Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-12-03
The Democratic House.

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THE new House of Representatives will,
hayc. q Democratic majority, In thc whole
number OF Democratic Reprcsontatiyes
tho.SontheIn Democrats will have a ma.
jority. II is the first time they have had
mmority formany years. nItis the first
| time they have had an opportunity TO die.
tate, blusier and crack tho whif for this
| fifteen years or more and the diclation,
clustering and whip. cracking have al.
ready commenced. The bullying. of the
ex-slaycholtler the bombast Of the chiyal.
ry and the assumption Of the Southern
gentleman against the Northern mudsill
are just as apparent now as they were in
the palmy days of slavery. Numerous
outcroppngs of this spirit have appeared
since cfall elections of 1874, notably in
such influential papers as the New Or
leans BUlietig and 'Vicksburg Herald in
the State elections this fall IN The south,
in stump speeches, in college orations,
and upon numerous other occasions, show.
ing that ttiere Is precoIcerted dcleimtna-
iiOn upon the part of the Southern Do
mocracy to take possession of The House,
70 dictate who shall bc Speaker, and there
ly capture the important committees, and
then TO dictate the policy Of the House
Among those who have put in their claims
60 Office is BENJAMIN G.. Harris, Of Mary
landya notorious Bourbon and fire eater,
who arrogantly demands to be made Ser
geant.at. Arms. lie Inns stated very explic-
lily the reasons why lie should have the
office, and he states them with degree
Of irankncss and bluntncss that shows
he isaware what the temper and tone Of
the new House will be- In his circular
to Democratic Congressman lie sets forth.
that for thirty five years he has been an
uncompromising Democrat, and has nj.
ways been true 10 the party, not follow
ing it into that mischicvous line of pol.
ICY which led "to the acceptance Of
Grcelcyism in 1872, - nor following North.
em War Democrats in their opposition to
State rights In the war of the rebellion.
Mr.. Harris occupies no uncertain ground
in this respect He sayss ... ... .F|
For myself, took sides with the division head
cd by John c. Breckenridge in defense OF the
rights Of the StRtes.a For ten years before that
event the circumstances Of the country led me
TO consider the question Of the right Of n State to
seeede from the Union. and, after mature study
and reflection, came TO the conclusion that the
right clearly existed. fully justify the Southern
States In seeding from the Union. The
wnr upon the South was, in my opinion, most
atipcious outrage on the pnrt Of the Northern
States, displaying cruel and n whimsicnlly tyran-
ncil disposition. and II Is great regret with me
that the Democrats of the Moth should ever have
given their countcnancc and support to such Ito
When W "f in Vf conss q, e Il %y is to to Sy Soc
against every bill for the raising of forces, and ey
eiy bill for the appropriation OF money to carry on
the war. E
This is plain talk, but Mr.. Harris
would not liave indulged in this plain
talk if it had any tendency TO prejudice
his reaching the Office he is so anxious 10
occupy. lie knows the temper of the
Snnfharn npm aud hn hua in6iia1
his demand for that office to correspond
with that temper. Mr. Harris is and
always has been shrcwd politician. His
blast against the North, and his effort to
drag dead and buried issues to the light
again, and to fire the Southern heart, are
made with the knowledge that they will
be acceptable TO Southern Democrats, and
that they are in accordance with the spirit
that will be rampant on the floor of the
House during the session Of the new Con-
gress.
Mr.. Harris closes his screed with
declaration which would provoke smile
did it not verge upon the .blasphcmons.
lie says: 81 had the glory of receiving
the censure Of the Radicals of the House
for uttering in q speech the following
prayer: God Almighty grant you may
never subiugate the South My great.
est regret is that God did not grant
my prayer" This patronizing express
sion of regret and mild criticism of God
by Mr.. Benjamin G. Harris will probably
not occasion much stir in the eternal
world. Brother Moody SAYS that even
fact not be known in heaven, so il is pos.
siblc that Mr.. Benjamin C. Harris is not
known there, and that God over.
ruled the war of the rebellion and the
destruction of slavery without any refer
ence TO Mr.. Benjamin c. Harris or his
prayers, notwithstanding the regret MIR.
Benjamin G. Harris has that God did not
follow his advice. The declaration, how.
ever, is in keeping with the general as
sumptions of the average Southern Bour.
bon, and, in view of these assumptions, it
becomes interesting to know what the
Northern Democrats are going to do
about it--whether they will rise up and
defy the fire eaters, or whether
they will bare their backs to the whip and
meekly receive the shifting, as they have
done in years past. The Southern BOur-
bons whipped the Northern Democrats
into the defense of slavery and State
rights, and whipped them into opposition
TO the North during the war of the re-
bellion. Win they now succeed in whip
ping them INTO an Acknowledgment OIL the
right of secession, with all that that &c.
acknowledgement implies, such as payment
of rebel debts and indcmnification for the
loss of slaves? The outlook is not encour-
aging to the assumption sometimes made
that the mission of the Republican party
is at an end There is more work to do,
and Mr.. Harris may again have to regret
that God has not followed his advice
f1bir10o TyJbl,Ls