Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1880-01-23
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as dicts,u.--vr fife,


a belief. On the contrary political
discussions are to-day conducted
with forbearance and moderation
which would have seemed The per
fection of miIk-aDd-water to the
gentlemen of the old school" who,
ninety years ago, would cross a
street ig the mud rather than meet
and speak to an acquaintance of op-
posite political belief. To any one
who reads political literature of past
years, the first notable point Is the
violence of the language. He seems
to have got into a new atmosphere.
Does a man profess himself a FEEDER
alist? Then he is a monarchist, a
bought slave of English gold, an
aper of European aristocEacy, whose
only hope is to seduce Washington
into declaring himself Dictator for
life" Does a man profess himself a
Democrat? Then he is ga JacObin,
a revolutionist by nature, a lOger of
mob law, a thief, a scoundrel, and q
repudiationisL." These are but a
few of the examples which might be
multiplied indefinitely if time and
space permitted.
Take as a specimen Jefferson's
language in an official letter to Pres
ident Washington in 1871, upon the
political opinions of Hamilton and
his party. NThis corrupt squadron
have manifested their disposition to
get rid of the limitations imposed by
the constitution upon the general
legislation, and the ultimate object
of all this is to prepare the way
far a change from the present re-
publican form of government to that
of a monarchy, of which the En-
glish is to be the model" And
Hamilton's answer was 20 taunt JEFF
ferson with a design "to subvert the
government, PROSTATE the credit
and honor of she nation, and bring
the government into contempt"
And Madison, shortly after, begins
series of articles with a gentle re-
mark that Hamilton's letters shave
been read with singular pleasure and
applause by the foreigners and de-
generate citizens among as who hate
our republican government" Sure
ly these distinguished citizens of the
"good old times" were by no means
mealy mouthed.
Washington often complained,
and bitterly, of the. language used
in criticism of his official acts. Here
is a part of the benediction bestow-
ed upon him at the end of his second
term of Office by a Democratic news
paper of the day. 'If ever there
was time which would license ex-
,ultation that is now arrived; for
the man who is the source of all the
misfortunes of our country is this
day reduced to level with his fell
low citizens, and is no longer possess
ed of power to multiply evils upon
the United States. If ever there
was a period for rejoicing, this is
the moment. Every heart In unison
with the freedom and happiness. of
the people ought to beat high with
exultation that the name of Wash
ington from this day ceases to give
currency to political iniquity and to
legalize corruption. A new era is
now opening upon us-an era which
promises much to the people, for
public measures must now stand
upon their own merits, and nefarious
projects can no longer be supported
by name. It is a subject Of the
greatest astonishment that a single
individual should have carried his de-
signs on public liberty so far as to
have put in jeopardy its very exis-
tence. Such, however, are the facts;
and with these staring us in the face,
this day ought to be jubilee in the
United StaEes!"
If these things were done in the
green tree, is it any wonder that
there should be at least trace of
them in the dry? There are many
now living who can remember half a
score of political campaigns in the
past, and can bear witness that, even
within twenty years, political argu-
ment has grown pereeptibly milder.
A large section of the country be-
lieved firmly in 1860 that Abraham
Lincoln was a full blooded negro,
and Hannibal Hamlin 3 81, 200 mu-
latto. Political blackguardism can
hardly hope ever again to equal the
level of 1860 in future And let all
rejoice thereat.