The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-07-29

the greater number to the Union ar
mics. That this was true of the lead
erS can be shown in all instant. [ can
not recall now without an inspection
of the records all the Democrats who
held high commands; but there were
Mcclellan, Buell., Hafieck. Grant,
sherman, Rosecrans. Hancock, Frank
lin, Sedgwick, Hooker, Logan, Butler,
DIX, Couch, Slocum, smith, Sickles,
Lander, Averell, Corcoran, Meagher,
Bartlett and host of others, whose
names appear on almost every page of
the history of the rebellion. The same
ls true of the rank and file of the
Union army. In States like Vermont
IA Republican State-the soldiers EN-
listed were chiefly Republicans, and it
is but fair to say that Vermont con-
tributed larger proportion of her pop
ulation to the war than any other
State in the Union. Her soldiers,
however, went to the front not as SOL
diers, but as citizens. At the same
time the Democratic States of the
North were much larger in population,
anc it SO happened, as l have said,
that so great proportion of the men
composing our armies who first rose to
have the Union We're Democrats"
observe among the list of officers
you have mentioned as Democrats a
few who have since turned their poIit-
ical coats %
1t is true that some of the Demo-
Gratis have named became Republi-
cans during or after the war. But it
is equally true that in almost every in
stance military advancement or civil
prefernentf followed Immediately upon
the change of political faith. During
the generation to which you and be-
long,n said General McMahon, warm
ly, this false and insolent claim of
political party as having exclusively
saved the Union would amount to lit
tie, for we can remember the scenes
and the sentiment of '61 and can afford
to smile at it. But do you realize that
another generation has sprung up
since then, and that the young man or
woman who was a child at that date,
and who knows nothing of the war
save what may be picked up from the
partisan press and political platforms,
is greatly wronged by such claim
So, too, are the widows and orphans of
Democratic soldiers who died for the
cause.n q; s.stte is-.i .l..-,- q 3 I
Here the messenger whom General
Mcmahon had sent returned with a
Newspaper containing the Republican
platform in full.
Let me adit," said the General.
"Ah! the. first paragraph fully bears
out what i said. Each and every
statement contained in it is untrue, in
SO far as it claims that the Repub blican
party did that which the people did
and is insulting, not only to the intel
ligence but to the patriotism Of Amer
leans. My remark applies, also. to all
this platform claims as to the results
of the war. The industries of the
,fvrxy Il a.
has advanced, not because of, but in
spite of the Republican supremacy. 4
The dominant party for sixteen years
has crippled and almost paralyzed one
half of the Union for partisan purposes
and has thereby immeasurably retard-
ed the general prosperity of the nation.
1t haa greatly -an barfaseed our COM
merce, aud has absolutely prevented
its revival by its persistent refusal in
Congress to allow American ships.
temporarily transferred to the protec-
ton of foreign flags during the war, to
resume the American flag or register,
or to permit our merchants to purchase
foreign ships and sail them under our
flag. The result is that while we are
neither building wooden ships nor
privileged to buy them our entire car
rying trade is done in European bot
TOMS"
What of the rest of the platform ?"
"As to the second paragraph, it con-
tains the usual Republican absurdity |
Everyone admits that the constitution |
is the supreme law, not because it is |
stated in q Republican platform, but |
because it is stated in the constitution |
itself. For the same reason every one |
admits that certain powers are denied |
to- the federal government and that |
other powers are denied to- the States |
How, then, can the United States or |
the several States be sovereign " FL
there be power which can deny them |
anything, that power is certainly su-
perior, and they therefore are not SOW
ereign.' What, then, is that power? |
Read article 10 OF the constitution ::
The powers not delegated to the
United States by the constitution, norl
prohibited by it to the States, are re-
served to the States respectively or |
to the people, The people, therefore,
are the source and reservoir of power,
and they alone are sovereign. Note |
further this difference, that the United |
States have only such powers as are
expressly delegated and that the
ly prohibited by the constitution.
Any thinking man who will read this |
paragraph of the Republican platform |
in connection with the article OF the |
which / have quoted, will |
conclude, I think, that the people
alone are sovereign in this Republic,
aud that the writer of the platform
was not well up, SO to say, in the the
ory of government devised by the
fathers. BY the way" General Nc
think Garfield had hand in the wri.
ting of this platform. 1t is much in
his Congressional style, and, besides,
there is an evident effort in the whole
document to be epigramatic and sensa-
bional, without regard to the truth"
"There is paragraph relating to
2" v'.l ,lt
''As to that, with the references to
religion and sectarianism, and the rest,
to the twin barharity,' river
md harbors, the Chinese and Ruther-
ord b. Hayes, they are mere springs
% catch woodcock-not worth serious
lotice." .-.,..,5 I.
:" Well, take the rest of the plat
'Ali the rest relates to the vices of :
he Democratic party aud presents
ad outlook for the country when YOU
that this terrible party at the
asst Presidential election was III a ma
ority of more than quarter of a mil
ion of the voting population, and will
increase that majority by an
ther quarter of a million at the next Y
lection. 1t appears from this plat
orm that the Democratic Congress
ctually attached riders to appropri- .t
tiOn bills. In this it followed the ex-
mple set by several Republican Con- s.
,resses. That it. would be dangerous $
o the dearest interests of the nation Is
D restore the Democratic party to
over is no doubt true in the estima-
ion of the body of gentlemen who L