Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-01-06
TIE WEAKNESS or DEMOCRACY.

1.-THE power OF democracy" says the Re-
public "'is in the Southern States, and
there is where their majorites are to come
from in the next election. This fact ac
counts for the arrangement of committees
by Speaker Kerr; the South has got the
preponderance, and the rebel element in
the Democratic House in numbers and far
more in influence and talent: so the South
ern ideas of craftsmanship are sure to pre-
vail. The keynote of this faction which
is to control was sounded by Lamar in his
speech to the caucus. when he said, 'sre
cant government Uhich zee can lore
That is it exactly. The republican party
has preserved the national unity, destroyed
rebellion and slavery and secession, the
three grand enemies Of nationality; has
s.roclaimedeq rights to all races, colors,
and conditions OF men has done what it
could to promote the education of the poor
and the ignorant; has encouraged the in
dustrial interests of the South by affording
all the protection in its power to immi
grants, and preserving order when inter.
rupted by mob law and violence; has par
doned the crime of rebellion, and restored
to the men lately in arms against the gov.
eminent all the rights which citizens who
were always true enjoy, and has asked
nothing in return save the one simple con-
dition, that the rights OF the freedmen
gained by the war and the Constitutional
amendments shall be accorded them in
good faith and according to the spirit of the
amended charter. And the Government
which has preserved the Union, made.ree.
dom and equal rights sacred, and forgiven
the traitors who attempted the destruction
OF all. they cannot love; and they can be
paciied only by having government,
which they can love- What kind of
government that may be is not doubtful.
1t must be a government Of different
ideas from the one which has main
tanned the Union and fought disunion.
That the rebels cannot love Union gov
eminent ia proof that they have not in their
hearts accepted the results of the war. III
they believed in union and freedom, and
the political equality of the races, they
would be republicans, because the repub.
lican party is the instrumentaity by
which these have been secured, and is the
only party that is committed by living
faith 10 the maintenance of these grand
ideas. 1t is not to be expected OF rebels
that they should love the ideas against
which they fought, and they don i, and La.
mar frankly coniesses that they don't.
They love the opposite ideas Not a soul
Of them will acknowledge that they were
in the wrong. They believe in the demo
cratic party as ii was, and hold with James
Buchanan that State cannot be coerced
They belived in the resolution of the State
Democratic Convention Of Mississippi.
where Lamar is shining light, that it is
the design Of the republican party TO
place white men under the control of their
late slaves and degrade the Caucasian
rs interiors Of the African negro. which
need only TO be mentioned to be scorned
by all intelligent minds They believe
with the democratic legislature of New
jersey. which repudiated the fourteenth
amendment afttr it had been adopted, and
declared '.that the origin and objects Of
aid amendment were unseemly and un-