The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-12-02
For TIE CLARION.
The Integrity of the National Demo
cratic Party. It Must Be Main
tanned.

/ Id1u6Qs
EDITORS CLARION: For many years l
have read and considered, with delightful
approval, the political teachings as pub
llshed in the columns of public journals
under the control of the senior editor of
1 The CLARION; but never with more hearty
endorsement than l was able to give ID the
editorial article in THE CLARION ofNthe
/ 18th instant headed 'sThe National De-
mocracy."
/ In that article was justly, and properly,
condemned the utterances of Mr.. Walter
/ B. Barker, your correspondent, found in the
same paper. l rejoice at your condemnation
cause of the great harm that, and such
like political teachings are likely TO do to
| the Democratic party and to the country.
| have been greatly panied by the course
of many Democratic newspapers | have
examined since the late Presidential cleo
ton at therein seeing very general dispo>
sition of the restless spirits of our would
! be Democratic teachers in the South to
condemn and abuse the Democratic party
North because of its defeat in the late
election. Many of that class of our people
teachers, such as The CLARIoN's cores
pondent-seem to be so reckless as to ad-
wise disruption of the Democratic party,
and urging that the Southern wing of the
party withdraw from, and refuse to coop
crate with, the Democratic party North in
all future elections. Such thought even,
ought to make patriots shudder with alarm
for the safety of our comm on country.
Let us first ask ourselves what has
prompted this spirit of abuse among South
ern Democrats of the Democratic party
North p Whilst many professed Democrats
North and South deserve rebuke for their
political inconsistency-no to say treachery,
the Democratic party, as political party
organization North are as blameless as the
same party South can be.
When great political party-national,
if you please, in its organization, bound
together upon we'll defined principles, such
as those enunciated in the platforms of the
Democratic party of the United States pen
ding the Presidential elections in 1876 and
in 1880, is defeated in such elections, such
defeats should be set down as mit0rtuRes
to the party and the country rather than as
a crime to the party either North or South,
East or West. Whilst the conduct the
faithless acts-the treachery if you please,
of hundreds and thousands of individual
members of the party and professed Demo-
Gratis may be such as to call for the rocks
and mountains to tall upon them and hide
them from the frowns of an indignant
people the party thus outraged by the
treachery of a comparatively few of its
members should neither be blamed or
abused by any people of the same faith and
order.
Did "the Democratic party North" make
the late Presidential canvass fairly and
squarely upon the Cincinnati platform as
agreed upon in National Convention !? Or
did the party, in any locality North, as a
party, ignore or deny those principles and
make the canvass upon other and antago-
nistic principles ? If the former PROPOSE
ton is strictly true, and the latter is wholly
false, shame should mantle the cheek of all
professed teachers of Democracy in the
South who would now dare publicly advise
the Democratic party South to disrupt the
great National Democratic party of the
United States and set up local party of
its own under that or any other name.
Quite too much of that spirit has been seen
to manifest itself among many Democrats
South as well as North pending our politi-
cal struggle for the right OF local self
government.
The efforts of the Democratic party North
and South for good, have been much weak
ened by restless spirits, protesting Democ-
racy, soughing off from the party proper
for reasons no better than those now
assigned by the class of Democrats under
consideration.
l have lived, and advocated and practiced
the principles of the Democratic party
sufficiently long to cause me to take alarm
at all new departures. And as many new
departures as have seen and combatted in
my past life, from the true principles, and
usages of the Democratic party proper, the
one in question, to my judgment, the one
now being urged by THE CLARIoN's cor
respondent and such like contributions to
the public press in the South, is the most
objectionable-no to say detestable.
Do the wiseacres, who are SO freely be-
slowing advise upon the Democratic party
South see any want of agreement in its
avowed principles between the party North
and that of the South now more than they
saw when the party met in National Con-
vention at Cincinnati? If the party North
and South are still in accord upon the
principles avowed by the whole party in its
Cincinnati platform, there can be no sensi-
BILE or practicable reason why it should
now be disrupted. Are the Democrats South
right in claiming for the Southern as well
as the Northern States the right of main
tanning local self-governments therein
Are the Northern Democrats-"th Demo
cratic party North"-right when they, in
all their political utterances that the right
of local selfgovernment shall remain free to
the Southern as well as to Northern States
If these propositions be true-and they are
true no just reason exists why the Demo-
cratic party South should withdraw from
the Democratic party North.
Your editorial above referred to utters
my own sentiments and opinions so per-
fectly, that [ need not express them further
except so far as mere numbers of persons
may be looked to for public sentiment upon
political questions. / may be unnecessarily
alarmed at the number of contributors to
the Southern press who have already at
tempted to advise the Democratic party
South to refuse longer to cooperate with
the Democratic party North. From such
utterances and the influential sources from
which some of them come, | can but regard
them as dangerous to the country's welfare
1t may be none other than solemn truths
to say that hundred and one causes may
have contributed to the Democratic defeat
in the late elections, without fault on the
part of the Democratic party North. One
other great truth is palpable to all observ-
ers: The strict adherence to, and support
of the great principles of the Democratic |
party has driven many of our best and
ablest statesmen in the Northern States |
from their seats in both branches of Con |
gress. This proves at least one fearful |
proposition All the great and wealthy /
corporations, and the general overpowering /
wealth of the Northern States seek, with |
all their means of controlling the votes Of
the people, to prevent the Democratic party /
from obtaining control of the Government |
Any many potent influences in the North
ern States combined to aid the Republican
party North in creating false issues in the
State election, such as to alarm professed /