National Republican., 1876-09-30
ISSUES AND NAMES.

ISSUES AMI nAhLo'
The Louisville Courier Journal says;
"Party names are not significant of the
"principles of the party. Federalists
favored the Constitution, but the term
"was afterwards applied to those who
event for extending the powers of the
General Government. They became
National Republicans, and they in turn
became the Democratic party" 1t
might have added that four years ago they
attempted "to steal the livery of heaven to
serve the devil in, and called themselves
Liberal Republicans; and four years hence,
by virtue of its tergiversatioDs and ancient
plundering of the name, it will announce
itself as the Simon-pur Republican party
of the second century. AS party names
are not significant of principles. (cminently
true of Democracy and as it has borne all
the party titles for century, nothing can
be more natural than for its political chane-
leon to change the color Of its name once
more, ithout altering its creed, which has
been one of fraudule pretences from the
beginning. There never was any agree
ment between its names and its principles.
The name was always used for effect on
the ignorant masses, and particularly
foreigners, to whom the sound was always
the synonym of the most licentious liberty
and the most violent antagonism to the
despotisms of the Old World. 1t never
claimed but four cardinal virtues-hard
money. free trade. friendship for The work
ingmen of the North and the Shareholders
of the South To the latter alone was it
faithful under all names, phases and con-
ditions, even in the agony and crisis of the
nations existence. To all the rest was it
untrue. To day there are Pennsylvania
Democrats who deem it SANDER to say that
Democracy and free trade are convertible
terms.
1t is not to be wondered, then. that the
Courier Journal is preparing to dof the
Democratic cuticle and label itself Repub-
lican, and so again under false colors gain
power, and control the country until it
brings on another revolution by antagoniz-
ing sections and sectional interests with
universal interests.
Hon. Lyman Trumbull said at Chicago
"That he was with the Republican party
/" its triumphs. The party which opposed
" slavery in the Territories took the name
"of Democrat. Neither party thought of
1.-the abolition of slavery by the General
Government. Both admitted the limit
"of power in the General Govern
nf 1870 f1,n
"pul>ion of slavery from the Terrific
cries" Mr.. Trumbull, thougha public
man, has a bad memory. The old Aboli
ticn party was called BLACK Republican"
The party of Kansas which fought the bat
tie inch by inch was called the Free
State" party, and was confronted by Demo
cratic pro slavery, b rider ruflian, bush
whackers, and United States troops under
direction Of James Buchanan, Democratic
President, who not only prostituted the
military power 10 aid and protect the at
tempt unconstitutional!y to force slavery
into free territory, but winked at the steal
ings of Floyd and Thompson to outfit the
rebellion. At the time this battle was
fought there was not even Free State
party outside of Kansas. There was
public spirit and feeling, an arousing of all
the sense of justice and indignation of the
Northern mind, atendency of the elements
to organic expressions, but no order, no
definite plan.
When Jim Lanes Anti-Voting Conven-
ton at Laurence was broken up, by gen
tleman now in this city, and the contest
was carried to the ballot-box, and carried
by detecting the Democratic frauds, and
driving the chief actors pel nell from the
Territory, the Republican party was con-
ceived. By this action slavery was check
mated in its infinite demand for more area
and more political power, and thrown back
on ITSELF 1t then had no alternative but to
submit to be gradually extinguished by the
law of population and the superior growth
of the free States, or dissolve the Union.
Failing in its demands and compromise,
Sumpter was attacked, and the Republican
party was born amid the smoke and roar
of artillery, and its mission to seal the fate
of slavery on this continent was determined
for it, and not by its own prescient determi
nation.
Mr. Trumbull comes in after that, and
was never so firmly incorporated that he
could not drop out at any moment. When,
then, he says that "neither party thought
"of the abolition of slavery through the
"General Government" and 1.-THE pur-
"pose for which the Republican party was
" organized was accomplished when slavery
"was abolished" he contradicts himself
and history, and would do well to furbish
his memory and correcI his logic. But he
says also: 1.-The Democratic party of to-
"day is no more the party of 1856 than is
"the Republican party. The purposes and
"persons are all changed. Tne Demo
"cratic party processes to be for reform
"and for an observance of the Constitution
"and laws. The Republican party is
"false, faithless and corrupt, and does not
sttherefore possess the power to reform
ITSELF The Democratic party may
"be 10 better, but it has brought
"to light and exposed corruption
(which could never have BEEN
without it, therefore the Democratic
"party is pure and Will give us pure
administration" Nothing more than
this statement is necessary to prove that
the Democracy of to-diy is the same as
that which opposed the war of 1912, Chen
called Tories, an item omitted by the
JournaL) the same which violated the
Constitution by the extension Of sla very, the
same that always defended it on Coastitu-
tional grounds; the same that now declares
its abolition unconstitutional. Mr.. Trumbull
has not yet learned that slavery never
any Constitutional rights beyond the origis
nal thirteen States; that no party has ev,
violated the Constitution as has that p Irts
that no party has ever been on the side of
the oppressor as has that party-Tory and