Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1882-08-26
THE DEMOCRATIC PAST"

From the st. Louis Republican.
In q recent editorial the New York
Tribune says:
"The great past of the democratic
party was when it was simply The in-
strument of slavery extension. IL
has no other great past Aside from
its desperate aud finally futile efforts
in that direction it has never accoul.'
plished, hardly even attempted. any.
thing" .......,.-s...,. o..
As a. specimen OF shameless false
hood this is certainly ''hard to beat"
aud coming from one of the chiet
organs of u party claiming 10 repre-
seut all The int ellieeuce. rs well as alt
the morality Of the country, it is de-
cidedly suggestive. II the Ignorance
Of the Tribune constituency ia as
dense as the above exi ract assumes it
to lie. a few sch0Olulaeters are sOrely
needed among them. SO
Tue democratic party came into
power at the inauguration of Thomas
Jefferson, March 4, 1901, and went out
of power at the Inauguration of Abra-
hain Lincoln. March 4, 1861. During
these sixty years every president
elected was democrat except three,
John Quincy Adams, William Henry
Harrison and Zachary Taylor. H4r-
IisOn died few weeks after his ac-
cession to Office, and Vice-P President
Tyler, who succeeded him, was. for
all practical purposes, democrat.
During the three non-democratic
presidential terms democrats virtual
ly had contrsl of congress. sO that
the sixty years may be considered rs
an unbroken period of democratic
rule. Tnis is the ''great past" OF
| which Democrats boast and at which
the Tribune sneers. II embraces two
successful foreign wars with Eng
land and with Mexico-and such ma
tional development IA the world has
never seen in the same length of time.
A comparison between our country as
Jefferson found it IN 1901. and as
Buchanan left it Ill 1861, shows a pro-
yress III every department of national
life that is simply amazing; pro-
gress which transformed the infant
Into the giamt-preparing the way, for
and shaping all subsequent growth.
What greater past could any political
party have than this? What is there
in ancient or modern history to match
IL? Ii "the instrument of slavery
extension" has inaue such n record
republicans should become slavery
extensiOnists At the earliest practica
bic moment for what is their past.
as 4 political organization. compared
with the democratic? When they
have ''attempted" and "a complish.
ed" as much AS their opponents, theil
past will be as ''great;" not before,
Meanwhile they may protitably IN
quire whether, in getting rid of sla'
very through the agency of civil war
they have not caused more evit tha,
they cured Z wheel her the remedy was
not, directly ami Indirectly, worse
than the disease? The perniclous eff
fects Of the Influences set i'll motor
in 1861 65 are still felt in every branch
Of government, state and federal. ant
promise to endure for many years tO
come. Not day passes that the care
} ful observer does not see these effects
working silently and swiftly in dan
fgcrous directions and gaming new
strength for mischief AT every step
aud when and how they are TO be ar
rested the wisest prophet cannot pre-
diet. The democratic party may have
erred in it's defense OF All institution
which the constitution recognized
and guaranteed, and without the re-
cogmitiou and guaranty ui which
there would have been no "Umitet
States Of America" But the repub
lican party. denouncing the cons,itu
tion rs ian agreement with dcatl
and n covenant with hell" and de
clarlng its willingness to "let tiit
Union Slide" has adopted principle.
and policy utterly hostile to the fun
dsmental ideas of the organic law ant
> to tho perpetui'y and prosperity %
the family of states. Since 1861 ih,
country has been travelling n new
psth which tiiverges wider and widpI
from the old one. Ii the new is al
> safe as was the old then the father
aud founders OF the republic wer,
fools, deserving rniicule rather tina,
8 ,overence. The democratic party i
proud of its past. 1t is indeed
great past" in spite of many fault
and follies. and will so stand in tn
national annals long after republican
] ism has gone to n dishonorcd grave
, Without such past behind it tn
democratic party would have neitLc c
present nor future. 1t is vital and I'm
conquerable because il has "show,
t It's faith by Its works :" herause it W q
guide and guard during sixty year
, of national eYis enrr; nrcau e tn
nation has in 1t ID. only barrie
gainst the dennraIizius aud des rue
tive tendencies OF Republican rule.