Year: 1864




10 the Democracy Of The NORTH:


The Presidential election Of 1864 is over


and the result, while discouraging enough
10 mon OF reflection and to patriots of all
parties, is not especially so to the Democ
racy, because the principles of Democracy
we're, to no considerable degree. presented
among the issues Of the campaign. The
party which took the field against Mr..
Lincoln professed to be an anti Lincoln
party. This was its speciality. As it went
into the campaign it distinctly, almost Of
fensively ignored, all platforms of de.
fined principles protesting that the
great thing first to be done was to get Mr..
Lincoln out Of power, and 10 establish
principles afterwards. The platform made
At Chicago, which itself fell far short OF
being up to The high standard of Demo
cratic principles, was, nevertheless, too
strong for the nominee, who preferred, as
it was said, to "make his oOn platform; p
and the campaign was really conducted
on his platform, in q manner that practi-
cslly set aside the action of the Chicago
Convention. So that the party which has
been SO badly defeated was only ar anti
Lincoln, or Mcclellan, party. Democracy
was not really in the field at all and its
principles have not been passed upon in
the late election. While great majority
OF Democrats, from necessity, or from q
sense OF duty, went with this no-playorm
party, there were many thousands who
did not 80 to the polls at all, because they
could not, without 3 violation of con-
science, vote for a policy which rested up
on the ruins of Democratic principles. It
is to be taken for granted that every in
telligent Democrat knows that the great
fundamental principles Of Democracy have
been practically ignored by the party
bearing its name during the progress of
this unnatural war. 1t will net be deni-
ed that the organization has lent itself
largely to tho bloody and despotio policy
Of the party in power. II has aided in
supplying the Abolition party TO carry on
ito snti-Democratic' and revolutionizing
war. It is not worth while to stop to ar
que with those who, at this late day, deny
that the war is revolutionary in its char
acter, and entirely sulversive, not only of
tho theory of Democracy, but of the grand
voluntary principle Of self-governmen. es-
tablished by our fathers. The man who
does rot know this, or who does not keen
ly feel the force of the mortifying fact,
could never have been q Democrat. To
such no appeal is made. We mean to ad-
dress only true Demo ocrats. We call only
upon those who are profoundly attached
to the ancient doctrines of the party
who wish, not only the Union restored up
on its original voluntary basis, but who,
above all, desire the preservation of con-
aitutional liberty and law. TO such,
alone, is this address directed. To you,
men of principle, patriots, friends Of the
kind of government that our fathers made
We appeal to know whether it is not now
time to re-affirm those grand principles,
and to stand by them in this dreadful
hour Of their trial! The priceless boon
Of liberty, of local independence and self
government, which we Inherited from our
fathers, was given to us in trust for future
generations of our children. Shall we
permit the sacred Inheritance to be squan-
dsred and lost in our dayf This liberty,
this sublime principle of self-government,
was established here before the Union was
formed. The Union was entered into by
tho States for the sole purpose OF preserv-
ing the independence and sovereignty OF
ihs States from whatever power might as
sail them. Shall the honored name OF
Democracy be longer used in the business
Of assisting a revolutionary administration
in making war upon sovereign, indepen-
dent and co-equal sister States, aud in
'ubverting and cnlsging the carefully re-
stricted basis on which the Federal Gov
eminent was formed? To answer these
questions in the affirmative is, 10 give up
allahe grand results achieved by our War
orIndependence, is to abandon the splen-
did government which grew out OF the
revolutionary struggle against European
dsspotism. What Democrat will do this 7
What Democrat will be led another inch
in the support of this Abolition war' The
man who calls it "war for the Union" lie
alunatic or an imposter. There can be
no war for the Union. War is necessari-
ly Sis,o,ion. Peace alone is the last hope
Of the Union, as ii is the last refuge OF
liberty. The idea of saving the Union BY
ovsrthrowiug the foundations on which It
was built is too absurd 10 be entertained
BY any human being. No Democrat, Ger