The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-09-11
ALBANY Journal
Are the Fruits of the War Safe?

aIO tllC Iu10S VI Uu0 w al 0dAO!
They are safe so long as the Republican
party remains in power. That fact has the
unassailable truth of an axiom. The party
that was the mainstay of the Union during the
war can be counted upon to see to it that the
blood and treasure poured out to put down the
rebellion was not poured out in vain. The
country leaned upon the arm of the Republi-
can party from Sumter to Appomatox; it has
leaned upon it ever since, and it has never
proved "broken reed" but has always been
strong enough sor any emergency The fruits
of the war are secured by the amendments to
the Constitution and by what is known as the
war and reconstruction legislation. The Re-
publican party put through these amendments
and this legislation, and of course will stand
by its own acts.
So the only question is, will the fruits of the
war be safe if the Democracy is restored to
power? The Democratic press and stump
speakers laugh at the question. They stigma
tie it as the final wave of the bloody shirt.
They argue that it is a most absurd question,
declaring that the fruits of the war will be just
as sacredly guarded by their organization as
they have been by ours. But let us see if the
question is not perfectly justified; let us see if
it admits of an affirmative answer Twelve
years ago the Democratic party in National
Convention assembled unanimously resolved
"that we regard the reconstruction acts $50
called of Congress, as such, as usurpation and
unconstitutional, revolutionary and void" Is
snch declaration consistent with determin-
alton or desire to preserve the fruits of the
% x1lo -. ~
hove quoted was submitted to General Han
cock and that gentleman in a formal letter de-
signed for pu LEGATION expressed his hearty ap-
prevail OF it. On this showing, in whose hands
would the fruits of the war be safer? In those
of the Republican party with Gen Garfield at
with Gen. Hancock at its head?
But in order that the relations of the Demo-
cratic party to the fruits of the war may be
thoroughly understood, it is well to remember
what one of the Democratic leaders, represent
ing that solid South which now rules the party
lately said on the floor of the House OF Repre-
sentatives. He declared that the South pro-
poses to celebrate her return to power by wp-
ing from the statute book these degrading re-
strictions on freemen (the election laws) and
legislation has imposed. We do not intend to
stop until we have stricken the last vestige of
your war measures from the statute book"
Ihsre is no mistaking the malign meaning of
tneSe WORDS Ihey were inspired by an i'm
placable hatred of all the fruits of the war;
and they outline the Southern programme in
regard to those fruits with perfect clearness
This, then, is the Democratic situation to-day.
The party is dominated, as it always has been,
by Its Southern wing, and the Southern wing
which in 1868 inspired the declaration that the
reconstruction acts were Unconstitutional
revolutionary and void - now steps to the front
and announces its intention not to stop until
it has stricken the last vestige of the war
measures from the statute-book
The masses OF the American people appre-
ciate this salient differencesbetween the two
parties. And because those masses are as pat
riotic as they are intelligent they will decline
to make a "change" of administrations which
would bring into power the men in whose
sight the fruits of the war ore not precious and
who, therefore, could not be depended upon to
preserve them intact