Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-03-24
THE DEMOCRATIC RETURN
To POWER.

have a majority in both houses. The
last Congress in which the Democrats
held the same degree of power was the
35th, and even at that time their waning
influence had received a severe check in
the election of Mr.. Banks to the speak
ship of the previous House, after
struggle lasting from the 4th of Decem-
Der to the I'd of February, and embrac-
ing one hundred and thirty ballotiDgs.
Still, the organization of the Democrats
was in appearance compact and their
numerical strength great. They had SO
members in the Senate, to 20 Republi-
cans and Americans. and 13l members
of the House, to go Republicans and IA
Americans. In the next Congress the
Republicans had reached 20 in the Sem
ate, to the Democrats SO and Americans
2, while in the House they had ll3, to
the Democrats 1O1 and Americans %.
And of the l0l Democrats, s were OPP
posed to the Administration of President
Buchanan, and represented constituencies
which soon became Republican. Before
the seth Congress came to an end the
Southern Senators and most of the Rep
resentatives had Withdrawn from the
capital, and left the Legislative Depart
ment gf the Government in undisputed
possession of the party which was from
that moment to carry it through the ter
rible trial of civil war and the scarcely
less severe ordeal of reconstruction.
The issue on which the Democrats
lost the Government was in form and
general outline very simple, though as
wide as the land in its application, and
involving many and complicated results
in its settlement. 1t was, sis slavery or
freedom national 2" and the immediate
measure as to which the principles of the
opposing parties were asserted was,
"Shall Congress prohibit or protect slav-
cry in the Territories p On that ques-
ton the South, seeing the tendency of
public opinion in the North overwhelm-
ingly and permanently against it, reject
ed the arbitrament of the ballot and
challenged that of civil war. Although
the Democracy for many years before
the war had held professions Of the lofti-
est devotion of the Union, its animating
spirit was essentially sectional. 1t was
for the Union so long as the South was
dominant in the National Government
AS party, its love for the Union broke
down the moment the National Govern.
ment passed into the hands of its oppo-
nents. During the war, as before and
since, it was constantly hampered by its
blind attachment to its Southern leaders
its besotted sympathy with the powerful
section which had always controlled it:
counsels and shaped its course. With
the approach of war, noble opportunity
was presented to it. Had it had thu
sagacity and moral courage to repudiat'
completely the aims and principles o
the South, to let slavary die as the con
sequence of the crime of its supporters
to hold up the hands of the Administra
ton in the most energetic measures TO
the suppression of the rebellion, and a
the same time to concentrate its force Of
the task of moderating and regulating
the policy of the Republicans, it nigh
, have made for itself an honorable record
, and disputed far sooner than it did tn
: supremacy it had lost and which it ha
r now partly regained, by means not cred
, table to itself or of advantage to tn
| country. The Republicans assumed tn
reins of government at time of intens
!. excitement, and surrounded by immens
t perils and difficulties. Its leaders wei
C in great degree unframed, and its opir
It ions of all, except the one supreme que
# ton of freedom and the Union, wei
e Uniformed. 1t plunged almost immed
# ately into serious errors. Its fiscal mea
e ures were even worse. Its organizatio
Y of the civil service was blind and rekles
d Had the Democrats, skilled as many
, their leaders were, chosen the part of
l. rational and loyal opposition, they mig
- have at all times commanded respec
g they might not unfrequently have VIZ
le important victories; and they wou
le certainly have maintained party ext
'e tence very different from the shamef
m and humiliating one which they led f
is the next fifteen years. When tn,
ir finally came again to have majority
Ie Congress, they would have been par
of distinct and practical principles. ca
able of administering the Government
a wholesome and conservative and hone
RS fashion.-NeaO York Times.
Oh
he THE ELECTION OF SPEAKER.