Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1880-04-10
COMMUNICATED.
.TIEE DUTY AND MISSION OF
THE DEN0Crs ATTIC PARTY"

This was the announced theme of an
address by the Hon. d. B. Lucas, in the
Court House, at Charlestown, on Satur-
day last. That the Dem ocratic party OF
America has been by the Divine law
giyer commissioned for noble and
bene6cent duty to mankind, cannot be
questioned. 1t has reared lis standard
in this land of ours and proclaimed polit-
ical liberty to the nations OF men, Its
clarion voice has been heard in every
civilized land, until monarchs have been
made TO tremble On their thrones this
has aroused the jealous fears Of the i'm
perialists of our own and other lands,
until combinations for its check and
final annihilation have been formed and
through insldious emssaries incisions
upon our republican system OF govern
ment are made by the Republican party
under the plea of the want OF strong
gounnmeni. 1t is the duty OF the
Democratic party to antagonize this
political monster, its champions must
fight from patriotic motives and not
from such as seemed to actuate MIR. Luz
cas- in his address. He was for hurting
from power and place those " no are
now occupying them, namely, the re-
publicans in general, and the represen-
tative of this Congressional district in
particular; and that he Lucas, might be
commissioned by the Democrats Of this
county, to go and tell our Democratic
brethren in the trans Allegheny coun-
ties how ungenerous and illiberal they
have been acting towards us. This patent
truth Mr.. Lucas as citizen has a right
10 proclaim and that he might be made
the future Waterman CT Democracy, but
he did not say for how long or what
pay. lie thought however that the pres
ent occupants had been there long
enough Tor their own and their coun-
try's good, and that they had gotten too
much pay; in this he possibly was quite
right.
/ fully agree with Mr.. Lucas that the
Democratic party has emission and a
duty" and would earnestly invoke the
cooperation Of every lover of free gov
eminent and political liberty in aiding
it to perform its duty in perpetrating the
form of government given 10 us by our
fathers OF l77S. This was work OF
political inspiration, inpelled by lofty
and unselfsh patriotism. The duty OF
the Democratic party of to-day, is as
necessary and imperative as 1t was
then, for there is the same passions and
prriudices of men, who are In favor OF
an imperial government now as then,
which must be checked or we will inev-
itabIy drift into a monarchy. There
are, | regret to say some errors in the
Democratic party of to-day, which must
be gotten rid Of 1t has in a certain de
gree lost its nationality ard concert OF
action. We have the 1ilden and Bay
arc factions of the North, the Hendricks
and Thurman factions Of the West, the
Hancock aud Mcclellan factions OF the
East, and united Southern people de
MED the right Of expressing decided
preference, least, it should excite sec
tional opposition. This is not as it
should be, and it is one of the duties OF
the Democratic party TO correct this er-
ror. The need of the Democratic party
of the hour Is, hosts of gallant, indepen-
dent, unselish patriotic men, who will
proclaim it's true EMISSION and duty,
and aid in its performance without ret
CrCnce TO It's rewards. NJ.