Year: 1867

ed to grant. In this respect oul
disagreement with the democratic
party is radical. They say first the
rights of States, and then the rights
of. man. We say first the rights OF
man, and then the rights of States
because States were made for men
not men for States. We are in fa'
vor of complete local and mnnici.
pal self government, but we claim
that fundamental and inalienable
rights are national and must not bs
interfered with or trampled upon by
accidental geographical subdivisions
of tyranical local majorities. What
would be the use of having a feder
al government, if it should not, in
case of necessity, throw over the
poorest and humblest individual the
protecting mantle of American
freedom? Indeed, l cannot under
stand with what right our oppo-
nents still claim the name of Demo
Gratis. They are opposed to. every
fundamental principle of Democracy,
They are opposed to equality before
the law. The are opposed to the
very theory on which our govern
ment is based, and they hailed and
encouraged the blows that were
struck at its very existence


Their leaders are peace men, when
the country is at war, and menacine
agitators and seditious instigators,
when the country seeks to re-estab-
lish peace. Their subserviency and
compliance had brought on seces-
sion; they prolonged the war by en-
couraging resistance; they now en-
deavor to prolong the present state
of uncertainty and transition by
counseling against submission. In
theory they are opponents of the
sublime idea of a great American
nationality based on liberty and hui
man rights in practice they are dis
and anarchists. Deser-
ters from the principles of true
democracy, they scof at all the no
blest impulses of our people, and
belittle our great ma
tional struggle. They keep the
wounds of the war from healing by
studiously sowing discord and TO-
menting ill-will between the two sec
tions ofthc country. They cultivate
sectional prejudics and preach hatred
of race. They endeavor to arouse
the worst passions that lie dormant
in the human heart. They are con-
tinually tempting the stronger to op-
press the weaker, and call this de-
mocracy. Their political organiza-
ton is dangerous to liberty, danger
Gus to onr national existence, dan
gerous to the peace and prosperity
of the country. They are the au-
thors of our national calamities
which, should they succeed to power,
they would inevitably perpetuate.
But it seemed to be the great event
of the day that our misguided South
ern countrymen at last begin to rea-
lize that the Democratic party has
acted toward them the part of Me
phistophiles in Faust, urging them
on from mistake to mistake, from
wrong to wrong, until they landed in
utter ruin and perdition. They began
to realize at last that the advice which
the Democratic party gave the South
has always been like that of the ser
pent in Paradise. It made them be
lieve that the North would not fight
but the North fought.


1t made them believe that any at
tempt at coercion would lead to civil
war in the North but the North re-
united.


1t made them believe that the
North would soon grow tired of the
war; instead of which she only grew
tired of the Democratic party.


1t filled them with false hopes as
to the Presidential election Of 1864
The Southerners would not have per
sisted so long in a hopeless wal
against the inexhaustible resources
of the Union, if they had not beheld
an organization in the North which
though defeated and in minority
had ruled the country for so many
years. In spite ofits recent defeats
it still seemed powerful. 1t com
named the votes of thousands whom
no other party could reach. 1t had
taken decided attitude in opposi
ton to the war which it denounced
as wicked and unconstitutional, anC
as a failure. 1t tried hard to para
lize the hands Of the Government
and to give aid and comfort to those
in the army against the flag of oul
Union. 1t did not conceal its sym
pathies with the enemy. 1t rejoicec
over our defeats and saddened at oul
victories. It clamored for an i'm
mediate cessation of hostilities. 1
advocated negotiation with those
who spurned reunion even if they
should be given blank sheet of pa
per to write their own conditions on


The very existence Of such party n


the Noruh acas q pore,1ul ally and {
standing encouragement to the aca1
and secession party IN the South
Their calculation was to hold ou
until a democratic reaction shoul(
take place in the North. eff on


Northern friends" SO they reasoned
care restored to power, the cause O
the Confederacy will be safe.'' Thi


alone accounts for the otherwise in
explicable tenacity of the South


But the defeat Of Mcclellan brok,
the moral power of the rebellion


1t was the death knell of the Confed


eracy. The hopes which the Dem


ocratic party had nourishcd in tn


Southern mind, had proved falls


and +delusiye and vain.


The war being over, condition


unparalleled, in their magnanimity


were proposed by Congress to ou


defeated adversaries. Negro sui