Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1883-09-20
The nE.MasRAcY.

'ob tpf lhics ~ uoc tNti OrtH =
rue to the principles of cousii {
utionai liberty and has al ways !
defended the rights of the mas |
,es. The party would have long
since dishanded had il not been
for tie staunch advocacy OF the
great principles enunciated by
it's greatest leader, Thomas JEFF
ferson. 1t has withstood q sue
cession of disastrous defeats
which would have crushed aud
annihiliated any other party.
It has seen many great political
organizations rise, flourish and
then pass away.
1t has passed safely through
many severe and trying ordeals
since it passed out OF the pos.
session of the government IL
1861. When the war closed in
1865 it had not the control Of q
single state in the North and
there seemed At that time no
hope that 1t ever would. The
great mass Of the people were
angry and indignant at the
Democrats because they ia
vored Q lcnient treatment Of the
South and = restoration Of its
equal rights and privileges in
the Union. The people listened
to the appeals of Democratic
orators for justice and kindness
toa conquered and suhjngatcd
people with an angry Impotence
and naughty disdain. Even such
. man as President johnson,
whose devotion to tho Union
had been thoroughly tested and
established, was frequently in.
suited by the populace on his
journey from Washington to
Chicago in 1866 and on his re-
turn his life was endangered
OF impeachment were
preferred against him, not be
cause he had violated the con
stitution OF any law Of the land
but because he was known 20
% in favor Of Democratic prin-
and was opposed to the ],
Iiolent and PRECAUTIONARY,
Ichcmss Of the Republicans. !.
10 bitter was the feeling against !
i'm that he only escaped con !.
'iction in the Senate by one :
'ote and that body is generally ],
much more conservative than /, .
he House. !
The number of Democrats in ),
was very small and ,
|0me of them wsre frequently /;
'usted from their seats upon !,
he most trivial pretexts- No
could consider him. !,
49,. t
Ielf safe in his position unless
packed By several thousand ma :.
ority Contested election cases ;
we're decided, not upon their
merits, but upon the politics Of
The parties. It was the rule in
hose days to PM out the Demo-
crat and put in the Republican.
Gloomy as was the prospect
In the North, it was apparently
still darker and moro hopeless
IN this section. The South was
under military rule and this was
soon followed by carpst.bag
rule which only made matters
worse. Both the South and
North bad delegations in Con.
gress which were almost solidly
Republican.
This discouraging state Of a.
fairs would have broken up and
ruined any other party than the
Democratic and many Of its
prominent men did go over to
the Republican camp but the
great mass we're trne to the
principles Of the party aud its
organization. They felt, that
whiist il may have committed
errors, it Was after all the safeht
aud best guardian Of constitu
tional liberty anu they continu.
cd the battle under its flag.
Their courage aud perseverance,
has been amply rewarded by
seeing the party once more adj
vancing on the road to victory.
The Democracy once q feeble
and dcspissd minority, have be-
lcome Is majority and they will