The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1880-12-25
Democratic Vitality.

persuasion-are predicting the early
dissolution and final wiping out of the
Democratic party. As this prediction
has been put forth at various times and
with various degrees of emphasis and
assurance for the past twenty years, j,
may be regarded as somewhat stale,
and therefore it is, we presume, that
none of the more influential Repub-
lican organs indulge in repetition of
what has been so repeatedly falsified
by the facts. loft doomed to death,
yet fated not to die," can be said more
truly of the Democratic party than of
any other political organization the
country has ever seen, or is likely to
see. A vitality which has survived
such internal disruption as that of
1860, such elements of Generalization
as those that prevailed during the war,
six successive Presidential defeats, in
GLIDING the Presidential fraud, which
was worse than defeat-may be con-
sidered practically invulnerable. If
we add to all these external trials the
severer one Of the knaves and fools who
have used and abused the party for
their own purposes-the false friends
infinitely more dangerous than the
most powerful and vindictive enemies
Democratic life becomes little short
of miracle, and it is difficult to
imagine any combination of circum-
stances which will suspend the miracle.
To those who study politics from
what may be termed the philosophical
standpoint, the secret OF this uncon-
querable vitality is easily discovered.
The bedrock upon which the Demo-
cratic party rests existed long before
the Federal Constitution was framed. or
even National independence achieved.
1t was in the mind of Thomas jefferson
and other apostles of human liberty in
Europe as well as America, while En-
gland and her colonies were still united
in apparently indissoluble bonds, and
when popular government was yet only
a bright and seemingly unrealizable
dream. This bedrock is simply the
rights, power and wisdom of the people
in their broadcast and best sense. Lin
coin, though he went-unwillingly, we
believe-widely astray in practice,
enunciated the Democratic theory with
absolute correctness in the famous
sentence, "a Government of the peo-
pie, by the people, and for the people"
This is Jeffersonian Democracy OF the
straightest and purest sort. The Hamil-
tonian Federalism which Mr.. Garfield
SO much admires and his party has
virtually adopted-is Government of
radically different character. 1t is a
+" strong Government the strength
coming from, those centralizing
tendencies which invariably and
inevitably diminish and at last
absorb the rights and power of
the people. 1t is a "splendid Govern
ment;" the splendor being at the ex-
pense of the peoples pocket, and in
tended to blind their eyes to the gradual
loss of their liberties-a loss for which
there is no remedy save revolution.
In Republic, therefore. there must
always be a Democratic party; that is,
a party which represents the Jeffer-
sonian theory of government as OPP
posed to the Hamiltonian. When the
Democratic party dies, the Republic
will have ceased to exist. The name
democratic" is nothing, and another
might be substituted whenever desira-
BILE. The Democratic party of Jeffer-
sons day was called Republican"
But the principles are everything. and
when these are abandoned popular
government will be in its coffin. If the
present Democratic party were to dis
band, as did its gallant rival the Wing,
within six months it would have sue
cessor embodying, no matter how much |
disguised, the same essential and funda-
mental ideas. And while Democratic |
policy may be this, that, or the other
thing-and is occasionally something
the reverse of Democratic-the principle |
is immutable and immortal; 1.-The same
yesterday, to-day and forever"
1t is easy. therefore, for the dullest of |
our Republican friends to see that |
though they have beaten the Democratic |
candidate for the Presidency for the |
sixth successive time Gncluding the |
raud) they are no nearer destroying
he Democratic party than when Free |
mont was nominated. They have mere
y thrown down the India-rubber ball |
lgain. and may now watch it bounce
,nce more-as it has bounced nine
lines in the last eighty years. This
9 bouncingness," if we may coin a
word, is illustrated in the invincible
,ood-nature with which Democrats
AVE borne their latest defeat. They |
ire not sour and sullen as were Repub-
leans after the Maine surprise. They
how none of that Republican spirit
which Grantmanifested (before Indiana)
When he said, in substance, that in
went of Democratic victory the North
would watch Congress and the new Ad-
ninistration jealousy, and if they went
wrong (that is, not to suit Republicans)
would rise up and put a stop to it."
he Democracy, sadly disappointed in
eed. but not in the least disheartened,
ontemplate the future with perfect
able to stand anything
he rest of the people can stand, and
moving that the people will as surely
ooner or later come to them on their
ed-rock principle as the Mississippi
ows to the sea. Republicans are COM
elled to be always looking round for
an ISSUE" Democrats have theirs
lways at hand; an issue as old as the