Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-03-30
TIE TENDENCY OF DEMOCRACY.


Last year the democrats were permitted
to make material gains 10 the elections. in
creasing thereby their strength in Con-
gress. That temporary success embroidered
the party and has caused it to develope
more decidedly its tendency and purpose.
From 1872 up to the election of last year
the democracy of the country was OF a
very mild character. II protested to have
accepted the constitutional amendments
in good faith, including suffrage and civ
il rights for the colored people. also to
have discarded the doctrine of State Rights
as taught by John c. Calhoun, and to have
turned its back forever on the extremists
North and South by whom it had been led
into disloyalty to the government and open
rebellion. Its platform was so artfully
framed that many republicans sincerely
believed the democracy had met with an
honest conversion, and under the in6u-
ence Of the great name of Horace Greeley
they abandoned their own organization
and enrolled themselves with the opposi-
ton. Some who went over in this way
were disaffected and soured by personal
disappointments, some were mere soldiers
of fortune, but undoubtedly the great mass
of the Liberal Republicans who cooper
ated with if they did not absolutely join
the democracy did so with honest motives
and from convictions that the democratic
party had reformed and could be trusted.
Since, however, the democrats have
gained control of the House of Represen-
tatives and secured more strength in the
Senate, they are rapidly undeceiving those
who trusted their professions of change OF
principle. The possession Of power is fast
showing them to be the same party that
opposed Abraham Lincoln at every step
In the grand struggle for human rights
and the preservation of the Union. We
have seen them in the House keep that
body in session forty-six continuous hours
to prevent even the consideration of the
Civil Rights bill, and oppose to man
with the exception of Alexander II.
Stephens-the passage of the compromise
measure to give peace to Louisiana. When
they had the power to elect United States
Senators, they elected Eaton and Herman,
ofthe intense Bourbon stripe, and Cockrill,
an oflicer in the Confederate army, pass
ing over Fenton and Schurz who were
candidates for reelection. At the late ex-
trs session of the Senate, Mr. Eaton made
q speech In which he dragged in the Cal
houn doctrine of State Rights and en-
dorsed it, and threatened President Grant
with impeachment The spectacle Of a
man who opposed at every step the war
for the salvation of the Union, rising in
his seat in the Senate and proposing the
Impeachment of President Grant, under
whose command the stars and stripes were
raised from the dust to undisputed power
in oil the seeded States. and by whose
clemency rebels were pardoned and I'M
der whose administration they have been
clothed again with the rights and privi-
leges which they had forfeited, and even
permitted to become members of the
House and Senate, is one that excites
mingled surprise and indignation all over
the States that shed their best blood in de-
fence of the Union. One of these same
democrats. Edmund Burke OF New Hamp-
shire. spoke Of President Grant in letter
TO the Manhattan Club of New York, at its
celebration last winter of the democratic
victories in the fall elections. as one "Uhose
conduct Nth regard to the States Of The
South has proved him to be in intent a ty-
rant, and in act traitor to the Constitution
and the principles upon which the Repub-
&c soas founded. General Grant is the
only Prssident ofthe United States a0ho has
actually incurred and aoho merits the pen
atty Impeachment for his manifold usur-
potioms Of unauthorized poacer, and for his
many assaults upon the rights and liberties
of the States and the people,"
God save the country when the people
will submit to have their bravest defend
ers threatened with impeachment by rebels
and their allies. Such language shows
the animus of the democratic party, and
It's tendency to make rebellion respectable
and trample Unionism under its heel. Its
leaders are men like Eaton and Burke in
New England, Herman and Fernando
Wood in New York. Cockrill in Missouri
and Gordon in Georgia, men who were in
the rebel armies or whose sympathies were
there. We not only hear from them
speeches 10 the S nate upon State Rights to
comfort Secessionists. and for the impeach-
ment Of the leader of the Union forces,
but we have in addition measures planned
for the assumption of the rebel debt by the
general government, including payment
for slaves emancipated, also to pension
rebel soldiers and pay rebel claims for
vast sums. If such language and such
acts as these are not sufficient to open the
eyes of the people to the inevitable drift