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What Killed The Democratic Party

What Killed The Democratic Party image
Parent Issue
Day
25
Month
November
Year
1880
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The recent presidential elcetion has -li iwn that lliore is an invincible reason why the democratie party can never win a nalional vietory. It is that the youth of thN republio is not democratie. The nu ot' democratie t'athers have grown up republicans. So lonp aa slavcry and the war lingcr within the memory of Auiericans, the youth of the repnblra will continue to grow up republicana, and slavery and the war will be rcincinbercd as long as the public sein ml -yteiu exists. public schools havo slain the demOOntie party with llieir text-bouk-, It is vain f'or itatMBien to declaro that tliero wero u muj demócrata as republicana in the union anuy. It ia vain to iffirm tbat the war lor the preMrvation of the union eould not have bcon Oarried to a sucoessl'ul close without the tttiatanoe of tlie democratie party. It u iilc for philantropy to KUKgest 'bat the attitude of tbal party toward the war in the beffinning was a humane one; that itwaa inspirad by the higher and better wish tliat the canse 'l r conflict fhoulJ bc pomaeaMj remoTed, and the ipilling of brothers' blood by brothers1 ïiands roided. Tbe democratie party ba been ideally identi&ed wiili davery and slaveboldin. The tepublican party i ideally identifiad with emaDoipatiun and the war. Tharefore ín the youth of tlic country incapable oi beiog demooratic. Thcrctiiii' the democratie party can oever win ¦ national viuttiiy. ltsoM men are dyieg away. The boys wlio catcb the liallots that tall from t In ii stifl'eoed hands are republicana. Tdm lact caaoot be denied. It will do no good 10 quarrcl with it. A!l other causea which bave operatcd to diminish the number of demócrata and inorfase the nuuiber of repxibHoans are insigniScant besidc tliis one trenjendous and invincible fact. The curse of t-lavery bas poiKOncd the blood and rotted the bone of the democratie party. The nmlcdiction of the war has pnlsied il?, bram. Theyonngwife who held the bbe np to kiss the fathcr as he liurriid to the tal' of bis departios regiment bas not suoklod a dcuiociat. The weary loot of the pray ¦iandmotlicr who ntlied tbc childrcn while the wile was bosy bas not roekad the eradle of democrats. The cbait that the soldier father nerer came back to lili has not been climbc-d upon by democrats. The old blue coat tbat his comrades Mfried back was cut up tor little iai'keis, hut nol one incloscd tbe heart of' a denjocrat. The raitled nm-ket ibat feil f'iom bim wilh bis last simt became the tliouglitlcss toy of bis boys; hut not a bami that played with it was the hand ola democrat. The balie he kis-ed crowcd and OTOWed ftw his return and its uawitfing and unanswered notca wete not t'ronj the throat of a democrat. The tearsoilcd camp lettera which tbe mother n ad aloud in the long, bitter cvening while the boys clustered at hor knci, did not fall upon democratie ears. The girls' sobs, blended with the uither'.s weeping, did not make democrats of tbtir brothers. l'crbaps the talher had been a democrat all his lifc ! The children go to school. There is not a democrat on its benchos. The first reader ' contains a portrait of Abraham Lincoln- that kind and sturdy face nevcr made a demosrat. On its simple pges, in words of one or two syllables, is told the story of nis birth anu death. 1 bat story never made a democrat. In the pranks of the play-ground tbe name silences the froücsome and makes the jolliest grave. ïhat Dame never made a democrat. In the pietures that light up the geography are the firing of Fort Sumpter and the death of' Ellsworth. Those picturos make no deinocrats. The fint page of' the hiftory contains a representaron of the surrender of Lee at Appouiattox. Xo boy gazes on that and ever avows hm.-elf a democrat. In the higher grades the same subtle and unresisted influence is at work. The text books contain extracts of patriota' speehes which make no detnocrats. The great battles are briefly described ; the narrativo has no democratie listeners. The strain of martial mu.-ic runs tlirough tlie readers, and that musió makes no democrats. Sketches of the great generáis are given ; their brave deeds arousc the enthusiasm of the lads, but tliere is no democrat among them. The horrors and the suffering ol slavcj are told ; the maddened blood that mounts boys' cheeks is not democratie blood. The curse of slavery has pursued the democratie party, and has hounded t to its death. Therefore, let it die ; and no lips will be found to say a prayerover the ras.on its grave. The late defëat nced nol lie attributed tu any other caue. Other cauces were at work - but théy werc only incidental. Tlie tariff was oue. Seotiooalisin was a i-ceond. ''Lot well cnough alune," was a third. The Oetober failure in Indiana was a fourth. Hut 'all these were (rival, and' tngcthcr couldj not have aeconiplithed the result. The rcsult was aaoouiplisbed.beciinse the youth of the repnblic is net demijeratic. That party is Inereiore without a future and without a hope. The malediction of the war lms palsied its brain. The curse of' s'avery Las p riaoned i t s b'oo 1 and rotted iis bone. liet it die.

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Courier
Old News