Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-05-14
PUBLISHED DAILY AND TRI-WEEKLY By
rDeAR 8N'OWDEN.
WEDNESDAY EVENING, MAY IA, 1879.

What the democrats Hlii 90 n tue pteseul
crisis in their affairs is probably mstter OF es
much 4, ubt to the wiSest ard most itHusntlal
Of their leaders as it is to Us, ard il With oil
the means ior obtaining Information st their
command they ore unable to determine upon e
pian Of sc:iou. any aGv,cs We night volunteer
upoo Tie su! ct would sui ect Us to legitimate
censure. Besides it would not ooly DO iG-
proper ut tits time for southern democrats
outside Of Cuotr,ss but even Tor those 10 Con-
sress, to be laying cut lines OF action tor lbe
adoption Of the whole party. Such work should
DO left to the northern democratic congressman.
They should command. All that their friends
10 the South can do now is 10 follow them
For southern democrats to DO anything else at
present is to subject them to the chtrse Of
"attemp,iog 10 gain by ballot what they ial!od
to get by armed rebellion" Notwithstanding
this, how.ver when all the circumstances OF the
cxistiup CONDITION Of affairs ore considered, We
can not help alluaiog to the following points,
which, it seems to Va, must strike every iotelli'
gent observer If passing events. 1t the demo
Gratis ever intend making stand ter the resto-
raiion Of free government and republican 1857
tuti)us, they can fad no better cause than the
Intimidation t voters, aud certaloly 20 more
oppuruue time than The present. The damages
and ioiury that would result to tho country
from storpage Of expenditures tor the army
and for the legislative, judicial aud executive
&C 10 and Ihn
oueLt accumulation Of money in the treasury,
would b, f,ls lriooipslly by the ofhceholdeIs,
and the rich bakers aad bond aud stock brok.
ers. Tho people # the country would only
DO affected incidentally, aud to nlnor
degree, and they have been already so reduced
by radical legislation, which hiss accumulated
nearly s the money Of the county Ia the hands
of few, that almcs! coy change would rcdouGd
to their benefit.
The talk Of passiog the necessary spDropna.
Il % biiIs ard going to the county with state
meut that :u,h acton Wa' mada necessary ty
the radical opposition to lice ballot, is ell bcsh.
People ha7en't time DOW to 80 ioto tho reasons
fer actions they SEQ r;suI;s aud dtaT their
references ic,jIdiasiy. Any .ucA ACTON Will
be looked up3n a. . complete back do"o, SID
will bring With il all The sceonpatimects o!
defeat! The radicoli std thtie alice, the co.
called independent rrsss. are already hootug
the democrats t,r thar surrender, and telling
them they dare not do otherwise. This county
is carried BIZ the votes If people who arc not
bound by either party. but who arc Influenced
solely by pr, iadcss and emotions, md such
people don't take much stock 10 pirty that
cannot tax, care Of itself. They will say, il
the democrats DO what Mr. Coukling said they
would DO, back out: I'VE elected your candidate
for President 10 1876; you allowed the radI'
CHS to deprive him of bis of6c We elected
democratic Congress in 1878. and you have
allowed its and our wishes to be lnsultingly
spurucd and rejected. We wall hereafter vote
ior party that shows that braias ADD cheek
can ovetbalanoe silly and i'll. directed force. And
when they say this they will not only talk sense
but the only sort Of Gems, that is now effective.
The democrats have now reached condislon
in their affairs from which defeat stares them
in the face, 30 matter which way they lock.
10 20 back is c,rtao destruction, to advance
IL forlorn hcpc, but may lead to suc,css,
and il go tie more glorious M demo
cratic congressman fom tho North can
hope to bs returned if he stu!tiGes bis
party by voting that the present ezra session
vas unnecessary, snd could have been avoided
by accepting terms more favorable than
thoss now offered; and 10 tho South.
where reIubsanisn is now dead and
where independenlisn can. consequently,
live, there will be aspiring men 10 wary
congressional district. who. with the aid OF
disseminated conservatives aud tho negroes.
will sitz, upon the confusion incident TO tho
democratic retreat as q favorable opportunity
to Res toto Congress, and many Of them will
doubtless succccd 1t is not forgotten, too,
that the anticipated troubles about blocking the
wheels of covert m ,ut will not ba the result Of
Democrat, action. Congress is required by
the Constitution 10 pass appropriation hills,
but the President is, likewise, required 10 sign
them. Congress will have dous its part by
pb5SlCH lOUSe Dili5 lu u SOuSttlutOuoi WI olN
If the President persists 10 reluslog to sligo
them, it will be bis lookout. Our conservatism
is co.eval With our manhood We not only To-
herted 1t, but wero educated 10 the faith, and
to be anything else than conservative would be
unnatural to ~, aud the thoughts to which We
have just given utterabce are the result of firm
belief. But there is vast difference between
conservatism and quiet acquiesenoo in the
destruction of republican Institutions by 6
rapscious horde Of party maligusnts, who.
to achieve their own selfish ends, to retain
their hold upon the houors and treasury of the
country, would willingly 500 the people deprived
Of their few remaining rights. IF those rights
are to b maintsioed, and the lost ones rscov
cred, the democrats must make their stand
now, A future time will be too late.