Daily Kennebec journal., 1875-08-12
LE1DF1S or TYr DEHOCP1cy.

: Maine the character Of The leaders OF the
democratic party in this State They
are known as belonging to that class OF
the success of the Union army against the
rebellion. No one who is able to cast a
vote requires to be tod of the course OF
Marcellus Emery and +. F. Pillsbury dur
ing the war, and yet these two men lead
the democracy of Maine.
As il is in Maine. 50 il is in other Statcs-
men notorious for di.loyalty lead the dem
ocratic party. If it were only in Maine
that this class Of persons comes to the front
as leaders of the democracy there would
be some hope that the character OF the
party had changed for the better, but the
universally of the predominancc of this
bad type OF leaders is evidence that the
better men and impulses OF the party have
given way. and that the whole body SYM
pathises with those who control it.
Look, says Senator Morton, III his re-
cent speech, "at the leaders of the demo
cratic party in Indiana, Ohio, New York,
Kentucky, eyerywhere-they aIe Bour-
bons all. untainted by a single patriotic
resolve or action for the suppression OF
the rebellion. They are your Thurmans,
Hendricks, Tildens, Bayards, Seymours,
Kernans, Eatons, PendletonS, d ID 0naHc
genus, gentlemen Of ability. each and
every one of whom has been the unrelcnt-
ing antagonist of the government from
the day our flag was hauled down in blood
from the summit Of Fort Sumter. They
have denied the power of Congress to
coerce State to remain in the Union.
They have asserted the unconstitutionality
of every groat measure to prosecute the
war They cast the whole weight OF their
influence against the government through
out the struggle. They proclaimed the
Presidents proclamation of emancipation
to be a hagrant violation of the consttu-
ton. They went to Chicago in 1861, In
the midst OF the last great campaign, and
published to the world that the war was
failure and should be abandoned. They
fought to the bitter end the Thirteenth
Amendment, abolishing and forever pro-
hibiting slavery; with equal bitterness
they fought the Fourteenth Amendment,
prohibiting the assumption of the rebel
debt, the payment for the slaves, ana es
tablshing the equal rights of citizens III
all the States. They resisted with in
creased energy, if that were possible, the
Fifteenth Amendment, which declared
that no man should be deprived of the
right of suffrage on account of his race OF
color. And in 1868 they solemnly de-
clared in convention that the reconstruc-
ton laws were null and void thus en-
couraging the Southern people to resist
them, and making themselves responsible
for much of the blood and violence that
followed that dreadful teaching.
| These are but the leading points of a
long and consistent career, that have en-
deared these distinguished leaders to the
Confederate Democracy Of the South. and
placed them with unquestioned 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 Oppo-
sition to every effort to preserve the nation,
to every measure of liberty and humanity,
point with unerring significance and GER
tairty to the future. 1t constitutes plat
form for action compared with which the
resolutions of conventions are but empty
bubbles, blown by straws. What these
men would do in power, we know by
their course for nearly life time out of
Ipower."
Such are the leaders of the democracy
at the present time. The Bourbons of
the North reinforced by the confederate
army of the South ride triumphant over
all opposition inside their party organiza-
ton. and shape its course to please them
selves, which is to unsettle ali questions
supposed to be settled by the war, and to
renew the contest over them.
Pillsbury boasts in his Standard that "he
has never been investigated" No; if our
memory serves us he escaped investiga-
ton by flight. When the U. S. soldiers
reached kingiield they only found Pills
burys poor dupes. He had sought safety
by running.
BY the way, however, the Standard de-
clarcd during Pillsbury's late absence that
on his return he would demand an investi-
CATION into our charge of disloyalty.
Does he again seek safety in flying from
investigation ?-Bang0r Wing.
IOLI7IC4L.
The result of the Constitutional Convention