The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1876-01-20
From IIarper's wcekly.l
The Choice Between Parties.

Inc otlHGGu
In the ardor Of Cancellation which We
are told is to mark the Centennial year
upon which we have now entered, we
must not forget facts nor disregard hu
man nature and the lesson Of experience
The antecedents and action Of the Dem
ocratic majority in the House of Repre-
sentatives suggest grave reflections; and
as a Presidential election occurs this
year, IL is useful to look at the general
considerations which should influence
the decision Of the country. Those who
have come to the conclusion that the
Republican party is hopelessly corrupt
and that the one indispensable thing is
the election Of Democratic President
are, of course beyond argument, as they
have taken leave Of sommon-sense. II
is, indeed, possible that the action Of the
Republicans may lead to a Democratic
victory by offering the alternative Of a
grayer peril. But it is not easy to sec
that Democratic success could be other
than a national misfortune. And the
first and most vital consideration in con
sidering the election is not the financial
question, nor the sectarian question, nor
the question Of administrative reform,
but il is the composition, character, con.
victions, traditions, and tendencies OF
the two political organizations which will
dispute the election. And this is the
foretIost consideration because upon
these the policy and conduct Of the Ad-
ministration will depend. In this view,
what is TO be said Of the Democratic
party
Political history Is continuous in the
sense that there are no abrupt and radi.
cal changes in political feeling. The emu
of the war Of the rebellion was no more
the end Of the principles, habits Of
thought, sectional and political differ
ences, from which il sprang than the
coronation Of William and Mary was the
end Of Jacobite faith and politics in Eng.
land. We gladly welcome every sign Of
greater harmony between the late Con-
federates in this eountry and the sup
porters of the Union. But no pleasant
episodes like tkose in Boston last sum.
mer, and no newspaper vociferation that
by.gones be bygones, and that we arc all
loving brethren, and he is a fool or a ras-
cal who does not know IL, can change
the fact that those who were bred in
hatred Of the Yankees and the Union.
who, as friends Of popular government.
sustained and defer ded the barbarism Of
slavery, Who were essentially aristocrats
and monarchists. and who held wholly
aloof from the movement Of the age, and
the expansive. generous, and progressive
spirit OF the rest Of the country, have
not suddenly changed their natures and
and become released from
all the influences Of their training and
traditions, merely because they have
been conquered in the field. Such re-
suit was never known in any country at
any time. and il certainly has not been
here In speaking Of Mr.
Nforton's national resolutions, the No
bile Register, edited by John Forsyth,
one OF the original Confederate leaders.
and the best exponent in the country Of
the late Confederate sentiment, says,
frankly:
Mr.. Morton wishes to force the South.
arn Senators to say that when conquered
they did not surrender their belief in the
Of our government. What
does he gain by this2 man who be-
Iieyed in the right Of secession in 1850
believes in il to-day, whether whipped or
not. The remedy for wrongs in the
Union by peaceable separation OF the
States is a dead question. Everybody
knows il is dead and buried in n million
graves The Northern people do not ex-
pect US to basely betray our consciences.
When the vote is put. we hope our
Southern Senators will vote boldly just
exactly as they please, and let the conse-
1uences rest with justice and with God.
That is TO say, the late war has shown
that secession can not at present be en-
forced. IL is precisely what an English
Jacobite would have said after the failure
Of 1915.
We make all allowance that can be
claimed for pride and anger and folly
and "cussedness." But we Unionists
know what we should still have thought
and felt IL we had been beaten, and we
need not suppose that our opponents are
not made Of the same clay. Now the
important fact is that the strength Of the
party lies in that part OF the
where the feelings and opinions
of the dominant and ruling class are ex
pressed by such papers as the Register.
That class for many years before the war
the policy Of the Democratic
party, exposing the country TO the just
scorn of the world by its insolent slavery
by which also il sought TO
degrade and debauch the national char.
acter. II ruled the party because Il had
a positive and definite purpose, and care
fully trained its political agents TO secure
it. The party to-day in the other States
is strongest among the worst population
Of great cities. In New York, Tor IN
stance. when il has a majority, u Is in
the city of New York, and in the least
enlightened parts of the city. In New
England, in New York and Pennsyl-
yania. in the West and Northwest, the
party is not strong Its citadel Is In the
Southern States. and the ruling class
there has its own feelings. principles and
purposes. IL is united. able. and resolute.
Because OF this, and because Il Is abso-
lutely essential to the party success, IL
will naturally and necessarily control the
party policy. The Democratic party in
the other States has no common princi'
ple or purpose. IL proclaims reform. but
nowhere does it even pretend to attempl
Il except in the State OF New York, and
its prestige there is entirely eclipsed by
the sturdy and successful reforms OF the
Republican Secretary Bristow. Mean.
while il is hopelessly divided upon the
financial question, the New York wing
declaring for hard money, and the party
in PENNSYLVANIA and Ohio marching un
der the rag banner. The one part OF th'
organization which Is heartily united D
that in the Southern States, where tn
strength of the party lies and where ~
real drift. should IL obtain power, mus
be sought.
Is this the leadership to which the gov
eminent should be coniided in the Cen
tennial year2 As the political principle
and convictions Of "the North, as deepl.
rooted and infexible as those os "th
South" after a long and terrible war f
nally prevailed; as the Const tuition ha
beon amended in accordance with then
as the government and the Union hay
I been renewed in the spirit OF "th
/ North" of which the Republican part
is the political rganization--is II reasoi
\ able 10 suppose that party naturall
and sincerely hostile TO that spirit woul
administer the government more wisel