not comprehend the new order of thought, went over to the ‘Democratic’ conservatives.  Of such were the old gentlemen who, in Philadelphia, voted for the white waistcoat and immaculate snowy neck-tie of James Buchanan.  They fled to their ancient foes, that they might die happily in the holy odor of respectability, quite ignorant that a new gospel of what may be termed Respect Ability was being preached, and building up a higher and grander order of nobility than they had ever dreamed of.

Meanwhile, the arrogance of the South and its desperate struggle to secure political preponderance, by extending slavery to the territories, developed in the North a free-soil and free-labor party, which received, most appropriately, the name of Republican.  The doctrine of free-labor being intimately allied to every other form of social freedom, and of active thought and social science, had a natural affinity for ‘intellect.’  The old Opposition, which had boasted, or been taunted with, possessing ‘all the dignity,’ including that of superior culture, swelled the ranks of this new party with writers and thinkers of eminence.  So it grew in power, taking in, of course, many varied elements, both good and bad.

As might have been expected, the proper conduct of the war, and the disposal of the enemy in case of victory, soon led to decided differences between the Democracy, who could not—­owing to ancient custom—­throw aside their love for the name, or their antipathy to the new doctrines which threatened their power.  The mass of them had grown up in firm alliance with the South, and duped and cat’s-pawed as they had been—­irritated as they were at the treachery of their old allies and despite the noble service which many of them rendered, in fighting the common foe—­many have never been able to hate ab imo pectore the men of that false and foul feudal party which, when the rupture fairly came, expressed for their old allies a scorn and contempt deeper even than they felt for ‘the Abolitionists.’  In vain the South protested fiercely that it meant disunion and nothing but disunion, and made its words good by offering, both in Europe and in its own press, to sacrifice, if need be, even slavery, rather than be longer bound to the North; still, the remaining ultra Democracy could not, would not, even now will not believe that the South would or could be so unfriendly.  It was this hope of compromise and conciliation which lost us forts, and ships, and millions of dollars in munitions of war; for it was said:  ‘The South is only boasting, and must not be driven to extremes.’  With eyes wide open to the thefts, the Democratic leaders smiled a languid, cowardly assent, and let the enemy prepare for war.  And war came.  It might have been prevented; it might, beyond all doubt, have been limited and crushed; but the hand of the braggart South had been so long on the throat of the doughfaces, that they dared not move, and the doughfaces were in power.  The country at large has had to pay dearly for that old doughface love for the South; it is paying every day in lives and money.