he saw that
the issue was one between the general
record Of the two old parties, he
should be as before, Republican in
earnestness Of spirit. Colonel Gross
venor only expressed what the sincere
men of the so-called Liberal move
ment all feel. There is nothing in
any one of the pretenses at reform
put forth by the Democracy but the
most AFFECT and craving lust of power.
Their whole career in opposition pre-
sents a striking series of proof. Their
loyalty during the war was stinted by
their determination to pander to such
prejudices and policies as slavery had
created in the North, and nullifed,
even in this penurious measure, by
their desire to condone treason with
political alliance, and rebuild that
unclean temple of power the honest
indignation of the Northern masses
had overthrown. To this end hostili-
ty to the war was made q party shib-.
boloth. Where most rampant it man
Tested itself in the wickedest of riots,
the participants in which, reeking
with the fumes of their own thuggery,
we've addressed by the foremost Dem
ocratic statesman-the Governor of q
great Stste-as " Ny friends" It was
an unconscious satire on his political
associations, worthy of Juvenal him
self. To the end Of rebuilding power
through open treason and secret sym
pathy the party in opposition declared
the war failure on the very day that
the guns Of Grant at Vicksburg and
those of Meade at Gettysburg pro-
claimed that the federal shell was
broken by those defeats. While their
Southern allies were alike robbing
:" the cradle and the grave" to defend
the fetid carcassess of slavery and
disunion, the Northern branch Of their
forces was giving aid and comfort t.,
the enemy by such declarations. And
when the rebellion was defeated, it
was not the Democracy who led or
followed in the rejoicings. The only
response they gave was to regird their
loins to hinder peaceful restoration
and to impede the hoped for regen-
Grafton of the South. Whatever him
dered or embarrassed Republican eff
fort to this desirable end sprung from
opposition, and where
resisted it was by arguments
based upon old time Democratic the
cries and policies. So it has been all
through.
1t is Democracy that has hindered
Southern restoration and progress.
The opposition to emancipation came
from that source. From that source
was the antagonism that hindered
acknowledgements. It was Democratic
for sectional politics that
the Ku-klux into horrible re-
atty. 1t is their continued hatred of
national ideas based upon the civic
equality of all-that cardinal prin-
ciple on which alone the Republic
IAN stand-that has fomented the
race issue and organized the iniqui-
,ous White Leagues" The De-
nocracy stands only as an agency for
destruction. Its highest virtue is |
'etrospection. It's best methods are
,nly critical. 1t has nothing to offer, |
+ in power, except to undo. And the !
,nly result SO far achieved by it as |
The party of opposition is to arouse
'ace-hatreds and fan into renewed |
lanes the fires of sectional strife,
whenever evidence was given of a |
probable smouldering and dying out.
t accepts no national issue. It knows
lothing but the dead past. 1t can
My hinder, and then cry aloud in
corn at the troubles which itself has
argely fomented. It's chief strategy j
$ to raise false issues, and the final !
punishment its managers always re-
eve is to see their best laid plans
verthrown by the spirit they raise
nut can not control. "They raise
he whirlwind ;" and reap, but can
ot control the storm.
Whatever may be the derelictions
f the party in power there can be
ut one choice among all those who
refer the rule of civil liberty to class
nd race oppression and inequalities
Tho desire a national rather than
ectional spirit controlling the Gov
F; who want legislation to be