Morning journal and courier., 1880-08-06

GRAND AND TRADITIONS. The first plank in the Democratic platform opens thus 'sWe pledge ourselves anew to the doctrines and traditions of the Democrat ic party" What are those doctrines and tra- ditions which the Democratic party is so proud of and loyal to? We find them well stated in the National Republican.
 The doctrines were the presidential State rights ideas embodied in the Virginia and Kentucky resolution of 1798, under which South Carolina set up her notification scheme; under which secession was inaugur- ated and civil war brought upon the country; under which the Democratic party par alyzed from making any efforts to save it standing as Buchanan and his administration did, and declaring that there was no power in the general government to coerce State in armed rebellion seeking it's life.
 Another doctrine was derived from the Dred Scott decision, under which slavery could go wherever it pleased. The tradition is that the Democratic administration of Bu- chanan would have it go over the whole country without any power anywhere to check it, while the ''squatter sovereignty" branch of the Democratic party for re- pealing the Missouri compromise and letting slavery go where it pleased, but gave the people of Territory the right to shut it out when they formed State.
 These were the great doctrines of the Dem ocratie party, to which it pledges itself anew.
 The traditions are that every revolutionary scheme which has disgraced the politics of the country since the foundation of the Re- publican party has been fathered by the Democratic party, from secession ill the South to Garcelonism in Maine.
 The traditions are that for thirty years human freedom never had friendly vote from the Democratic party, while every measure fastening slavery upon the country received it's hearty support.
 The traditions are that had the Democratic party succeeded in 1860, slavery would have cursed all our territories and free labor would have been degraded and disgraced.
 The traditions are that had the Democratic party succeeded in 1868 in declaring all the reconstruction measures 'unconstitutional, revolutionary and void,' it would have re- pealed them all and left the results of the
 
 dens.
 The traditions are that every Democratic State voted against abolishing slavery by @ constitutional amendment
 That every Democratic State voted against the fourteenth amendment of the constitu- tion which made "al persons born or natu- ralized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside, " and which provided that ''no State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizen of the United States nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty property with out due process of law; nor deny to any person within it's jurisdiction the equal pro- tection of the laws.'
 That every Democratic State voted against the fifteenth amendment of the constitution, which provides that ''the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State Bon account of race color or previous condition of servitude."
 There is also a tradition that New York, New Jersey and Indiana voted for these amendments when they were Republican States, and that when they became Demo- cratic States they voted to withdraw the con- sent which had been given to them.
 These are some of the traditions of the glorious old Democratic party, to which it pledges itself anew.