Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-05-06
Senator GOrdOn's Platform.

Senator GOrdOn's Platform.
Gen. Gordon, of Georgia, is the leading
Democratic Senator from the Southern
States, and, with Mr.. Lamar, of Missis-
sppi, spoke in New Hampshire just be-
fore the late election. The two gentlemen
were selected for the service probably be-
cause they are courteous and conciiatOry
in speech and show sagacity in observ
ing the necessities Of the political situation
which is supposed to be essential to Dem
scratic success. Their presence in New
Hampshire had however, an effect which
was not expected by the managers. 1t
served undoubtedly to force home upon
the minds Of the people of that State the
question whether they were ready to in
wife to the control of the Government Il
party whose representative leaders, how
ever honorable personally, were leaders in
the late war for the destruction of the
Union. 1t was probably a conviction Of
this fact that led Senator Gordon, in a late
interview, to say that the time had not yet
come to nominate for the Presidency an
ex.rebel soldier. The Richmond Uhag
also says that :" it would not do"
1t seems very difficult for many persons
to understand that while there is no vim
dctiveness of feeling whatever in thispart
of the country toward the late enemies Of
the Government, while there is no dispo-
sition to insist upon harsh or revengeful
policy, and constant consciousness that
the lately divided country must be and
will be hereafter united upon better uR-
derstanding than has ever existed, there
i, also no pusillanimity nor blindness, but
n lv .lnu of bo tr,yt1 |,
that the Government should remain IN the
control of the party that represents sincere
and proved fidelity to the principles upon
which the Union has been restored; the
party whose traditions are those of lib
erty, justice, intelligence and industry.
To prove that a man does not hate
"the South" it is not necessary that
he should prefer eXrebel soldiers to
loyal soldiers, nor that he should think
that Messrs. Gordon and Lamar, for eX-
ample, have any protounder faith in re-
publican institutions or are more truly
patriotic than Mr.. Blaine or Mr.. Garfield
There seems to be an opinion in some
quarters that to prefer "A stanch Rcpubli-
can to late Confederate Democrat is I" to
rake over the embersn and to blow up the
expiring flames of civil strife. 1t is part
OF the delusion Of 1872 that the only way
to " shake hands over the bloody chasm"
that is, to maintain proper relations with
the Southern States-is to bring into
power the party that would have sold lib
crty to prevent the war, and would have
sacrificed justice to buy peace. Is it said
as some +" Liberals said in 1872, that such
Il party no longer exists What party,
then, elects Fernando Wood and Senator'S
Eaton and Cockerell to Congress?
We are told that the country wishes
"the policy" Of the Democratic party.
But nobody knows what that policy is.
The only point upon which there is any
| revelation or general agreement is, AS we
have already said, virtual support of the
White League. As Gen. Gordon was
| chosen as a Democratic orator in New
| Hampshire, his view of proper policy is
as instructive and valuable AS that Of any
| Democratic leader, and he has impaired it
to reporter He would have the Demo
Gratis declare for honesty and concord
make definite pledge that g the people of
the South" will protect the negro in
all his rights; and, finally, insist upon
constitutional government in the State
and nation This platform, with good
candidate, he thinks would carry the
country But as for the first point, hon
| esty, we are not aware that experience has
shown it to be a distinctive quality of
Democratic administration, either in the
government of the city Of New York or
! in that Of the country under its last
| Democratic President. As for concord, "
why is it to be especially expected OF
a party which feels that it is OF paramount
necessity to pledge itself in the same
breath that it will not countenance the
massacre and oppression of fellow-citi-
zens. If the recognized practice Of the
party is Z" concord" with all white and all
black citizens, why announce il as pol
icyg But if it is not the Democratic
practice who will credit as policy;
! The pledge which Gen. Gordon would
have his party give is confession
that the Republican charge against that
party is true, and that there Is Democratic
acquiescence in the oppression OF The
negro. Besides. what distincter pledge
what fairer promise could this party Offer
than its Baltimore platform furnished in
1879. And what pledges were ever more
bloodily broken The very words Gen
Gordon uses are significant. The people
of the South will protect the negro" Tha
is the fatal shibboleth which always be
trays the Democrat. He means by tb'
people his own caste fcolor.
Finally, he would insist upon "consti