Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-05-01
THE NEXT PRESIDENCY.

There are few intelligent patriots in
the country, who have not already ar
rived at the conclusion. that the great
issue, in the coming Presidential cam
paign, is not, who shall be the man,
but whether the Rupublic shall longer
exist. Could this vital truism be
thoroughly impressed upon the popu-
lar mind, not doubt would exist as to
the final result. But so long as each
dernagogue in the land, has his follow
ers among the tickle and unreasoning
multitude; so long as the enemies of
free institutions are seeking to fomeut
discord and division, By forming new
parties upon specious fallaeies, just so
long will corruption usurp the place of
integrity, and wrong and injustice
shape the government of the aristoc-
racy of nabobs whose ill-gotten wealth
is the powerful agency for the enslave-
ment of the duped multitude.
Free thought and free speech is the
inestimable right upon which the willy
demagngue relies for creating party
divisions. and as love of liberty is not
wholly extinct in the hearts Of the peo-
pie, the thoughtless swallow the bait
and stiffen their backs and elevate
their heads in defiance of conventions,
that they may yindicate theirindepend-
ence Of all party dictation. They for
get that no two men think alike on all
subjects, and that where fundamental
doctrines are at stake, it is solemn
duty of each individual to surrender
his opinions on non-essentials for the
greater good Of all. They forget too,
that compact organization can not be
successfully resisted by disorganized
multitude, strong in numbers, but
hopelessly weak because each one is
his own captain, and all spurn the DIS
cipline to which the Hottest patriotism
requires them to submit, for their
country's welfare. Love of independ-
ence should be the safeguard, not the
scourge of liberty, and he who asserts
and acts upon his right to do as he
pleases, is unmindful of the qualifica-
tons of that right, prescribed by his.
duty to his God, his country and his
fellow citizens. Still, independents
have been-and we fear, will continue
to be-the most dangerous enemies of
the party whose creed they profess, but
whose discipline they repudiate.
This is the rock upon which, we fear,
the hope of the patriot and the safety
of the Republic will be wrecked, in
the coming Presidential election. The
seeds of discord are already being
planted by open enemies. and pretend
ed friends of the party of the Consti-
tuition. New parties are in process of
acknowledgements only for mis-
chief, because based upon single idea.
which, however important, can not be-
come practical until the government
passes into the hands of party, hon
est and willing to give effect to every
suggestion which looks to the preser-
walton of free institutions and the de-
velopment of the best interests of all
classes and vocations. What can the
industrial classes hope from an organ
ization for the sole purpose of making
war upon powerful monopOlies?
Such an effort can have no other eff
feet than to continue in power, the
party which created those nonopolies,
and is determined to protect and
strengthen them. A majority of the
people are opposed to monOpolies, but
thousands have sense enough to see
that the only effectual means for their
Suppression, is to replace the present,
with an administration willing and
able to crush them out of existence.
This difference of opinion, as to means,
is bar to cooperation, and any divis-
ion growing out Of the question of the
proper remedy, will prove fatal to the
party which is seeking fulcrum upon
which to base the lever, with which to
overturn every barrier which corrupt
usupatiOn has interposed between the
people and their rights and liberties.
The people have the remedy for
their grievances in their own hands,
but, differing as to the manner of its ap-
plication, founder out of one mistake
into another, continue to suffer and |
grumble, yet repeat their folly, though |
corruption is wasting their substance
and usurpation destroying every vestige
of their free institutions. To achieve
another victory of liberty over des-
pOtism in 1876" the Democratic
party must erect platform
broad enough and strong enough |
to support every importantinterest and |
correct every oppressive evil. 1t must |
compromise no provision of the Con-
stitutiOn, condone no crime against the /
doctrines it promulgates and prepare
for a square fight between constitu-
tional freedom and the tyranny of usur-
patton. Then if a portion of the people
choose to proclaim their independence
of such party dictation, and repudiate
such platform, in aid of the now domi-
nant faction, and in indirect endorse
ment of all its crimes against govern
ment and people, let them do it; but
for decency's sake, they should bear,
in silence, the wrongs inflicted upon
those with whom it was their duty to
cooperate for mutual protection and
the common veal.
THE great outrage broker, Attorney
General Williams has resigned his Of
fee, and will become a candidate for
the u. S. Senate from Oregon. His
exit from Office would have reflected
more honor upon the government, if
1t had been Effected by the boot of
some honest man, but as there is none
n