Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1900-11-01

reality, as opposed okepublicanisin, es.
pecialIy the present form of tia polit-
ical abortion evolved from the decayed
body Of Federalism and its unholy off,
spring The history of the Democratic
party, therefore, is the history OF a strug-
gle for supremacy Between the advocates
Of Constitutional form Of government
and the advocates Of a sect of peculiar
political ideas which would revolution.
ize our present system and build up
in its stead strong central power which
would be constant menace TO indfyid-
uaI liberty
This party has had to battle with eve
ny opponent Of popular liberty, and has
seen one after another arise and 20
down before her. There have been
times, indeed, when she has been appar-
emily all but stifled by the fury Of her as
sailants, bat each time she emerged from
the struggle stronger than before. |
might add, indeed, II may 10 pardoncd
further plagiarism, that She has seen
the rise Of every political party which
has come into existence since we have
become a nation, and there Is no reason
to believe, If the people are true to them
selves, she viii not zee the end Of them
all.
First In the line Of her antagonists
came the old Federal party whose foun
ders had no faith 10 this thing called a
Republic that IL, they did not believe
in the competency oE the people to gov
crn themselves, and were for some form
Of royalty Of In default OF that for lodg.
ing Oh power In the hands Of Federal
government But this party. with its
semi -mousrchlcal Ideas, was ont Of
place on American soil, aud after p des-
perate resistance was driven from the
hcld hy The ever growing popularity Of
the principles ouunclalcd by the father
OF Democracy Bat though dead as q
party The Federals had lived long enough
90 scatter the seed Of their insiduous
theories throughout the land, and party
after party arose, adopting their theo.
RIGS to greater or less extent, until, at
the advent Of of Know Nothiugism, the
Democratic party WAS called upon to en-
Tor life and death struggle FOR the pre-.
sevalion of our popular Institutions.
Again she ttiumphed, and again hgrcne-
mics, Disgusting themselves under new
maine, that Of the Republican party, the
depository Of All the insidlous theories
formulated by rs predecessors. prepared
90 renew the attack, bu, these old worn
theories had been tried aud we're found
wanting In iheir hold gpon the popular
mind, and there was needed some great
moral sentiment 70 eaptlvatc the masscs
This was furnished in the great qucs-
tions which divided the North and South
prior 60 the Civil War, and cmbodyiug
the most prominent OF these in their
platform, the Republicans gathered ad-
hereuls from men Of every ghado Of po-
litical opinion and through the breach
made IN Democratic ranks by internal
diasentions, rode rough shod into power
When elRted by their unwoatcd success
aud closing their eyes 20 tho possibili-
ties Of the future, they sent forth the
cry 90 every corner Of the land. TO one
and all, to friend and foe alike TO come
the ono TO weep, the other 10 rejoice At
the grave Of dead and buried Democra-
cy, aud indeed Il you will consider the
conditions Of the Democratic party at
this lime, but more especially at the
close Of the Civil War and during the
years Immediately succeeding Ii, its rep
resentatives in our national legislature,
brow beaten aud insuilcd, rs friends
and advocates throughout the land, eith-
er openly branded as traitors or regard
cd with secret suspicion and dstrust,
many Of them completely ostraciscd and
deprived Of the right OF suffrage. its
most earnest advocates with hardly
heart left to hope for what the future
might bring forth, consider these things,
I say, and you will admit that It's enc
mics might be pardonod the belief that
the sod had been laid forever upon the
breast Of the grand old champion Of
Constitutional liberty.
Bus, gentlemen, intoxicated by victo-
~ and blinded BY that arrogance begot-
ten Of success, our enemies ignored the
fact that the Democratic party contains
a sustaining principle which is the heri-
tage OF no other political organization
which has eame into existence since we
have been a nation, and this principle,
which is It's birthrigbt, which is the
foundation and cornerstone Of its ex-
istence, which was its sustenance In its
darkest hour Of trial and which changed
that proclaimed graveyard into nurse
ry of Democratic principles, which on
the fourth day Of November 1884, bios
somed into one Of the greatest victories
which ever greeted a political party on
the American continent, to which trust
ia God viii be the contamination OF tho
works Of this year is its undying deYo-
ton TO The Constitution, that written
pledge of popular liberty formulated by
the trainers of our political system and
Endorsed by each succeeding generation
~ freemen