The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-19
crats-or at least men who act with the De-
mOcratic party, to sneer good naturally at
srIIrr Ilrre1

l
| mOcrat1c party, to sneer good naturally AT
THE RESOLUTIONS OF 1898.
venture to say that not one man in every
| ten OF those who indulge In this particular
| gibe upon occasion has ever read those reso-
luttons, or can give either tolera6ly accu-
| rate definition OF their purport or O fair sum
mary of the political situation that gave rise
| TO them. have heard Democrats-men high
| In the councils and covered with the hon0rs
| OF the party-in the same breath swear at the
| resolutions OF 1898 and denounce the us.lrpa-
tions and the centralism OF the modern Kadi a
cal party And yet the resolutions OF 1888
we're nothing more nor less than tremendous
protest. Numbered by the Democracy Of that
day which Jefferson led, and which was then
grading Andrew jackson In It's nursery Of
political truth, against tendencies which diff
| Tered from the tendencies which we are called
upOn to combat now In nothing cave that the
Trojan horse approaching the citadel OF our
liberties was called Federalism and now 1t Is
termed Radicalism. Between
ALEXANDER HAMILTON,
high priest and prophet OF the heterodoxy OF
Federation, striving to turn the government
that had resulted from the revolution OF 1776
into a landed aristocracy, and George +. Ed
munds, supreme pontfff Of the heresy of Ratt-
icaism, striving to convert the Union which
has resulted from the revolution OF 1861 into
AN oLIGARCHY OF CORPORATIONS,
/ can see no material difference. But, sad to
say, there is a palpable and, it sometimes
seems, almost fatal difference between that
Democracy of 1893, which met Hamilton on
his own ground, throttled him In his own den
and crushed him In his own lair, and the De-
mocracy Of 1873, which, If 1t does not cover
beneath the lash OF Edmunds, at least holds
its breath and braces Its nerves for his blow.
The last election showed that whatever
might be the course OF their dissatisfaction,
a majority OF 966, 900 outof 100000 of voters,
or nearly proportion Of four to three Of the
American people, were
DONE WITH RADICALISM,
Disguised with the results OF It's ascendancy
and exasperated at the tendencies OF It's rule.
Now, II you will read up your history OF
political parties in the United States, you
will find that the men OF 1898, who set their
brave old faces against the Federalism OF that
day, had no such overwhelming popular SEN
timent behind them, nor any such weakened,
demOralized or decimated adversary In front
Of them as the Democrats-or at least the
antagonists Of Radcalism at large-have at
their back and In their front to-day. But they
had something far better-cOurage OF COnvic-
ton, which taught them that that which was
right could never be impolitic, and that which
run; unity Of purpose and fixity OF principle
which taught them that no mans
ASPIRATIONS FOR THE PRESIDENCY
were to be for moment measured or
weighed against the Democratic party's mis-
sion for the conservation Of the universal
rights of man and self-government under the
constitution; and, finally, they had that lofty
patriotism which rears its head high above
the clouds OF time-serviDg policy and
stretches its gaze far beyond the boundaries
of sectional interest, to see and do that which
was best for the whole people and for all
time Ii this analysis Of the character OF the
Democracy of 1898 describes the Democracy
OF 1879, or II the Democracy of 1879 can be
stirred by the recitation of such memories to
emulate the virtues of those whose party
name they bear. then we may expect that the
fate which befeli Hamilton and his federalism
In that good old time will overtake Edmunds
and his Radicalism In our day: we may ex-
pect that the sentence OF death which the
resolutions of '98 pronounced upon the in
cipient monarchsm OF the one will be re-
peated In EatoD's resolutions OF 70 upon the
lurking
IMPERIALISM
OF the other. But II the quality OF Democracy
has deteriorated, and Ii the stamina of the
Democratic party has degenerated, then we
may expect that Edmunds will be as much
dtabolical cunning Is more dangerous than
was Hamilton's tremendous power; as his
subterranean shrewdness Is more terrible than
was Hamilton's fierce energy, and as his
furtive genius for the mine and ambush is
more destructive than was HamitOn's daunt- |
lees hsyery OF direct assault aid eesscalade
The Eaton resolutions, squarely pnt s7fu i
resolutely pushed, will as surely rouse Ed
munds from his lair Of sophistry and intrigue
rifiemen OF Kentucky stirred Tecumseh from
his covert at the battle of the Thames. And
when once out OF his cover. fighting on open
ground the defenders of the constitution can
make short work of him.