The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1880-10-08
The Democratic Party Judged By Its
,.7 History. -..-. ..t
Rmer,A storr. in North American Review for oe,

4Qe 4eIuVCIdt4S Satty eoeSSe ~ 80
- History. .-a., - 90 ,.s
Emery A. Storrs In North American Review for octe
The time il far distant when the people
of this country can be persuaded to Judge
political party By its platform and pro
lessons, without reference to its practices
and history. Having been taught this les
son in tho severe school Of experience, the
Democratic party 10 now earnestly striving
to unload its history--to cast of its ole
and bad character. Unfortunately, it make.
no satisfactory effort to substitute, in place
Of the old one, q history which will bt
beneficial to itself and creditable to the
country. or to build mp such . new charac-
ter - can only be done BY complete
change Of conduct. - -
" Tho Dsmocrstic party Of to-day is sub
startially, the, Democratic party Of 1860.
It had q solid South then 1t has . solid
South now, 1t rallied around its banners
'thsu the great mass Of the dangerous class.
~ in the large cities it rallies them still.
The draft rioters of 1868 in the city OF
New York were Democrats those who
survive arc still Democrats. The Domo-
cratic party Of 1859 counted for its success
upon the States Of New York, New Jersey,
Connecticut and Indiana, to add to Its solid
South it counts upon those States still. !
In 1860 it asserted the sovereignty Of the
States and denied the right Of coercion ;
in 1880, to all Intents and purposes, an
nounces the same doctrine in the denial Of
the authority Of the general government to
enforce its laws, even after their constitu-
tional validity had been affirmed by tho
Supreme Court OF the United States.
Time has made ravsgss in its ranks, but
nevertheless its membership is practically
the same to-day IS in go. .Toombs, Jeffer-
son Davis, Hampton, Hill, Gordon and La
mar ware among the leaders of the Demo
cratic party south in go; they are to-day.
Hancock. Seymour, Bayard, English, Thur
man aud Ben Butler were among the lead
ers OF the Democratic party north in go !;
and they are 30 still. The rank and file
remain substantially the same. Occasion
ally q new recruit wanders in from the Re-
publican party but, in the main, the plac-
oes made vacant by disease or casualties
are made good by immigration and the nat
ural increase of population in the quarters
whore Democratic majorities are usually
found. --a.e. H- t:. .... f-..la ....
In '56 the Democratic party declared that
"Conaress has no power to charter Ma
tional Bank that Nc believe such an insti-
tuition ono of deadly hostility to tho best
interests Of the country, dangerous to our
institutions and the liberties Of
the people, and calculated to place the bus
iness, of the country within the control Of
. centralized money power and above the
laws and the will Of the people," It al
firms this doctrine in 80, for its platform
asserts L" We pledge ourselves anew to
the constitutional doctrines and traditions
Of the Democratic party" 7a- a.4.
"a ss--
the Democratic party will faithfully abide
by and uphold the principles laid down In
the Kentucky and Virginia resolutions Of
1913 and In tho report of Mr.. Madison to
the Virginia Legislature in 1900 ; that it
adopts those principles Is constituting ono
of the main foundations of its political
creed, and is resolved to carry them out in
their obvious meaning and import" Hay
ing pledged itself anew to its constitution
al doctrines and traditions, the conclusion
is inevitable that the Democratic party Of
to-day is q thoroughly committed to the
doctrine Of State sovereignty as 1t has ever
been. Endorsing those doctrines in 'o6 as
constituting one OF the main foundations
OF its political creed" and resolving to
carry them out in their obvious meaning
aud import" it renews that pledge in 80.
In go both branches Of the Democratic
party reaffirmed the platform Of '56.
In "a it resolved "Thst In the future,
as in the past, we will adhere with un-
swerving fidelity to tho Union under ths
Constellation. d II also more specifically
sets for its doctrine and purposes In the
resolution declaring that the aim and OBJ
iect Of the Democratic party IL to preserve
the Federal Union and the rights Of ths
State unimpsired." ."''.aas'"2 os@,'a.
,v Making practical application OF It's doc
rrines, it resolved "That this convention
does explicitly declare, as the sense Of The
American people, that after four years o
failure to restore the Union by the experi.
,nent Of var, during which, under the pre-
tsnse Of military necessity or war-powe
higher than the Constitution, the Consti
tutioun itself has been disregarded In ever!
part, and public liberty and private righ
are alike trodden down, and the nstsris
prosperity 'of the country essentially inn
he'd, justice. humanity, liberty and sh
uublic welfare demand that immediate 81
forts be made for cessation Of hostiiitie
| With Q view 70 the ultimate conyentisn Q
the Statss, aor other apsaceable means,
4 the end that at the earliest practicable ~
msns peaos may be restored On the bas
Of TIM Federal Union Of the. States.",
! Il ~ill not escape sbservation that, 10 il
platform of "a, the Democrstic party VI
entirely silent ~ 10 the right Of the Cover
ment 10 prosecute tho war for its Own pre-
eryatioo. Il reafarmsd the State soyereig
~ idea Of its previous platforms it d
( nouposd tho measures which the Cover
nent enployed for the suppression Of u
rebellion Ii declaced the war N expo
| mont and that experiment . failure 1T q
mauded cessation Of localities and y
torasion OF peace on basis consiste
with its old dootrinss. ,Unchangei IN sp
It and policy, tho Democratic pledges ~
anew to its q oonstitutional, doctrines p
traditions."oY e5Z 81 d o sssd hlssu
The courags. patriotism and snduuar
OF the psopss answered tho Denoera
platforn Of '6z, crushed the rebellion 2
( defeated the armies. Tho war was no
u failure. Tho work Of reconstruction
> lowed and, looking 10 pescs and securI
: for the future, the loyal masses dstern
? Cd that the Union should b restored NJ