Wilmington journal., 1876-01-07

been done not more in hate
than in honor. L II d d>,
it is hardly possible for Democratic
House singlehanded to do it complete
ly, although the course of Spe"ke'
Kerr is a sufficient guaranty that 1!
will be beattempted- whose appointments
in almost every instance we
here take occasion to say meet our
warmest approval selected AS they
have been on account only of integrity
and capacity.
But investigation however thorough
is not the whole duty Of this
Congress. After the fullest exposure
and conviction of the present Admin
istration much will remain undone.
The people will expect other measures
of relief. They Will demand that the
whole system Of party and sectional
legislation, which has SO long cursed
the country, shall be reversed. 1t
will not even suffice for the Demo cratic
Party to take It's grouDd upon re-
trtcchment and economy alone. II
must take equally high ground IL
favor Of tie national credit. It must
take firm ground upon a currency
based upon gold. 1t must tax" bo'i
ground IL opposition to National
Banks. It must adu.onish tto powers
that be, that their long career Of
blood and it's correlatlve paper money
has been run, aud that as h4y were
twins III birth SO nuw they must pc.
ish together. It must remind them
Of their multiplied breaches of the
Constitution and Of the public faith,
aud that the time for the repetition Of
the one is past, and that the t!lnr
las come or is coming for the rrdensp-
tiUp Of the other. And in its treatment
of the Rancial question, the Dane
cratic party will consider itself, in 10
way restricted by the Sherman bi
either for or against its repeal. The.
people already appreciate that bill at
it's true value as being only new way
to pav old debts and at best but q sub
stitution of one paper-Fromse Tor
an other. The problem to be solved is
not at HOaU distant a day or even a0hc1,
or if when there h0aO early, aid
in achat qoay the Government
can be placed in such condition
and in such hands as to redeem it's OBJ
legations
In view of task so great AMI of an
emergency so pressing. it does seem 10
us that every Democrat or at least
every Southern Democrat should
feel the true dignity OF his position.
He must be aware Of how much his
character has been blackened, how
long his people have been belied, how
eagerly his own steps are
now being watched, and
how gladly the smallest pretexr
will be used against him aud them
He must be conscious that he and they
have hitherto been condemned not on
account Of their conduct but because of
their situation. They have been ad
judged aliens only because nothing
has been left undone to ALLEVIATE them
But let not such feelings as these warp
them now from the line of their duty,
but while feeling, as Southern Demo
Gratis cannot help but feel, the wrongs
and indignities which they have So
long nursed in silence, let their only
revenge now be, to restore to the gov
ernlnent something of its pristine pur-
ity and to the South all of it's old and
well-deserved renown.
In a course of public conduct such
as we have indicated and now urge
upon our own more immediate repre-
sentatives, there can be for Southern
Democrats neither sacrifice of consis-
/ tency nor loss of self-respect. For
| such q course of conduct the reassemb
ling of the XLIVth Congress tomorrow
offers an occasion singularly opportune
and well, chosen, dating as we fondly
trust it will, new era in our national
politics. And should it be the good
fortune of the Democratic Party to
make such line of public conduct
its own, then we make bold to augur
for it not only the completest success,
but for our country and section and
party the happiest results. Conquered
-plundered-c illuminated as we have
long been. still we must not forget
that they never pardon who have done
the wrong. It has therefore fallen tn
our lot to set before the very faces of
our enemies, the example of political
manliness, honesty and disinterested-
ness. This seems hard but is inevit-
able, and although it would be expect
ing too much of any other people at
once so impoverished and high-sprited
as our own, still we cannot even in this
conjuncture, help cherishing the good
hope that they will again be found
equal to their duty.