A Word To The Democracy

To the Editor of tlin Detroit Free Press. Tlie country is face to face with a Presidential election. What part the democratie party shall take iu it is of 'ery momeutous consequence. The beit interests of tbc country plead earnestly lliat it shall act on sucfi groutids aa sball forfeit suecess and its good nan:e I The condition of the country is depl irable. lts motion towards the brink of bankruptcy seems to accelerato every bour. An ovcipiown army, inactivo iu camp or inglorious in ibe field, devours tlie substance of labor and industry. Corruptiou and profligaey eupplsnt all public virtue. Councils at once fanatical and feeble fail to vindícate eonstitutional Hberty or to represg tbe notorious frauda and speculation of contrac tors and officials. And, lastly, tlie wbole induslry of the country is impefiled by a bloated paper currency, iuaugurated at once in violation of' the constitution and tbe inmutable laws of political economy. And, what is worst of all, tbis false and daugerous system of paper moncy has, by a vauuted national banking system, been actually placed beyond the coutrol of the overnment. So that we now have a paper gystcin, unrestraiaed by a speoie basis, n.d only limitcd by the h'mitcss bounds f national debt The country is uot doad to the dangers of tbis s ate of thiugs. Thtre is am 'ng all thinking men, outside the "Ring" of political k.iaves and fanática, a secret dread ai:d ppreheusiou. Even with :i ir.ultitude wliö do not think, therd ia a sound instinct of tbe rottenuess of the esisting eoudition of things. And a party whiefi eould give suuh asurauces of wisdom, honesty and patriotism au to make the Constitution, (bo Union, and the industry of the country safe In its hands, would, I beliéve, almost by acclaination, suppliint the present administración. Tbe time bas boen when tho country showed iteelf rcady to look to tbe democratie party for this service. The elections two yeiirs ago showed tbis. Auii I have uo fioub!, that, had tbe wise and patriotic counsels of sucli kadera as Gov. Horatio Seymour, for cxample, beeo universal! y a.ccepted by the democratie party, it would to day lmve attained irresisnble aseendancy in t!ie country. Wliy, thcti, i it tliat llio elections of 18G3 wero all ïepublican victories? - Why aro tho spring State electiou of 1864 democratie defeats ? Aí'icr all nlownnce f'or tíie applianee of fritad and forcé, used without eoncealment or apology by thu administration, still the f'aet remains thut it couHíiandg a popular support. Tho simple tact is tliat the aetioos ind utternnccs of gome democntts, few I believe, in nuuiber, but prominent in position, have excited a distrust, of tho patriolism of 1 lie democratie party. With all i te eorruption, tisurpation abuses and mischievous doctrines nud policios, the rcpuilieao party ia beiiei'ed heartily and iutlexibly liostile to Mw rebylüoo. Ita war cry, " The rebellion sliall be destroyed !" is retil and sincere. This is tin; secret of lts strength. iba peuple ha'e secessioti. They hate tfais wiuki'J und wanton tebefliofi, Cost what it tuay, they are resolved to destroy it. Het;ce they have submittëd to uïurp.ilions, oorruptions, abuses, and incoinpeteucy, not because they love tbeis, but becausa, so unt'oi-tiuiate are our timos, feiiat tht'sy seem the neeessary prioe of the overthrow öf tíie robellion. For any party to bo distrusted in its paiti-iolism ia to be def'oated. This now is the fake attitude of the demaerstjö party, üy iti fundainetítaí doctrines, by instincts aud Iraditiona, it ought to bc, and I' believe i, the irost patriotja of all partios. Il flexiMy desuted to law, liberty r.d unioo, hostilj to all viO' lations of f.iith ai:d duty, it is the natu ral loe of seeession and rebellion. Yet the acts a1 uttoranoes of the Woodsf the Yallandighams, the Longs, and otj' efs of less light but cqual perversity, cause a wide spretul distrust of its patriotisin in the public mind Now we u)y set thiJown -as settled : Aii) party not unoi[ui"OCally pledged to the overthrow of ho rebellion and to the pro-ocution of the war to tliat eud, oan have no fortuna but defeat. This distrust of the democratie party is, in my judgmont unfounded,; bilt, wíiütí it exists it is as t'atal as if true. Tho Egel wilh ril Vak the deüioeratic maases have co operated in filling lhe ranks ■ of the anuy stem to 18 to preolude any ! doubt of their reulsentiu:eiits. I believe they would be the last totolerate any j conip'oüiise with aruie! rebellion. Had i the conduct of the war fallen to ,their : Jiands, aiinod t:ason wouhl long since i have been grouuii tu powder. How gloriously the'v rallied to the support of tho adü inistüiii n in lhe iiist yea.r of the ; war, to ba aiswered ony by insult and outraga! They agroe in demauding uucu;nüuiinl .subiiilssi'ii to tbí1 ag-- Tlicy difípy iV'iiü t í uuuiinist-ratioii in tliis ïlioy wisli ihe war to be pursued with vijjor, wiih ocmiouiy nid by the Uws oí war under tlie coualiUítJati ; at the sííWC ttüii', wilh hí.U wímí use of ooui - i i ü " ií 11 u.- uüu!J iuv.te aiid promote the i-olufn of vhu nia.-sus in tbo rebel Stateá t'i tlipir ailegiance. 'l'his, I belicve, iúrL!Sents tlio nentiiiKüjts of tbe Jej.ooi-acy. Yet it is cei taiii, tbat the judütiiwrit nf tbe country :a been so perverifid tiKit ibis ic ñpt uiiiveisall) recognisai as llieir pobiti.,j). . And, M I he suid, ilie lopuiar sauaWcu wilj cot be giveu lo auy party that í'uils fchort of this. Can tbis difírust if unjust, ba dispellcd V On ibis lianas (h.M wfeote question oí' tlie coiniiif; elociinií. If tbe deDíocratifl p:uty, hy itw leiieps, its org;iiiB, and its councilis chuose to take vvbat I suppose to bt' their truu and naturul pos'.tion - to t.iko it uneqiÍLOOily, so UDequivoc-Hy as rab-' aaiversslly s''-!i! rtnd conftded in, I bel ere its sucemú ceriuin. For, as to all other issues, thf country is alreiidy witli tlmt party. Novcr beforc in thta generatiön did tho tmcietit drui' cralio doctrines of personal libertv, o' currency and taxation, address theniselves so convineingly to the country. Nt'vcr before, in tho judtrnient of ali thinking men, were they so clearly thfi ouly ri'fuge from achual lyranny and from iuipending buukruptcy and finanoial ruin But unless the party fully rosponds to ilie popular sentiment, on tlie rebellion and the win1, even the great md patriotie name uf McOlellan, and bis known adliesiiin to these views, wilt, I think, fail tn'give hi ni i duzen votes in the llertoïal college. .And a failuro of the di-ini'cra: ie party to inscribe these patriot ie views on its ban era, will.in ray judgUjODt, COtisign one pajro of its glorious reeord to skajie, if uot exeeratiou with poste, ity. Hut wliat of slavery aud the negro? Ah, there you are again, " ciuse of all our woe !" If the only otjcet of partios and poli': tics, in this S" te m tl hour, is to niaintain old feuds, and with old raneours to battle on stupidily and aitnlessly in the dark, then, blind leaders of the blind, fight and ruil on bout slavery uud the everlast ing nepro ! But if we propnse to act intelligontly and w isely, let us see what the prospect is. In one word, slavery, in its old character, is dcad. Let me bo nnderstood. Whtle sin inferior aud servile popnlation esists social servitude cannot disappeur, and some foim of it must go with an Africau population. But the old disiinct institution Which Las so empliatically impressed the civilizatiou of the Snuth is dead ! No institutiou of that chtiracter couK! possibly live ín the preseuce of a civil war waged direct ly óver and ahout it. Such au iustituiiou is cotivulsed and imperiled when it becomes subject of politics. AVhcti it becomes the subject of civil war it inevitably dies. Tliis I bclievüd before the war began Experience has uow mudo it pluiu to every one wliö will use bis eyos. Iu our 'ild part) strugjjles, the democratie party was persibtetitly represen ted as proslavery ; - this was fülso. It was neither prt-slavery nor anti slavery. It held that slavery w;is beyond the provii oí; of natiotiai politics - tïiat, ui dor Oio constiiution, it was a matter of domostic conoern witli t!ie States, and that thev should be protected from all interference from abroad. Tliis w;is just safe aud con stitutional ground. U'ould that it had been adiiered to ! We iwe this war and all its horrors and calumitics, present and future, to the fanutics, North and South, who unitüd in dragging this question into oational politics. Even before tlie w;ir sluvery was so dUtasteful to the peoplo of the Nortb that it led multitudes of good conscitjutious, but misguided men, to violiitions of comtitutioml obiigutious. So noted was this dislike tbat orafty demagogues at last aid hold of t, and made it the effective ageut of the ovef.lirow of the democratie party. Ndw, this dislike bas bee, by war. disullcd i-.ito lute. Siavery, as one of tlie elcü.u.ts .