New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-19
4 SCKlp or HISLORY.

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A SCRAP or HISTORY.
The Republican party does not need TO re-
viye the memories of the war to contOund us
opponents. It's attitude on the living Issues
cf the present day is such as to entltle 1t 10
the confidence of all VINO believe IN cquai
rights, who love justic' and National honor
and who want to assure the business prosper
ity of the country But when the Democracy
claims TO be the friend of the soldier and the
chamnion of the restored Union because it has
nominated an Army officer for Pre- ident,
Republicans cannot be blamed for turning
backward the leaves of history and looking at
the record of tins boastful Union loving ana
Constitution dcfenalng party, to see how II
stood in the times Of the war which put mems
patriotism to the seycrest trial. The kepnD-
leans of Greenviiie. Penn, concluded the
other day to refresh their memories BY search
ing the files of tie Democratic paper pub
lished in their town during the war. They
hit upon the proceedings OF Il meeting held III
Greeuyi!lc August IL, 1854, which they thlnk
worth resurrecting for the benefit OF the Union
veterans who are solicited to vote for Han
cock this fall. The meeting, after listening to
n number of anti-war speeches, passed Il long
series of resolutions, be2inning as follows:
Whereas We form part of the sovereign people OF
these once United States whose ancestors reared Tor
themselves ana their postcriiy OF the best 'vern
to animate tlIc hopes OF map anu
so long as wo hearkened to their prcceWs We enJyed
the blessing OF peace. prosperity. happiness ana Tree
dom but as anon ouf vigilance declined, mat lel
ruousier Aboiuonsn began TO IT'S head, aud vir
tue aflrghted. hed-.Ed vice look her place '0nend-
ing DE-. SONS BEGAN TO heaye the public breast-bsry
r...H ms 4 az
brothers were driven. like buliockto the siausheriens
70 be butch red III a needless. wicked and uuhoy war;
which ped land In mourning, ana We are no"
called upon take the pace OF those slaughtered whIe
he VINO occupies the Presdenii chair l. iIdugIus III
obscene tests at misery tuus dealt around him. reil'
ing to restore peace his distressed ana unhal pY e
low-c zens unless thay allow the African an Interior
race TO be elevated To an equality with I csnseIves.
After this introduction the resolutions go on
10 denouncc and Willy Abraham Lincoln
through long column Of print, accusing him
of almost every crime possible for a President
10 commit. and making him OUT to be a mon
ster of vice and tyranny. In conclusion, they
exult over the fact that "the South stands to-
"day as determined and defiant as ever"
and wind I'D with such declarations as these:
We consider that every life hereafter LOST in this most
atrocious war will be deliberate murder and every
dollar wrung from the pocket of the taxpayer to
further it, prosecution "A DOWNRIGHT robbery.
We demonstrate against any further draft upon the
abeb died Of the country to assist IN prolongng
war that we believe to be uncalled for and uperlave
wick d.
The GrecnvilIe meeting was by no means
an exceptional affair. Such gatherings of
rehel-sympathizing Democrats were held all
over the North during the political campaigns
of 1863 and 1864. Indeed, from the very
beginning of the war the party which Gen
eral Hancock is now proud to lead sought to
paralyze the efforts of the Government and
did all it dared do to make the rebellion
success. What General Garfield said about
Democratic responsibility for the rebellion i'll
his speech of March II, 1870, was true to
the letter, and is well worth reading now as
a fitting commentary on the bids the Demo
Gratis are now making for soldier support. Re-
plying to Mr.. Nblack, of Indiana, he said:
Suppose that the year 1861 every Democrat north
of the Potomac and the 0IO had o0wed the lead Of
Grant and Douglas. and Dickinson and Tod, and all
the other great lights Of the Democratic party, had
thrown away the Democratic name and said that thy
would be Democrats longer We sad we would he
Republicans longer. but all would be Union men. and
stand together round the flag until the rebellion had
pn under feet desire to ask the gentleman,
if these things had happened. how long the war would
have lasted, how much the war would have eoStf do
not hesitate to say that IL could not have lasted
a month, and the expenditures OF the war
would never have exceeded SlO00O,OOO. 1 say,
as q matter OF current history, that II was the
great hope the rebels of the South that the assistance
of tn Democratic party Of the North would divide
forces all efforts; that at the ballot
box the Democrats at home would help the cause which
they were maintaining in the field. IL vas that, and
that alone which protraced the war and created our
immense debt come. therefore. to The door OF your
party gentlemen the other side, and Law down at
your threshold every dollar OF tue debt, every Item OF
the spendous total which expresses the great cost OF
the war and say If you had followed Douglas there
would have been debt, no blood. no burden.
The party which Is responsible for all the
debt. all the blood and all the burden of the
war is the party which Hancock is now lead
ing What a grotesque position for the Union
General who fought at Gettysburg!