The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-06-13

This is, or until recently was, the day OF
the Thomas Jefferson revival. For year
or two past Democrats Of sufficient means
and leisure have been caucusing over the
shades OF the Sage Of Monticello, at the
same time eating, drinking and pledsing
"their lives, their fortunes and their ga
cred" honor to conquer the country and
possess the spoils-particularly the spoils-
in the sacred name Of Jefferson. Andrew
jackson, who had been something OF a man
himgei In his time, was Stunned, treated
with cold neglect, as though he had nothing
to do with the cotton bales, and hadn't
threatened to twist Mr.. Calhoun's neck.
We 20 not agree with some OF our CO.
temporaries that there is anything. int
herenty vicious in this Jeffersonian re-
vival or failure to produce revival. A
party which has little to point to in the
present and less to hope for in the future
must turn TO the past or go out Of business.
The Democratic party will not voluntarily
20 out Of business aud 1t has proven y
difficult Job to knock It out; 1t remains,
SO X, 10 envelop itselfin the shadow OF q
grea name long since embalmed in his
tory.
In view OF the approaching dedication Of
the jefferson monument at Monticello, the
Chicago Times is moved to make some re:
marks on the patron saint The Tm'
may be repndiated as Democratic author
ity. Certainly it is not Republican. 1t
claims to be Independent. 1t always uses
plain English, OF which this is specimen:
Though Jefferson was nota bad man in
motlys!or intent, II Is beyond controversy or
question that the dist cttve political notions
with which he, more conspcuously than any
other man, has been historically identified
contained more error and furnished the sop
hist cal pretex. Of more mischief than any
OF er political notions that have been held
in America. He was the father Of the spoils
system, He was the first American TO give
niterance 10 the do lrine Of secession aud re-
duce it TO party creed He, more actively
and iutluentially than any other man OF his
time i,,cuIcaIed the pestilent theory OF q
federal COMPACT or union OF sovereign
s,ates." He, as The foremost apostle OF
these mischievous sophistries, laid In
party, opinion the foundations OF nulli-
iication and secession. Though he
was not among the pronounced cham ions OF
slavery las, perhaps, he would have been 81
later dsy), he, ~ the foremost teacher aud
organizer OF the doctrine OF separation. was
foremost in giving TO slavery its strongest,
indeed lis only political security. 1t may
not be asserted that in prunulgating these
heresies he prolol gid his mental vision to
their consequences, for he was not far.see-
ing man, but rather demUgogue aiming only
10 attli immediate ends But be did mora
than any other one Am rican who has lived
TO give them Judgment In political thought
and Literature, and so to bring upon the land
the evil const quencesto which they logically
went.
The doctrines theories, sophistries, and
so.csIled "trincipleA" OF Jefferson belong 10
ap ,st chapter OF our historJ. The period OF
their prevalence and popularity culninated
when the party OF Jeif .rson, led by buchan-
an, lost their gr1p upon the Government
The civil war, which was their natural fruit,
closed the era OF their preponderance. and
erected between that era and It's successor In
our historic life wall which the nat on will
never remove or rePass. From that epoch
the worahip OF Jefferson began TO decline
rapidly, and the influence OF bis political
sop istries to grow beautifully less.
The country, particularly the southern
part OF 1t, still contains many demagogues,
most OF them survivors " the old era, who
refuse 10 admit this perfectly plain truth, and
try to close their understanding against 1t.
But the principles Of Jefferson" are wan
ing Their light Ia fading out, Their intiu-
euce Ia popular thought and opinion Is dis
appearing. They are bound to 30 out, like
the candle OF Bucnanan's administration,
with bad smell. There Is nothing surpris-
ing or 81 gular In the manif station among
the Bourbon uoIables, even in Virginia, OF n
disinclination to go out with them.
This is pretty strong medicine and a
pretty big dose Of It. II it were admins.
tered by Republican newspaper some
body might say hard things about it, as an
independent newspapers view Of the lost
hope and best "hold" Of the Democratic
party OF to-day 1t ia about as good reading
as We can expect in these warm days.