Year: 1872




discover it, and earnestly cooperate with
any portion Of either party in the sup
port of any men or measures which
promise reform of the abuses gFowing
out Of and perpetuated by, party spirit.
The spoils-gatherers will ofcourse resist
and nisrepresent the motive and objects
of all such movements, for their bread


,nd-butter depends upon perpetuatins
/ hese party abuses.


But" says our reviewer, in high
faluting sentences, "look for moment
at what Party spirit has done for the
Union. Was not the Republican party
the great national party of the coun-
try-the instrumentality under God, of
saving this nation from the horrors
of dissolution ~


We answer most emphatieally, No !
and history fully sustains this negation
of the impudent assumption. Party
spirit was solely answerable for the issue
of arms; party spirit and party caucus
dictation alone prevented any comprom-
ise or concession by which the bloody
strife could have been averted, at a time
/ when not less than three-fourths of the
popular voice and popular representation
in Congress favored such compromise;
party spirit and party caucus defeated
| the '' Crittenden Compromise " and the
objects of the Richmond Peace Con-
gress, and it vas only by the abandon
ment of party-nominally or really
and the ignoring of party names, that
the war was successfully prosecuted and
the Union maintained. For example:
the following extract of letter received
by the editor of this paper the morning
after the fall of Sumter, from Demo-
cratic member of Congress who had
been determined party man up to that
time:


There is but one thing to do. and that
is to stand by the Government to the
end. All this might have been avoided
without loss of honor, or abating par
ticle from any valuable principle. But
now we must be with tie Government
or against it. 1 am with it, aud am
ready to go wherever I can be the most
useful Let US not ask
who is to blame. There is blame on
both sides. The Republican party was
powerless in success-with Senate and
House against it, and certain dissolu-
ton in the ordeal of distributing Offices
Hence there was no necessity for the
revolution. On the other hand the
wicked eouse pursued by Anti-Slavery
leaders is the principal caurse of the dis
aster now upon us. But now-with a
heavy heart though determined will
shall be found wherever my country
calls.


The mass Of the Democratic party TO
the North was actuated by the same
spirit. When an array of 100000 was
assembled in and around Washington
in 1862, there was but one general Off
Ger who had ever voted a Republican
ticket, and not less than three fourths
of the rank and file had up to that time
acted with the Democratic party. Did
these Democrats who volunteered to
fight the battles of the Union, become,
or profess to be Republicans Not a
bit of it {. On the contrary, the Repub-
Ecan party nominally ceased to exist
and the Union Party" was formed
and continued till the close of the war,
protesting to ignore all other issues
than those involved in the war. The
Republican party to-day has scarcely a
sentiment or leader in common with
the Union party of the war. The Re
publican party of the present is the
creature of power, and Thadeus Stevens
and B. F. Butler are its fathers. Among
its leaders and representative men, few
if any of the old leaders of the Repub-
lican party can be found, and scarcely
one of the confidential friends and ad-
visers of Mr.. Lincoln during the war is
now recognized by the Republican par
ty, which even repudiates every pledge
and profession made by the Union party
during the war. If our reviewer will
look around him, he Will find many, if
not majority, of those who employ
I


him to advocate and defend the abuses
of the Republican party, men who never
voted a Republican ticket till after the
war, and who are among the most bitter
personal assailants, not only of old Re
publicans, but of men who ieoparded
their lives in achievements to which
they contributed nothing, the einheritence
of which they claim solely on party
grounds.


But we have not time or space to
" elaborate" We have only stated a
few of the facts of the case, more of
which can be had On call.