Year: 1875

SOME PLAIN TALK.


The attempt to make the baptism in
rebelism prerequisite and essential
condition to membership in the Demo-
cratic church of Kentucky will fail,
and ought to fail; and, if persisted in,
will destroy and ought to destroy the
party. The Democratic party is val
liable to'the country only so long as it
holds fast to the principles enunciated
by the fathers of our Democratic sys-
tenn of republicanism, incorporated by
them into political faith, and acted
upon and carried out by the people
honestly and sincerely. The cardinal
principles of Democracy are as immu-
table as the laws of nature, as the forces
that start the spheres upon their rounds
and floods the heavens with the eternal
professions of the stars. We may turn
aside from them, abandon them, and
preach false doctrines, and kneel down
and worship idols of our own manufac-
ture; but our desertion will not rob the
cardinal principles of the party of the
faintest sparks of vitality. They live
on: as the stars shine on, be the sky
ever so black with clouds.


Our own political safety depends
upon the constancy with which we
cling to the ancient and true doctrines.
The late rebellion was conceived, inau-
gurated, and fought out, outside the
true Democratic party. 1t was a ven
ture upon which the Southern aristocra>
cy staked their all ,and lost. 1t was de-
cidedly ga rich mans war and poor
mans fight" 1t was contrary to the
traditions as well as the teachings Of
the true and pure Democracy. Bad
men, some-foolish men, others-and
demagogues, all-are endeavoring to
force upon the party here in Kentucky
a false issue, one which, ifacted upon
whether it be formally promulgated in
a party platform or not-will disrupt
the party beyond all hope of reorgani-
zation. Ifonly those who fought upon
the rebel side during the war, or gave
their sympathies to that side, are to be
rewarded with the offices of the State,
then all those Democrats who sympa>
thized with or fought upon the side Of
the Union will be compelled to with
draw from the party. Selt>respect
and consistency both will force them
to this step. In looking back over the
history of the nominations by Demo
cratic State conventions since the close
of the war, we can call to mind but
one nominee who was not a rebel OF
rebel sympathizer-COl DAWSON, OF
the Louisville Ledger. In the lan>
guage of our neighbor of the GraysOrl
County Herald, 'This thing must be
stopped right here" And the party
will have an excellent opportunity to
stop it "right here" General VII
LIAMs is making the race solely and
exclusively upon the ground that he
was rebel soldier. Such is the song
he and his friends are singing all the
State over. And he and they demand as
q reward for his services in the cause
of the late so-called Confederate States
that he be elected to the position of
Governor. If he should be nominated
by the May convention, it will be who'll
ly and solely because of his rebel re-
cord. And that moment every Union
Democrat will be forced to retire from
the party and unite with the opposition
to defeat him. His nomination and
election would be precedent which,
if permitted to creep in, would
keep them forever in the position of
hewers of wood and drawers of water
for the rebel Democratic element; a
condition of party slavery that we, fer
one, will never consent to occupy.