Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-12-17
Those " "GranA AsplratIons.o


WE alluded yesterday to the speech Of
the Hon. l.. q. G. Lamar, Of Mississippi,
before the Democratic caucus last Satur.
day, remarking that II foreshadowed to
some extent the course of the majority in
Congress during the present session. MIR.
Lamar is very glib orator, and may be
fairly termed the political minstrel of the
South. lie MARBLES only the softest and
sweetest notes, and reminds us, some way,
OF wicked charmer in the well.known
panel game, who lulls the flattcrcd adorer
into blissful security while the low
browed rufiian crceps in upon the un-
suspecting victim and makes away with
his property or his life. Mr.. Lamar
warbled the following stanza to the pub.
lie in his address before the caucus:
The grandcst aspiration OF the Democratic
party Is, and its crowning glory will be, to
restore the Constitution to its primitive
strength and authority, aud to make II the
protector of every section and Of every State
In the Union, and Of every human being OF
every race, color and condition in the land.
This was exceedingly lovelyl Who
would have thought that the "grandest
aspiration of the Democratic partyn was 10
make the Constitution the protector of
"eyery human being of every race, color
E0
pray, has the Democratic party felt such
an aspirationY II is much easier TO
speak of party in the concrete than in
the abstract but as parties are composed
OF individuals, and as these must have
such aspirations before the party, as a
man, can experience them, perhaps Mr..
Lamar will tell us who among his
friends have lately given signs of
this wonderful conversiong There
IS John Kelly, for instance Is
John glowing with this holy fire? How
Is il with Harris, Of Marylandp Has the
light shone Ia upon him, also? How
about kerrY How long has it been since
the great Indiana statesman who has de-
voted his life to opposing the rights of "A
portion of the people of this country be-
came a convert to this grand scheme of
equality and brotherly loveg What of
MIR. Lamar's own constituents, who pub.
licly boasted after the late election that
armed men were present at the polls TO
prevent men of at least one race and color
from voting their convIctionsl Was not
Mr.. Lamar's sense OF the ridiculous rather
broadly touched when he assured the
world that the Democratic party was
actually inspired by sentiment as foreign
to its members rs piety is to the adversary
VI SNhlo Chll lCN IhOlluS ugO MI
Lamar was making speeches in Mississippi
breathing sweet-toned affection for all
mankind. His admirers in that State and
in Louisiana laughed when they read his
utterances, and proceeded forthwith to
carry out their old design of driving COL
ored men from public meetings, and shoot
ing them down by the dozen. They did
this. They absolutely made it impossible
to hold Republican gatherings. And
through all that we never heard wall or
a protest from the silver toned Lamar.
lie was as dumb as an oyster. Perhaps
he was closeted in his study composing
the beautiful sentence we have quoted
about the "grandest aspiration of
the Democratic party to protect men Of
every race and colorl We suggest to the
Mississippi statesman that he ought not 10
he absurd. We venture to say that the
Democratic party never dreamed of such
an aspiration as that named until they
were told that they had it "bad" last
Saturday. The idea of the long.haired
bandits, night-riders, Ku-Klux and White
Leaguers OF the South having grand AS
pirations" about the Constitution and the
rights of man is so excessively ridiculous
that we should take it all as a joke we're
we not assured that Mr.. Lamar was very
earnest ana impressive Whllc delivering
his speech. Forbidden to laugh, there
fore, we can only criticise. We are very
much afraid that couple of Our own
Representatives in the IIouse--to-wit
Messrs. Carter III. Harrison and Barney
Caultield may be sorely perplexed in
their minds over this revelation. Wevent-
ure to say that they had not suspected
heretofore that they had grand aspira-
tions'' 10 protect "every human being of
every race and color in the land," and it
is not too much to say that they may not
care to learn that such Is the fact Mr..
Lamar ought to use discretion in his
speeches and not reveal these startling
truths SO suddenly. He must recollect
that not all the party are so far advanced
as himself. Not ali of them know so
well what their highest aspirations"
are, and the news should be broken to
them tenderlY.-Chicdgo Inter-Ocean.