National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-04-17
A Democratic Cassandra.


The leading Southern Democrat in Congress!
is MIR. L. Q. C. Lamar. He is a relic of paleo
zoic politics, an ante-war Bourbon, whose
views were purified by the ordeal of fire, and
who has shown himself worthy of the forgive.
ness nation has extended to him. Mr.. La
mar is naturally very anxious to see Demo
cratic President elected in 1876, but his pre-
dictioDs on that theme show that his hopes
are not high. He has been interviewed by a
| reporter Of the Atlanta Herald, and his sketch
in order to carry the next campaign proves
that they will not carry it.
Mr.. Lamar declars that majority of Ameri-
can voters are opposed to the Administration,
but he says the Democracy is not that majority.
1t has won its recent victories "by cooperation,
not by conversion" 1t has had allies in the
fight, but those allies are not Democrats. It
must have their aid to elect the next Presi-
dent, and it can get their aid only by adopting
a liberal, not Bourbon, a national, not a sec
tiOnal, policy.
Here, then, we have the distinct statement
by a Democratic leader OF the course that
must be pursued in order to carry the election
of 1876. We have, on the other hand, the rec
ord of the course his party has pursued and is
pursuing, and that record is in fiat contradic-
lion to the policy which is the sole means, in
his opinion, of success. In Connecticut the
Democracy has sent to the Senate a bitter
Bourbon, q worshiper of the Pandora's box of
State sovereignty, cOpperhead, a volcano of
hate against the Union, a believer in paying
for the emancipated slaves, a condensed es-
sence of everything that is fatal to the peace
and prosperity OF the United States. Sign one
of Eaton's speeches with the name of John C..
Calhoun or JEFF. Davis, and the trick would
not be suspected. The same spirit breathes
through the works Of both men. To choose
such a blatant foe of the Union, the Connect
cut Democracy passed over English, Ingersoll,
and other liberal partisans. More recently,
the same body of voters has rejected the Union
general Hawley, and elected the Bourbon alb
sentee, Bsrnum. Pennsylvania passes by
Buckalew and elects hummer, "Cpfee-pot"
Wallace. In Illinois a Democratic House
declines to complete q monument to Stephen
A. Douglas on the (unavowed) ground that
the dead statesman periodically sustained the
Union. In Missouri Democratic Legislature
| refuses TO give Carl Schurz the poor honor of
a complimentary vote, and fills his Senatorial
chair with mediocre, whose sole recommen.
dalton is that he fought hard to destroy the
Union and perpetuate slavery.
Throughout the country, wherever the
Democrats have come into power, this reac-
tionary policy prevails. The Confederacy,
beaten by bullets, is trying to win by ballots.
Its spirit of hostility to the results of the war
asserts itself everywhere, and BOurbonism
exults over the apparent decline of Unionism.
''Tbere is a general fear" says Mr.. Lamar,
"that when the Democrats get into power
they will reopen the question of the amend
ments, attempt to undo the results of the war,
and demand payment for the Southern slaves"
This is quite true. There is such general
fear, and every days experience of Democratic
rule tends to confirm it. The Bourbons have
abused the power given them in a moment OF
weakness. They are showing themselves
unfit to be trusted.