The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-12-04
The Past and tho Future of the Democ.


number, not the elevation and progress Of
the masses-but, instead OF ull this, the
political and social and personal aggrandixe.
ment OF IL class and al interest-the class
represented ut the South by slave.
holders and the interest represented by
slavery. Democracy had its strength and
lodgment for several years before the war
ut the South-the South WINS its bnttress-
slavery was its hacker, and Democracy, in
its turn, was the hacker Of the South. To
aid, abet, enhance and aggrandize the
South 1t made all other interests subordi.
nate. 1t went with the South to tho very
verge oil the dissolution OF the Union. 1t
opposed the war as party-it threw great
obstacles in the way Of the prosecution Of
the war as q party; /. opposed every act OF
the government for putting down the re.
bellion; its voice was for stopping the war
and for negotiation, II need be, for tivi.-
ion OF the country. As far as Democracy
wasconcernedthe war was afailure and the
rebellion success. Had Democracy pre-
vailed at any time during the war the war
would have been failure and the Union
dissolved. M. 81
What was true during the war was in
like manner true after the war. We refer
TO these things to show why the Democratic
party has been called the Bourbon party.
This is the point we are illustrating. Every
thing accomplished during the war and
after the war in the way Of progress-in
the way OF present results-was accom-
piished not only without the aid, but DIES.
pite the opposition Of the Democratic
purity. Their strength as party was, as
before the war, at the South. The head
sympathized with the body and the limbs
Of the party. The body, the internal or
gans, the heart, the liver, the lungs, the
vicera, the arteries, veins, muscles and
principal bones OF the system, were at the
South. The head desired to rejoin itself
to all this animal machinery and be the
same old party again, with the same old
instincts and the same old proclivities.
The South sought to again sound the
slogan, to resume the old relation to the
party, to ally itself to its old body and
bones and muscle in the same old way
again. And it would have succeeded had
not the people OF the North remained true
to the Republican party after the war, and
defeated the Democracy time after time
and we would have stood to-day as Union
and country, in, dear knows what or
how, to the logical results Of the war.
Here, for instance, is part OF the record
Of this party OF Bourbonism from the out
set OF the war, during the war and after the
war. 1t opposed
!. President Lincoln's proclamation in
lstl Tor seventy-iive thousand troops to
defend the National Capital. 80
9. President Lincoln's call for three hun.
dred thousand troops to take the Southern
forts and other property and resist rebell-
ion.
8. The refusal to return slaves escaping
into the Union lines during the war. -.
!. The issuance OF greenbacks. }j
b. The establishment OF our grand nat
ional banking system which strengthen
our Government, made the war d success.
and gave us money based on Government
bonds. r. 4 +
6. The arming OF negroes a..f,,-5a
Z. The emancipation proclamation.
$. The continuance Of the war against
rebellion after 1854. .G5-
0 The overthrow Of the Southern State
Goyernments by President johnson after
Lees surrender. TE
10 The Constitutional Amendment abol.
ishing slavery. i5 mi
il. Trumbull's civil rights bill. So
u The fourteenth amendment. which
was intended 10 make the Civil Rights bill
constitutional 81
ID The overthrow OF the temporary gov
ernments in the South and formation Of
others by the general vote OF the people.
II. The payment Of the public debt in
coin. s'5', 555s ,,2..-
Is. The internal revenue system.
IL. The external revenue system.
II. ANY and all measures for raising
money, either by taxation or by loan.
Is. ANY inquiry as preliminary 10 re-
vision of the tariff. n !. I'F !.
10. Any check to the Chinese migration
Tor a less term than twenty years.
20 ANY check Of polygamy sovereignty
in Utah. $50 ,. '..3.,2i
The above is only part OF the Bourbon
record Of thu. Democratic. party. We cite
only twenty counts in the Indictment
against the party. We might cite many
more. They, however, serve to illustrate
our point, that the Democratic party is not
u party OF real progrcss-is not n party Of
the masses-is not the party that has served
the Union and reconstructed it on sure
and lasting foundations, and made it
respected and powerful throughout the
earth; is not tue party that has given us u
sound and uniform currency; that has ele-
waited, schooled and improved the people;
that has diversified their industries, opened
up the earth, built railroads, given the
farmer home markets, and made the whole
land resound with the whirr OF INA.
chincry and filled it with the happy homes
Of a great and cultivated people.
What the Democracy may do or attempt
to do in the future We know not. We
speak Of its past. we can only judge par.
ties as We do individuals in this world, by
their acts-their record. Possibly the De-
mocracy have learned good lesson; posi-.
bly, the party will be on its good behavior
hereafter. q 1t still, however, has its strong
Southern ailinities and proclivities. The
North will watch it closely and jealousy
during the nexttwo years, and II the old
instincts, too strong Tor control, reassert
themselves, and i in the future rs in the
past, It attempts to reverse the results 5of
the war, it will DO hurled out Of power
again, and ordered to again do penance