National Republican., 1883-06-09
Concerning Northern Democrats.

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Concerning Northern Democrats.
Our morning contemporary takes exception
to tho declaration by tho Ohio republican
convention that the republican party pre-
served the life Of the nation, and asserts that
like vapor in tho first clash Of arms but for
the unflinching loyalty of the northern demo-
Gratis" The republican party saved the life
of the nation by pulling down its merely
partisan tlag and running up the flag of the
union, and by its hearty coalition with the
Independent union democrats who left the
ayers were in sy mpathy with the southern
confederacy as against Lincoln's admiuistra-
tion. The republican party carried New York
in 1861 by coalition with the union demo-
Gratis aud elected Daniel S. Dickinson, an old
democratic leader, attorney general over the
regular democratic nominee. Dickinson had
supported Breckinridgo for president the
year before, but would not act with his party
in 1861 because of its manifest sympathy with
the rebellion.
In Ohio also tho republicans coalesced with
the union democrats and elected Tod gov
ernor.
In 1862 the leaders and press of the demo-
cratic party were bitterly opposing the war;
and tho republ leans and union democrats
formed coalitions against them. So vicious
were the democratic Misrepresentation of
President Lincoln, and so unsatisfactory
| the union coalitions in New York,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Chic, Indiana,
and Illinois were beaten at thepolls that year
by the anti-war party. The unconditional
union men had but Is majority in the United
States house of representatives chosen that
year, although tho solid south was broken by
the absence of the leven confederate states.
In 1868 the republican party, warned by the
disasters of 1862 merged their party into CO.
altions with tho unconditional union demo-
Gratis in most Of tho states and this resulted
so well that in 1864 and 1865 the use
of the name republican was almost en-
tircly dropped, and in its stead the
united opponents of the peace democracy
were known as tho union party. Mr.. Lincoln
was nominated in 1864 "mion republican "
out of Difference to the coalitions in the SOW
eral states between the republicans and the
| a.
of the northern democrats" who aided the
republican party to save the union was cX-
hibited hy following Douglas Grant, Logan
Dickins on Dix, Butler, Holt, Carpenter, Con
ness Stewart, and host of others out ol
the democratic party, which was doing
| its utmost to make the enforcement
d Democrats who opposed the democratic party
and with whom the republican party eagerly
formed coalitions, were not the democrat:
who hissed out their hatred of the govern
ment, denounced Abraham Lincoln as an ape
encouraged desertions, discouraged enlist
ments denounced tho war as unconstitu'
|
strife while gloating over union revorses
and denounced as abolition lies the report
of union victories Some union men wert
led astray, and were induced to vote tn
co pperhead ticket by loud advocacy in demo
cratic conventions of "a more vigorous prose
Gu tion of the unholy war;" but the loyalty o
these men has to be explained by want o
diligence on their part in reading the cur
rent news of the day to learn the purposes Of
their party.
The less said about tho part taken by III
democratic party of tho north during the civi
war tho bett er. The Virginia bourbon
might as we'll claim the credit for havin
done tho work of the Virginia coalition, be
. ause tho coalition embraces sixty thousan
ex-confederates, as for tho northern demo
cratic party to claim share in what tn
union coalition of the north from 1861 I
1865 did despite its most venomous oppc
sition.