Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-12-16
Those " Grand Aspirations"

lnOS0 Ur0hd ASplr0tlOnSs
WE alluded yesterday to the speech of
the Hon. l.. q. G. Lamar, Of Mississippi,
before the Democratic caucus last Satur
day, remarking that it foreshadowed to
some extent the course of the majority in
Congress during the present session. Mr..
Lamar ia very glib orator, and NAV be
fairly termed the political minstrel Of the
South. He MARBLES only the sottest and
sweetest notes, and reminds us, some way,
OF wicked charmcr in the well-known
panel game, who lulls the flattered adorer
into bliSsful security while the low
browed rutlian crecps in upon the un
suspecung 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 grandest aspiration OF the Democratic
party is, and Its crowning glory will be, TO
restore the Constitution to its primitive
strength and authority, and to make it 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 lovely! Who
would have thought that the "grandcst
aspiration of the Democratic party was to
make the Constitution the protector OF
every human being of every race, color
and condition in the land." How long,
pray, has the Democratic party felt such
an aspiration? 1t is much easier to
speak of party in the concrete than in
the abstract, but as parties are composed
Of individuals, and rs 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 conversion There
Is John Kelly, for instance! Is
John glowing with this holy frey How
is it with Harris, Of Maryland. Has the
light shonc in upon him, also? How
about Kerr How long has it been since
the great Indiana statesman who has de-
voted his life to opposing the rights OF
portion Of the people of this country be
came a convert to this grand scheme of
equality and brotherly lovcg What OF
Mr.. Lamar's own constituents, who pub
licly boosted after the late election that
armed men were present ut the polls to
prevent men OF at least one race and color
from voting their convlclionsy Was not
Mr.. Lamars sense of the ridiculous rather
broadly touched when he assured the
aslually inspired by ascntment as foreign
TO its members as picty is To the adversary
of souls? Only few months ago Mr..
Lamar was makingspceches in Mississippi
breathing sweettoncd 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 ola design of driving col
fro ltcr np n mn Sh
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
\ protest from the silver toned Lamar.
He was AS dumb as an oyster. Perhaps
he was closeted in his study composing
the beautiful sentence We have quoted
about the "grandcst aspiration OF
the Democratic party to protect men Of
every race and color! We suggest to the
Mississippi statesman that he ought not to
be absurd. We venture to cay 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 il all rs joke were
We not assured that Mr.. Lamar was very
earnest and impressive while delivering
his speech. Forbidden to laugh, there.
fore, We can only critcise We are very
much afraid that couple Of our own
Representatives in the IIouae-towit:
Messrs Carter II. Harrison and Barney
Caulicld may be sorely perplexed in
their minds over this revelation. Wcvent-
ure to say that they had not suspected
heretofore that they had grand aspira-
tons" TO 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. lie must recollcct
that not all the party are so far advanced
as himself. Not all of them know 80
well what their highest aspirations"
are, and the news should be broken TO
them tcndcrly .-Chicdgo Inter. Ocean.