Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-08-18

| while the National Government re-
mains under the control OF the RepOb-
lican party but when they have se-
cured the possession of that, then 10 the
Southern States, in which they have
the power, they wi proceed without
fear of molesiation or hindrance to
work out the policy OF subjugation,
and 10 acquire the power in other
States by that fatal machinery of vio-
lcnce and terror that has been already
so successfully employed. To acquire
the possession of the National Gov.
ernment is the first great step 10 the
accomplishment of their policy, and 10
this end they will mask their purpos-
es as far as possible, and do everything
in their power to lull the apprehen-
sions of the people of the North. To
this end they will suppress as far as
possible the violent utterances of their
politicians and conventions, and talk
in general phrases of reconciliation and
fraternity. To this end they will toast
| and flatter correspondents of Northern
newspapers, layish upon them social
attention, treat them with ostentatious
hospitality, ill their ears with profess
sions of peace aud good will to the
| colored race, and weave round them q
net and maze Of falso appearances nm.
til they have them to write those de-
ceitful and pleasing accounts which
they would have the people OF the
North believe.
But whatever facile correspondents
may say, the great fact remains that an
overwhelming majority of all who
were engaged In the rebellion are to-
day bitterly hostile to the emancipa-
ton of the slaves and their elevation
to civil and political rights, and are
watching with intense eagerness for
the hour and opportunity when they
can cast them headlong down q prec-
ipice. They believe these will be
found in tho success of the Democrat
ic party.
THE LEADERS OF THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY.
If you would be fully instructed,
inquire who to-day are the leaders of
the Democratic party. Not one who
took part in the suppression of the
rebellion-not one. Their motto is,
let no such man be trusted. II any
soldier who fought for the Union i'm
agines that he has obtained, or can
possibly obtain the confidence OF the
Democratic party, let him be unde-
ceived. They may for purposes of
policy in doubtful localities or States
where they are weak, give him SUBJ
ordinate Office, but even that, no long
er than the necessity lasts, and never
by any chance, will he be placed in
commanding position. Look at the
leaders of the Democratic party in In
diana, Ohio, New York, Kentucky,
everywhere-they are Bourbons all,
untainted by single patriotic resolve
or action for the suppression of the
rebellion. They are your Thnrmans,
Hendrickses, Tildens, Bayarde, Sey.
mours, Kernans, Eatons, Pendletone,
ct id onsne genus, gentlemen Of ability,
each aud every one of whom has been
the unrelenting antagonist of our gov
ernment from the day our flag was
hauled down in blood from the sum-
init Of Fort Sumpter. They have de-
MED the power of Congress to coerce
State to remain In the Union. They
have asserted the unconstitutionality
OF every great measure to prosecute
the war. They cast tho whole weight |
of their influence agAinat the govern.
ment throughout the struggle. They
proclaimed the Presidents proclama-
tioD of emancipation to be flagrant
violation OF the Constitution. They
went to Chicago in 1864, in the midst
Of the last great campaign, and pub.
lished to the world that the war was q |
failure and should be abandoned. |
They fought to the bitter end the Thir- |
teenth Amendment, prohibiting tho
assumption of tho rebel debt, tho pay
h,cnt for the slaves, and establishing
the equal rights OF citizens in all the |
States. They resisted with increased |
energy, If that were possible, the Fiji
teenth Amendment, which declared |
that no man should be deprived Of the
right of suffrage ON account of his race
or color. And in 1868 thcy solemnly
declared in convention that the recon
struction laws were null and void. |
thus encouraging the Southern people |
to resist them, and making themselves
responsible for much of the blood and |
violence that followed that teaching.
LONG AND CONSISTENT CAREER.
These are but the leading points in
q long and consistent career that has |
endeared these distinguished leaders
to the Confederate Democracy of the |
South, and placed them with uDques-
tionable title at the head Of the party. |
Whoever aspires to lead must bring |
credentials like these, or his claims |
will not be considered. This unbroken
career of fifteen years of opposition to |
every effort to preserve the nation, to |
every measure of liberty and human
ity, points with unerring significance
and certainty to the future. It consti-
tutes platform for action, compared |
with which the resolutions of conven-
tions are but empty bubbles blown by |
straws. What these men would do in |
power, We know by their course for
nearly lifetime out of power.
THE TRUE PLATFORM.
But we are told that the issues of
the war are settled, that old things
have passed away, and that all things
have become new. I would this were
so, and that the mighty issues Of the
war were settled forever, and accepted
by ali. But the truth is, that the un-
settlement Of those questions, the res
toration a. far a. possible to things
ante-bellum, the placing of the Con-
federate upon the same footing with
the Union soldier, the payment OF the
Confederate war claims, the abolition
OF all distinctions in the law between
loyalty and disloyalty, the expulsion
OF the negro from the platform of DO.
litical equality, and finally, payment
for their slaves, are to-day the cardi-
nal, all-absorbing, overruling purposes
of the Southern Democracy, compared
to which, questions of currency, tariffs.
and banks, are but as dust in the bal
ance. To-day, service in the Confed-
crate army is the only passport to Of
flee IN the Southern States. AZ against
the Confederate soldier, the Union
soldier who may have turned Demo-
crat, has no possible show for an Of
flee. Adherence to the rebellion is the
sole touchstone in the South, not only
for political, but almost equally SO for
social and business recognition. Even
IN Kentucky, just over the river, NO
Union soldier, be he ever 20 loud In
his professions of Democracy, can be
elected constable II any Confederate