Year: 1868

of his manhoOd-Otherwise than by malig-
nantly ridiculing the philanthrOpc aspirations
of his old age The hater of Slavery, the pro-
jector and steady advocate of Emancipation,
the political philosopher who was not afraid OF
any conclusions to be legitimately and logically
drawn from honest premises-by what right do
the tyrannOus and the timid appropriate his
name as a watch-wOrd1 What Teproot Is
scOrnful enough for the outrage of mlsuslng
his golden sentences of humanity and hope as
the slang slogans of a reactiOnary despotlsm
To drag all that remains of his mOlderlng
body from the tomb and to set it high upon
shameful gibbet, would be an act of delicateand
fragrant courtesy, in comparison with that lmpu-
dent trayesty of his dearest sentiments to which
Democratic Conventions have accustomed the
country. There is every reason to believe that
he foresaw the perils through which we have
passed and the difficulties which we have
not yet entirely surmounted; and if we could


imagine him still actively participating in pub


lie affairs, no one who is capable of forming an
opinion can doubt upon which side in this mo-
mentous struggle he would be engaged. The
men who meet to-day are politicians, and very
poor ones at that but Mr.. jefferson was ripe
and far-seeng statesman, who would fail,
should he rise this morning from the dead, to
recognize in his professed admirers and pre-
tended successors a single creature animated by
his spirit. He would only witnesss an exhibit
ton of political quackery, noisome enough to
render especially agreeable the speediest pos
sible return to the place from which he came.


Though there is no good reason why the
Democratic Convention should meet upon the
Fourth of July, yet we think we fully under
stand the motives which prompted the leaders
to rendezvous upon the recurrence of this tes-
tiva There Is to be one more trial OF tradi-
ton. There is to be another manipulation OF
the dry bones of the past. There is to be
novel attempt to viyIfy the phraseology OF the
party by mouthing it upon day consecrated
TO Freedom and memory may well be active
in the councils of q faction which promises
itself speedily to become a reminscence. I'm
fortunately for the success of this bril-
liant scheme of resurrection, the American
public has been taught, by its observation
of these notable mountebanks, that there is n
difference between simulated reverence for
revolutionary precedents and genuine faith
in the principles without which there would
have been no precedents to glOrify. The brass
may sound Justify and the cymbals may tinkle
most muscally in this Convention, but there
will not be one true, honest, sincere word ar
ticulated there in behalf of that Liberty which
is the common birthright of all classes and
conditions of men. The fidelity of the Repub-
lican party to the plain doctrines of the
Declaration, and its literal Interpretation of
the wel-cOnsidered language Of that charter,
will over and over again explicitly
and implicitly be arraigned and de-
nounced as a crime against the Constitu-
ton. There will be sugared words for
treason and sub acldulous sneers at loyalty.
There will be an ample display of ingenuity in
calling revolt by pretty and harmless names,
but there will be no rebuke of a Rebellion at
once so causeess and so costly. We deny the
right of such Convention to call itself Demo
cratic. We begin the contest by challenging Its
alias. We question its claim to meet upon the
Fourth of July at all, except it may be in sack
cloth and ashes, to ask, with its hand upon its
mouth, and its mouth in the dust, the forgive
ness of God and the Commonwealth. There is
one honorable and selfrespecting course which
might win, even at this late hour and for this
belated party, the gratitude of the natiOn-it
might formally disband. For such an act of
righteous self-immolation, the Fourth of July
would furnish n most appropriate occasion. AS
matters now stand, the Day will harm the Con-
vention much more than the Convention can
Iov fin