New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-10
81 GREAT PAST -

"a GREAT PAST"
Muvor Grace is a member of the Democratic
State Committee. He was IN attendance IN
that capacity at Saratoga The reports OF the
proceedings of the Committee on Tues day
make no mention OF any active participation
therein by the Mayor, the time OF that DELHI
eratiye body being chiefly occupied with lis
tenng to the fervId elOquence OF Michael Z.
Murphy, the cynical sarcasm OF Nelson j.
Waterbury, and the harmless platltudes OF
Lester ]. Faulkner. 1t was with possible fore
knowledge that the sessions of the Committee
would be entirely taken up with the goIngs-on
of the contentious Murphys, the irritating
Waterburys, and The cream-cheese Faulkners,
that Mayor Grace, Selling time by The forelock
and n newspaper reporter by the button, poured
himself into print on Tuesday morning, giving
the public his views upon the present pOliti-
cal situation and the condition and prospects OF
the Democratic party in the State. Having set
forth at some length his ideas OF the duty OF
the party as to the time of holding the Conven-
ton; the platform, which should be out
spoken and positive with much less indefinite
"ness and Mandy pambyism than many OF our
platforms have had of late" and the candl-
date-who should be Allan G. Campbell-tbe
Mayor said aprOpos of the necessity for prudent
action in order to keep the party alive The
Democratic party has a great past, and, be-
sieve, great future"
Now as to the latter clause, the party's
"great future" we have nothing to say. 1t is
and must be matter OF pure conjecture. but
when Mr.. Grace goes on to say that III GER
"tanly has a great future If 1t Is only wise
"enough and sincere enough to be willing faIrly
@and squarely to encounter defeat we quite
agree with him. We 20 still further: we be-
lieve that 40 long as the Democratic party en-
counters defeat fairly and squarely, not only
that party but the whole country has great
furure.n The country is never so safe nor so
prosperous rs when the Democracy encounter
defeat, and the party itself never appears to so
good an advantage as when III minority.
But as to the "great past we are by no means
so clear. That is not "A matter of conjecture,
but of history. 1t can hardly Ue that the Mayor
refers to the more recent past for If there
is anything that has excited Democratic lndlg-
nation in the last ten or twelve years 1t Is any
reference to their past" To every such allu-
sion they have lifted their ruddy noses Ill dis
gust and snappishly remarked: Let by-gones
abe by cones; the war is ended and slavery
us abolished. Let us have no raking up of
dead issues" 1t must be a very remote and
dim "past" to which the Mayor refers as
great" We recall period long ago when it
WAS the habit of Democratic orators dwelling
on the party's traditional glories to point with
pride to the policy which brought on the war
with Mexico by which we made large territorial
acquisitions in the Southwest. But that was
rather ia policy of slavery extension than terri
torial expansion the former was the chief, the
latter but subordinate consideration.
The great past of the Dem cratc party
was when it was simply the instrument OF
slavery extension. 1t has no other great
past" Aside from its desperate and finally
futile efforts in that direction it has never ac-
complished, hardly even attempted, anything.
There can be no occasion for pride in the fact
that it forced the Fugitive Slave Law upon the
North as ii condition tor permitting California
to come into the Union as Tree State; nor
that it's sole achievement during Plerces al
ministration was the repeal OF the Missouri
Compromise and the reOpening OF the slavery
question; nor that its entire energies DARING
the first half of Buchanau's administration
we're directed to forcing slavery into Kansas
and during the second half to preparations ior
breaking up the Union nor that 1t Opposed INC
war to pnt down the rebellion; nor that IL has
put itself on record in opposition to every WISE
and beneGcent measure which Repub cans
have carried through, and by when alone the
couptrv has been rescued from the shipwreck
To which Democratic administration hau al
most brought it and set forward III career OF
unexampled prosperity. There is nothing IN
all this of which the party can be proud;
nothing in the partys history for forty years
that can properly be called great except IN
its record of bunders follies and crimes
Mayor Grace may be right in his hope for
a great future" for his INDEPENDENTLY If
it "encounters defeat fairly and squarely v
but he must have had slip of the tongue
when he referred to its great past