[ a bated rebelliou, lias beoomo in oiany uiinds incorsisteut witb public peace. Henee we haveseeu much uilawf.il actioa towards it, and shall probably see more. President Lincoln's proc;iii:ition seems to me botb Uöconstitutioual aud intffeetual. Yet, as a hostile blow at slaveiy, it has received preat applause and support. Few care whether it is eli'eetive r not. It is ip proved as a decisive manifegtation of the public tentimeat ou the subject. But sluvery is uot dying of proclamations imd such ' bulls agaiuat the cornet." It is falling by war, and that revolutinnary sentiment wich civil var necewaiily be gets. Sinvary, h, fact, dissolves in the path of the Union annies. The lava whicii suoeeed will aliuost certaiuly conforui to thia faet; and so, in the eud, ttie destru-jtiuii will nbtain au appurent auctiun of Uw. This is already goiug o, both in border and reclainied rebel Staiea. Observe West Virginia, Mary land and Miesouri, ou the oue hand. and Teuuessue, Arkansas and L.nrtsiana od the olher. [ do nol debate tlie questionable meaus probably used ui both. The revolutbu is a hol, aud an irreversible one. Wise, forecasting, consorvative men, like Reverdy Johnson, in Maryland, and Senator Hemierson, in Missouri, evidently see this. Their late speeches show that vent, stronger thao rueo, have settled the fate of lavery. If the democratie party has not lost its old sagacity, it wiH penétrate this matter through and through. It will not be misled by false guides. It refused to joio ia the fanatical and unconetitutioual party warfare on slavery. Now that slavery bas eoinniitted suicide by rebellion, it has only to leavo it to its fate. It is the stake which secession deliberately placed on war. No democrat need regret that it perishes by war. I certainly do oot. This slavery question has been so profitable to tb. o republiciins that they will try to re-aniiflvte is ghost and keep it io tlio tidd. Let uot this artifice succeed. ' The great questioi) of to-day and the future, are questions of the wüite men, not .if the black. They are questions of persoual liberty, of taxa! ion, of curren ejr, of labor, and of econonny and honesty in the pubiie idminisiration. Lot not these momeutous questions be evaded Jy false issues. Let not the democratie party be provoked to auy issue whatever ou the il very question Let the dead bury their dead. Let slavery and tlie negro will drop, too. Left severely alone he will soon lose his fictitious importauce, and S)oii liud his proper social positiou Left to eareeiöa of tfec fanaties, they will soon fiud what sort of an elephaut tbey have got ; and thert, aks f the poor negro will öud that he w the hands of tho8e whoe tender mereies are cruel. The greiit question hich I have sug gested must now have a prompt si.lutiou. The country is anxionsly scanning the position of tito two great paftic. J'mt of all, paramoimt Kr U, it must be su istied on the qut-slio of the proseonti"ii of tfie war Any party whose P'itriotiíui íalle below thc popular deff -id on fluii pnint wiü be uinmarily i and decisivoly repudiated. If the attitude of the democratie party relieves it from all distrust in this matter, I believe il to be nvhxnbic. If the republiran party alone annwers thequestioii satisiactorily then the people wil I continue it in power, though at the fe.-irful oost of prolonged incumpetency 'm the cour.cil, and distxaction in the field ; ihough at the cst of new usurpations of authority, and new violations of persoiuil liberties; though at the cost of raountaiua more of debl and an ut terly ruined currency. Hut let the deiDoeratic party meet fulK the public hope atid den;aiid. uid it could uot fail to be aeceptud as a par ty undcr wh osa administrntioii war would tneüii military skill, unity. vigor and victory ; a party which has oever 'orgottfn, in peace or in war, that the great ends of governinent are civil law for the citizen, personal freedoia and frt-e dom of speech, strict ecoiiomy and acooiaitability in public expenditures, ex(■mplioTi frum heavy tuxation, and the secure reward of labor. The wrifer of this is withdrawn from all participaron iu political action, aud, thcrefore, speaks only for himself, except so ftir as he representa a wultitude of others in private life.