Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-04-05
EsDAY EVENING, APRIL 5, 1898


unnecessary, are bound to support their
country with their lives, if necessary,
and, therefore, party should not be con-
sidersd in its prosecution. All efforts
to use war, either before or after 1t has
begun, for party purposes are unpatri-
otto: so men should act and vote with
reference to their own judgment IS to
measures and men without refer
ence to political associations. Il should
be the supreme effort OF all before
war to prevent it as far as they may
think it consistent with their country 5
honor. and when war exists, to bril- 6 1t
10 an honorable termination rs s"on'"-
possible. We are led to these remo BIS
by a recent speech of Mr. Bailey o.
Texas, the democratic leader IN the
House of Representatives, in when lie
remarked that the democrats ~ sup
oorted the measures proposed by the
President though they acere thereby glV
emo an advantage to the party an po'0er.
We think he overlooked an important
historical fact III this connexion, name
", that the highly successful war waged
under democratic auspices in 1S46'S,
so far from helping the democratic
narty in the election of the last named
year. resulted in the signal triumph OF
its opponents, many of whom had Wig
orously opposed that war from its incep'
ton. If, as may be inferred from what
he said, he meant that there were dem
ocratic representatives opposed to war;
who, for party purposes, voted for
measures they did not approve, he
either miejudgsd them, or they act
ed in very. unpatriotic manner,
There is a use for the democratic par
ty, both before, or during war, not to
oppose measures necessary to the coun-
trv's defense and honor, but to see that
the Constitution is observed; that
Ciesro's remark concerning the Ro-
man practice of his day, which was par
ty despotism, Inter armG silent legeS, "
does not become true again in ours; and
that the other Roman maxim, "SaluS
populi sumprema ler," be not twisted, as
it generally is, into permission to do
any thing which suits the dominant
party, under the false pretence that the
public good requires it. Power is al
ways stealing from the many to the
few" Let it watch the peoples rights
and interests and see that in the war
which is now imminent, or. in any which
may hereafter occur, that they be rot
abridged by the unconstitutional extern
sion of federal authority and its inter-
ference with home rule. as was the case
in the last war and has been one Of its
worst results; and let it embrace the
opportunity which the want of sufficient
revenue will give, to procure an amend
ment of the Constitution to enable Cor
gress to carry out its old and proper
Interpretation, and make those who
thrive by war and public calamity. con.
tribute to it's expenses in proportion to
their gains, instead of saddling almost
all the cost upon those least able to
bear it, or piling up debt upon debt to
be an incubus upon our children's
children. "The safety of the people"
is not only their protection from the
horrors of war, as far as possible, but
their exemption from all it's burdens,
which they need not necessarily bear,
and the preservation of all their rights
from the encroachment of power; such
is the mission OF the democratic party.
-
IT IS feared that the democratic
leaders in Congress are not the wisest
men their party could have selected
The republicans have control of both
branches of that body, and, of coulse,
are responsible for ali it may do. There
is a great deal of doubt about the
of the cause of the Cuban
Insurgents, and as much about the
wisdom or humanity" of war with
Spain, even if that cause be just. After
the country snail have become involv-
ed in war, the democrats in Congress
should interpose no obstacle to its
prosecution to successful issue, though
vigorous opposition was made in the
British Parliament to the war of the
revolution, even when it was
in progress; but until an unjustifable,
bloody and expensive war, which in
the nature of things can be productive
of no good to any body except few
personally interested people, but of
much evil, even to the insurgents them
selves, should have become fla.
grant, the democratic members of
Congress should have either kept
quie' or else have opposed it W tn
all the meana at their disoos. ].
BY so doing they would have shown
their wisdom and have attacted to their
not those whose acts are gov.
erned by their temporary emotions, and |
Il. ILL 1ooo,,oo 90 ,...