Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-06-08
Democratic Responsibility d 1861
and 1915.
From :hs washington Republic. }

OubIS WOuJd 10 uU pOaOU uhbi u Tue
Democracy is restored to power
This doctrine has often been ex-
pressed The facts of history stab
Iish beyond question the responsible
ity of the Democracy. The treason-
able completely of its representatives
is worth recalling, because it has a
remarkable degree of pertinenoy at
this writing.
What vas tbs duty to the country
Of the Democracy when it learned
that q rebellion was approaching :?
Was il not in accordance with the
law, and there were many lawyers
among them, to sound the alarm and
put the peonle on their guard That
was their duty undoubtedly. But
they gave no warning, and why A
sympathizsr with the rebel south
was in the Presidential chair, and he
knew it, and did nothing. Almost
all the Cabinet were Democrats, SYM
pathizing with the Slave Power,
some of them like Jeremiah Black
Northern men with Southern princi.
Piles. They did nothing. The Chief
Justice of tho Supreme Court, Roger
B. fancy, knew of il, but kept his
mouth shut while he aided it. Many
army and navy officers in Washington
were Democrats, and knew of it, and
said never word against it. Poll
ticians were there. too, and Congress
was in session with a Democratic ma
Jority, lessened by iJs rebel members
and Senators Withdrawing from their
seats. Still the Democrats were ST.
lent. The rebels, however, wera bla.
tant, and Jefferson Davis and others
left the Senate defiant with treason.
The Governors of Southern States
were disloyaI, and the flourish of
treason was as the flourish Of trum-
pets at parade. But in the midst
of this fearful and widespread con.
spiracy to destroy the Union, tho Re.
publicans only did their duty to their
country and their God, as the record
of history shows to their eternal hon
or. On the 10th of January, 1861,
two resolutions were passed unani-
mously by the Central Republican
Club of the city of New York as the
sentiment of the great mass of the
people. They were as follows:
"Whereas, band of traitors in the Cabinet
at Washington, in both Houses of Congress,
and in several of the Southern States of this
Republic have made war against the United
States; have seized forts, arsenals, and other
public property; robbed the Treasury, obstruct-
ed the telegraph, and committed other acts of
violence, in combination and conspiracy against
the people of the United States and their Con-
stitution of Government for the purpose of in
PRODUCING slavery temporarily or permanently
into every State or Territory Of this Union
therefore
RESOLVED, That the Constitution as it is pro-
vides the most perfect system of government
known to man; that it needs no amendment and
shall have none at the beck and call of traitors
or their insolent mouthpeices.
''RSSclved, That we hold ourselves ready,
and tender our services to the State, or the
National Government, or both, to aid to the
extent of our power in crushing this tormid-
able and wicked rebellion, determined, at all
hazards, that the Constitution shall be pre-
served, protected and defended, peace restored
and the blessings of liberty, of liberty of
speech. and the press, fully and amply vindi.
cate and secured"
A week after this, on January l6,
1861, Mr.. f. G. Tread we'll, of Now
York, proceeded to Washington to
enter formal complaint against a
large number OF rebels. This COM
plant, legal and pro forn'a in it's ma
turo, was returned by the Clerk of
the United States Supreme Court,
with the message from Judge fancy,
not the written endorsement, for that
would have been written evidence OF
his own completely, as such cases re-
quired-that "they wore improper
papers to be presented to the court. "
The United States Supreme Court
thus acted before the conspirators to
give them immunity from arrest. Is
it any wonder that President Blu
chanan hesitated when oven the Su-
preme Bench offered sympathy to
treason
This was the attitude Of the Re-
publican party, and of Republicans in
January, 1861. and Chief Justice Ia
ney was the representative Of the
sympathizing Democratic leaders
Is the spirit of the Republican par
ty of 1861 extinct? VIII it not be
reused to fervor when Republicans
look at some Of the States of the
South, and into the House of Repre-,
sontativos, and see there men who
have climbed into Congress by the
annihiation of the vote Of the COL
ored citizens by intimidation and
murder; men talking and acting out
treason at every opportunity; men
whom the soldiers OF the Union
fought in the field, and as robol in
heart today as they were thon, and
to-day in power
By giving no warning of what they
know, the leaders of the Democracy
have been guilty of misprison Of trea-
son. and have become liable to i'm
prisonment not exceeding seven
years, and to the payment of fine
not exceeding $1,000. This is the
penalty of the law for snch criminal
delinquency. Not one of them assist
ed in reducing the expenditure made
necessary by the rebellion of South
ern Democrats. Instead, indeed, of
reducing the large deb5 they aided
in increasing it, and it is more than
probable that they prolonged the war
by proclaiming that the North would
never defeat the rebels, but that the
South would triumph. The liability
of the sympathizing Democratic lead
ers to fine is one that deserves to
be enforced. They helped to run up
the large national debt to what it
was when the war closed. There are
plenty of witnesses who could testify
and plenty Of evidence to convict
them; and every thousand dollars re-
ceived should DO employed in reduc-
ing the debt now owing. This would
be but simple justice. They should
be made to contribute for their dis
loyalty, for they have forced every
loyal man to pay for his being
patriot.