The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-10-24

good, and to leave to the inscrutable
wisdom Of Providence the mission of
bringing good out of evil. Any other
moral philosophy than this leads to
moral confusion and to the bottomless
pit. But there is not the slightest
shadow Of probability that the defeat
OF the republican party In the APP
preaching election will destroy that
party or that the democratic party,
once In power, would be hurled from it
at the end Of four years by a prohibi-
ton party. BY Its principles, Its
antecc dents, and the character of the
men who compose 1t, as well as by the
spirit of progress that prevades 1t,
the republican party gives the strong
est assurance of Its permanence.
1t Is nothing against this position
that the old abolition party defeated
and destroyed the wing party, nor Is
the point we'll taken when 1t Is said
that my position Is that of the old
wings as against the abolition party of
forty years ago. My answer is that
there Is no force In the supposed anal
ogy between the cases.
The similarity lacks likeness, for the
cases are fundamentally different. The
abolitionists had reasons for opposing
both the whig and democratic parties
which do not apply, i'm any just sense,
to the republican party. Both the
wing and the democratic parties were
openly and shamelessly committed by
their platforms, and by their candi-
dates, to the maintenance of slavery.
and to the suppression of every mani.
fcstation Of opposition to slavery.
Both Henry Clay and James X. Polk
were shareholders.
In regard to prohibition, the republic
can party occupies no such position.
1t neither condemns nor approves
man for being prohibitiOnist. 1t
simply awaits settled judgment of
the people in respect of that Issue, and
meanwhile does nothing to hinder the
growth of public opinion OH that SUBJ
ject. 1t simply does what every party
which believes in a government Of the
people, and by the people, should do,
to wit: execute the popular will.
The idea that few men can get to-
gether and say, go to, now, we will
make political party" OH this or that
separate issue, and succeed, is mistake.
Wendell Phillips said tho truth when
he said, Parties are not made-they
grow" A party, to succeed, must not
only have ideas, but numbers. A few
men, combined together, may work
mischief by deprivlng a good party of
power and putting bad party In pow
er. But In order to accomplish any
good end, It must itself have either u
majority or reasonable probability of
becoming majority. Fiat parties, no
more than fiat money, can be popular
under our government.
hxrI cot 81,
ton of moral forces. it shall be the set
tied Judgment of the American people
that the traffic in ardent spirits shall
be as ready to register that Judgment
ton, as any party which may now or
hereafter be formed.
The mistake our prohibition friends
are now making Is full Of mischief and
possible disaster. 1t is based upon the
assumption that we no longer have a
southern question, and that the mission
ofthe republican party is ended. Both
propositions are erroneous. Until the
constitution Of the United States, in all
its provisions and amendments, is re-
spected In the southern states as in the
northern states, we shall still have a
southern question. Until the gates of
education shall be equally thrown open
to colored and white people alike, in
the southern states, we shall still have
a southern question:. Until the path
way TO the ballot box in the South shall
be straight, smooth, and safe to repub-
lican as to democrat, we shall sill
have southern question, and one with
which only the republican party has
thus far shown the needed wi dom uilu
disposition to deal.
We ask our prOhi billion friends In the
name of their old time anti-slavery
sentiments and their love Of justice and
liberty, to stand by the republican
party now, and until Justice and liberty
shall be established. and the ballot box
securely established and respected In
all the land. Let us do one work at a
time, and begin II new work only when
one already begun Ia. been properly
finished. Yours truly,
FREDERICK DOUGLASS.
Washington, Sept. l, 1884.