The Portland daily press., 1877-01-08
The Eighth of Jauuary.

The Eighth Of January.
To-day is the anniversary of the occasion
on which Jackson's army "fit and bled" be-
hind the cotton barricads at New Orleans.
The day has long been held in high regard by
the Democracy as one which brought crown
ing honor to their pet hero, hero whom
however they admire more for his exploits
in peaceful times than for his deeds in battle.
They hold that peace hath its victories no
less renowned than war, and deep down in
their hearts admire Old Hickory for bis
famous movement from Washington on the
office holders more than for his stubborn re-
sistance to Packenham on the banks of the
Mississippi. The assault from Washington fill
edstheir idea of an aggressive campaign, and
the noblest doctrine which their chief ever ad-
vanced was the one formulated years after by
Marcy in the famous phrase, "To the victors
belong the spoils." The doctrine appears to
have been originated by Packenham who
roughly expressed it in his "beauty and
booty" cry. But il was the glory of Jackson
to turn it 10 peaceful use, to restrict to party
what was meant for mankind.
One reason why the battle of New Orleans
has found such favor in Democratic eyes is
because it was an unnecessary battle;
for it is a Democratic habit to do unnec-
essary things, and to leave undone the
things that are needful, habit that
may be expressed in liturgical phrase.
For this and other reasons the Eighth of
January has been red-letter day in Demo.
cratic annals, and of late years the relics of
by-gone age have assembled in convention on
that day and held antediluvian high jinks.
To the younger men of the party 1t is also
great day, their only great day in fact; for
having done no fighting themselves, flor the
most part passing the years of the late un-
pleasantness in Canada or at home under the
shelter of surgeons certificate of disability
they are obliged to content themselves with
recounting the warlike deeds of their fathers
and grandfathers and with wearing laurel
crowns fiched from the brows of the dead.
They meet in convention, the old men who
have outgrown all capacity for war aud the
young men who never grew up to the capaci-
ty for it, and resolve that the battle of New
Orleans was the greatest battle ever fought,
that it was wor by the Democratic party,
and that therefore the Democratic party is
the greatest party that ever existed.
The meeting this year is of peculiar signifi-
canoe. 1t is of the nature of war council.
All over the Union the Democracy meet to
resolve that the divine right of the Democrat
ic party to rule this country is infringed upon
by desperate men, that the dear privilege
sanctioned by the custom of centuries and
confirmed by the highest judicial authority in
the land, the privilege of whipping and
shooting negroes, has been boldly disregarded
by the minions of fpower, that the sacred du-
ty of voting early and often has been spurned
by tyrannical hordes dressed in blue, and that
consequently the country is going to the DEM
milton bow-wows, and the republic is
in danger of being replaced by military des-
potism. These sentiments disguised in cum
ming phrase will be enthusiastically adopted
at great meetings. The men who are brag-
CARTS in peace and towards in war will call
for gore and exhort other men to rise in de-
fense Of their menaced liberties. ALI the
great chiefs will be present. The tall Syca-
more of the Wabash will sway in the war;
blast. New York's great draft-riot Governor
will exhort his friends to rise. Henry Clay
Dean, his linen encrusted with the deposits
of half a century, will shrek to his audience
to induce their Southern friends, the fighting
wing of the party, to wash out their wrongs
in blood-no soap and water for him. And
the lesser chiefs will call upon the South to
arm, for it would not be consistent for the
peace Democracy to fight. The people will
be assured that their rights are menaced, that
the palladium of their liberties is about to be
stolen by Ulysses and Diomedes (personated
for this occasion only by Senator Ferry), and
that unless they rouse themselves they will
have to submit to the stern Diomedean neces-
sity of losing the public offices and plumber
without which the freedom of people is not
worth rush. The speeches will have a ia
miiar riug,-in fact they will be the same old
speeches delivered during the war with the
substitution of few names, such as Grants
hirelings for Lincoln's hirelings. But doubt
less like most good things they have improved
with age. Anyhow it will be great day for
the Democracy, and will make the minions
of Radicalism shiver like aspens. Let the
word be passed down the Republican lines,
Prepare to shiver.