The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-06-09
JEFFERsONIAN DEMOCRACY


A. MCGREGoR EsQ.-DEAR SIR; Some
considerable time ago, in talking over
political matters with you, remarked
that some forty years before that time,
few short articles on the subject of
Jeffers0nian Democracy had produced a
very favorable effect in our Congress
siORal distriet. You then requested me
to write something for publication in
the same spirit, which promised t0'dOsa
but this, like many other good inten-
tiOns, was postponed to more convent
ent season. But as the old prOverb,
Better late than never" is still cOnsid-
cred true, L concluded to at least make
a commencement on the subject pr0po7
sed. nv. g6 fsr5a.,t-.. ls-',',l
In the Centennial year Of the deeIafa-
tiOn of American independence, the
Democratic party having Tilden and
Hendricks for their standard bearers,
lawfully elected them President and
Vice President by majOrities of both the
electoral and popular votes; but force
and fraud set aside the will of the
people, and we were Obliged to submit
to the government of q usurper. lrOIn
In the Presidential contest of 1880 the
workingmen, deceived by the misrepre
sentatiOns of the supporters OF q high
protective tariff, and by a platform on
that subject, which, abandoning the old
landmarks of heparty, squinted toward
| free trade, together with the fraudulent
conduct of John Kelly in the city of
New York, again defeated us, and in do.
ing so defeated Gen. Hancock, the most
JeffeTsonian candidate for that office
which had been presented to the people
for election since the days of Andrew
Jackson. .t gfr .........,, 3D..
1t is however vain to lament over the
| past, and il is only necessary to study it
to avoid its errors, and to draw from il
| lessons for our conduct in the future
which may lead us forward in the path
Of that true progress which will bring
US political truth, freedom and liberty
The Democratic party in order to ac-
eOmplish this object, does not uecessa-
rily launch its bark upon unknown
seas in search of unknown objects, for
the true principles of free government
have been 80 welldefned and expounded
by the father of democracy, Thomas JEFF
| feTsOn, that though we may have wan
dered from them in moments Of error
and alarm it is only necessary for us
ito retrace our steps and regain the road
| that leads to liberty and safety' l
That road has been so cearly laid out
| in the democratic creed of jefferson
that he who runs may read and sway
taring men, though fools, need not err
therein" l will not however refer fur
| u5E 10 Lndb CTb6u AT present. -arr..r ode rH
The political revolution of last fall
shows clearly that the people of the
| United States are tired of the shams and
false pretenees of the Republican party.
That party sustained by the war feeling
and hatred of the south, has so long
deceived the people that instead of a
cheap, simple, honest Republican gov
ernment, IL has been enabled to saddle
US with the most expensive, dishonest,
and fraudulent government that ever
disgraeed free people.
American Democracy has a historical
| creed, and the Democratic party is his
tOrical party founded on the Declara-
ton of Independence. Thomas Jefferson,
the author of that declaration, was the
founder Of American Democracy-its
great apostle and prOmulgator. On
these great principles the war Of the
Revolution was fought and won, and
the Independence of the United States
was fully accomplished by the treaty OF
peace with Great Britain in 1888, ac
| knOWledgtng that Independence. If to
be great statesman it be necessary to
adopt and prOmulgate principles of poi
ltleS and government in advance of his
time, and snch principles as will stand
| the testOf experiences in succeedin gen
eratiOnsy then Thomas Jefferson was the
| greatest statesman of the age in which
he lived either in Europe or America.
Among the JeffersOnian principles OF
| political government were these great
| foundation principles of American and
human liberty: No taxation without
representation. the right of the people
to tax themselTes, manhood rights, the
rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness; the right to acquire and hold
property, and the right of amending.
abolishingG or creating such govern
ments as may either be prejudiciaI to, or
necessary for their well-being; and as a
consequence Of these principles, uniYer-
sal education, freedom of religion and
equality of every citizen before the law;
the abolition of the foreign slave trade
and declaring it piracy; gradual aboli-
ttOn of slaverylin and by the States with
colonization, and absolute prohibition
Of slavery in all the territories of the
United States; Republican constitutions
In the States and courts and laws in ac-
eordanee Herewith; reform Of criminal
law and abolition of capital punishment
except for treason and murder, and the
abolition of the law Of primOgeDeture
and the law of entails. Nearly all these
principles have been carried out by this
and other civilized nations. The Decla-
ration of Independence has become the
platform which oppressed nations seek
TO establish, and this-the centennial
year of its full establishment in the u
S.-has secured Its full establishment OH
this continent. The Monroe dOctine, in
its fullest extent. mo kingly power in
4 America" is no longer prOblematical.
The elimination Of British tyranny in
Ireland by the establishment of despOt-
ism, has caused the organization Of that
greater and more powerful Ireland-the
| Irish and their children in America
against her, and renders her expulsion
from the American continent certainty.
In the event Of war between the q. S.
and Great Britain, no cOnscriptiOn would
be necessary The Irish volunteers,
commanded by the Irish American,
Sheridan would conquer the British
possessions in three months, and IL
Canada and the other colonies should
declare their Independence, the Irish
volunteers would enable them quickly
to establish it. If you should think it
best for the interests of true Democracy,
1 will show in succeeding essays that
the principles of jefferson are as true
and as necessary to the well-being Of
our Republic as they were at the time of
thelr PRONUNCIATION. kARCEL.