The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-10-17
TRUSTWORTHY PRINCIPLES.

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We are inclined to the belief that the DEM
ocratic party of this country is possessed OF
sufficient common sense to avoid the nooDies
of enthusiasts, to evade the snares set by
enemies, and to refrain from temporary, Local,
national, sensational and sectarian issues and
debates. 1t will not only make no war upon
the common or FREQ school system, but it will
hold no intercourse or utilization with those
who attack the outworks Of the American
educational fabric, whose support is at it were
part of the unwritten fundamental law OF
the Republic and part of the body p'htic'
without which it could not survive. The
Democrats of the Republic will not as
a body lend their aid and counte-
nance to any sumptuary law Of compulsory
abstinence. or law which shall aim to abrldge
the indulgence by any citizen in the food OF
beverage which he may prefer. Temperance
associations are certainly very useful, and
when properly conducted they are commend
able and benifcent, blu. the Democratic party
is not. never has been, and never can be,
cold-vater club or teetotal abstinence So
ciety, or any other form of temperance asso-
citation whatsoever. Neither can the Demo-
cratic party ezpouse the cause or advocate the
interest of any one religious sect against one
or more other scots. It is not Hebrew
party nor an anti. III sbrew party, nor is it
Catholic party or an anti.Catholic party. 1t
leaves all scots wholly unmolested in their
creeds, and even in their superstitions, If
any such they have.
1t is the aim and purpose Of Democracy
to leave the utmos. possible amount Of liberty
to all citizens, without respect to location,
numbers or power, consistent with the good
order and safety of society. 1t is the theory
of Democracy to leave men, families, cities,
corporate societies, scots and States to pursue
their own lawful purposes in their own chosen
way, with no other restraint than what the
protection of all from injury may require.
Democracy says to every citizen: do what
you please, provided you do no harm to
Others" Its function is to deal with general
principles rather than with details. Its field
of instruction is to teach the general character
of laws, and their conformity to the true and
Just theory of republican government, rather
than to prescribe the terms Of special laws
and to apply them to special cases. Hence
what is open in legislatures to discussion on its
expediency and not on the principle Involved
is practically outside of the domain of Democ-
racy, which as party can take neither one
side nor the other.
Whenever we see Democrats anywhere try
ing to involve the party in local and special
discussions We may be satisfied that they are
doing harm rather than good, and that the
error of their ways must eventually be dis
covered and exposed. Any one long used to
testing public measures, new dogmas or pro-
posed laws by constitutional doctrine and the
DRY, as protested by the leading Democrats
since the early days Of the Republic, need be
at little less l.. to say whether or not
any measure or scheme will be permanently
approved by his party. He has the rule in
his own hands at all times, and has only to
apply it in order to give or withhold his ap-
proval and support However plausible, spe-
cious and deceptive the interested arguments
of special pleaders may be in attempting to
commit his party to untried and dangerous
policy, he has only to try the new theory by
old rules to determine whether it deserves
his sanction and support.
Thus when any measure is proposed which
a strict reading of the Constitution will not
warrant, the intelligent Democrat will at
once condemn it. When any act is contem-
plated trenching upon the reserved rights OF
the States or of the people, Democratic instinct
revolts at it. Whenever the General Govern
ment tends to travel out of its ordained orbit,
he is prompt to see and expose the danger.
Whenever either one of the branches of the
government is threatened by the others, he
readily notices it and gives timely warning
There are men who have never classified
themselves as Democrats who have all this
knowledge of rights, this dread Of abuses,
this keen insight into the relations of meas
ures proposed with equity and with the Con-
stitution. Such men are Democrats in all
but the name, and are not found wanting in
the hour of trial. There are others who
usually vote for Democratic candidates, and
who would be offended if called anything else
than Democrats, who yet know but little OF
the great truths on which genuine Demoo-
racy is founded, and who apparently care less
about principles than about tina. which seems
to them to be expedient.