Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1881-11-05
GAN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY BE
TRUsTED2-IF NOT, WHY NOT!

Inc staple cry Oh inc republican
orators and organs says the North
American Register, is the persistent
declaration that the democratic par
ty is unworthy of the confidence of
the people, and that to entrust to it
the destinies of the country and its
government, would destroy the pros
perity of the one and endanger the
existence of the other. To expose the
hollowness. the fa!sehood, and the
hypocrisy of this eternal wall, brief
reference to the history of the cOun-
try while under the control of the
democratic party is all that is neces-
sary, and this reference we shall pro-
ceed to make as succinctly as possi-
BILE.
Coming into power with the access
sion of that great apostle of liberty
aud democracy, Thomas Jefferson, to
the presidency of 1901, the democratic
party, with the exception of four
brief years of the administration of
Quincy Adams, four more under the
administration Of Taylor and Fill
more, and a single month under Will
liam Henry Harrison, held undis-
puted control of the government up
to the 4th day of March, 1861, when
the reins of power passed into the
hands of Abraham Lincoln. How the
country prospered, how its population
Increased, how the area of freedom
was extended from ocean to ocean,
how the blessings of liberty, of law,
and of education were extended, and
the happiness of the people promoted
and increased under the wise and
benign rule OF the democratic party
during period of more than half a
century, is known to every man of
intelligence throughout the land. In ali
these years the democratic party bore
sway in the councils of the country.
Democrats occupied the presidential
Office and held the most exalted and
responsible positions known to our
government. During that long period
| sve had two foreign wars, one with
England commencing in 1872, aud
closing III a blaze of glory in 1915 /;
and the second, with Mexico, conf
menced in 1916 and closed in 1S4s. By
the first we established the immunity
of American ships from the degrad-
ing right of search, and won imper-
ishable glory for the American name.
BY the second we added new lustre to
our flag, and annexed to the Uuited
States Il territory richer in all the eie-
ments OF wealth than poets or vision
4 aries ever dreamed of. 1t was the
democratic administration of Thomas
Jefferson that added Louisiana to the
constellation Of states, aid bya single
bound extended the area of freedom
from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific
ocean, secured the undisputed navi-
CATION and control of the Mississippi.
the worlds greatest river, from its
source 10 the gulf, carri d the
flag of the Union beyond the Rocky
Mountains, and planted it by the
calm and placid waters of the Pacific.
1t was the democratic administration
of James Monroe that acquired from
tSpain the valuable territory of Flor.
ida, extending from the Atlantic
ocean to the Mississippi river. 1t wss
the democratic administration OF
flames X. Polk, that added Texas to
the Union, and again the starry ban
ner was borne beyond the Rock y
Mountains and planted upon the
igolden shores of California. From
the organization of the government,
i'll 1888, down to the present hour
there has been no single national
achievement that added to the glory
of the country, shed rcnown upou
the American nama, or extended the
area of freedom, that was not tue
direct emanation of democrati tic 8! ates-
manship, courage and sagacity; save
i'll our recent Wretched civil strife,
where brothers hand shed brothers
blood, no battle has been fought, no
victory Won by American arms. either
upon the sea Or upon the land, that
was not fought and won under the
auspices of democratic administra-
ton. The democratic party has fur
nished the most eminent jurists as
well as the ablest aud most profound
statesmen and political economists
the country has yet known, and in
every walk of official life democrats
have won the grecnest bays and gar
nered the most fadeless laurels.
During the more than fifty years
of democratic rule the national honor
was msintained, the public credit
preserved, the resources OF the coun-
try developed, its wealth and pros.
perity vastly increased, and the con-
seQuent happiness O: ITS people as,
sured.
In contrast with this bright record
of distinguished and honorable
achievements, what does the republi.
can party present for the considera.
ton of the American people? Its
orators and organs pcrsistcntly de
clare that the repu blican party 'saved
the life of the nation," aud ii tie
mocrats are entrusted with Tie
'reins Of government, the fruits Of The