Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-06-30
The Spirit of Party-A Reminis-
cenee.

CC1COs
George Washington, in his wonder
fully wise and comprehensive farewell
address to his children, the people of the
United States, and their posterity. warns
us with fathers love against the bane-
full effects of the spirit of party gener-
ally. He recognizes this spirit as, unfor-
tunately, inseparable from our nature,
existing in all governments, but espe'
cially in those of popular form, of which
it is the worst enemy.
"The alternate domination of one fac.
ton over another" he wrote, "sharp-
ened by the spirit of revenge natural to
party dissension, which in different ages
and countries has perpetrated the most
horrid enormities, is itself a frightful
despotism. But this leads at length to a
more formal and permanent despotism. "
Without recapitulating the many acts
of the present Republican Congress, in
spired by the baleful spirit of party, we
would merely take up one of its
systems of policy, which is evidently
prompted and guided by that revenge
which tends directly to the establishment
of a frightful permanent despOtlsm,
crushing out the will of the people as
declared in their elections to the Ma
tional Congress. We refer to the I'M
seating of members duly certified to have
been chosen by the people to the House
of Representatives, and the seating in
their stead by a strict party vote con-
testants whose claim is principally Re
publican afiliation.
In our youthful days we witnessed the
struggle in the House of Representatives
over the case of Moore and Letcher,
from Kentucky, and cannot but con-
template now with anxiety for the fu-
ture of our country the difference in
the principles controlling the action of
members in such cases. General jack
son was President. The House was
largely Democratic. Letcher was a
Wing, Moore a Democrat Unscrupu-
lous politicians in the Democratic ranks
tried to ply the lash of party discipline
to whip in Moore and exclude Letcher.
Excitement ran high. Even General
Jackson took a personal interest in the
result, as Letoher was gentleman of high
political standing and influence, and de
cided opponent of his. The Georgia mem
bers met three or four times in caucus,
and discussed the evidence adduced. The
rule of Justice throughout was that in
such cases members sat as jurymen and
Judges, not as party politicians. and that
judgment depended upon the facts as
proven, and not upon party ties. The
President sent for some of the Georgia
delegation and discussed the question
with them. His views were, of course,
of the Western hue of those rough days.
But finding the Georgians immOvable,
he dismissed them, saying: "Well, gen.
tlemen, | am sorry we do not agree in
this matter, but as you think, so must
you vote cOnscentiously l wish l had
more independent men like you in such
matters around me.
Leteher, the Wing, was seated by the
Democratic House, and Moore, the
Democrat, was dismissed. How differ
ent this from the recent conduct of our
present Republican House in the cases
of Finley, Wheeler and othersl And as
we mark the degradation is there not
good cause for us to apprehend "the for
NAL despotism" foreshadowed to US by
the Father of our Country; and is Il not
time for the people TO wake up TO their
danger, and, at the polls, remedy the
wrongs that have been inflicted upon the
right of election by Republican Con-
gressg
DEMOCRAT OF THE OLD SCHOOL.