“Is this Democratic?”

150 years ago today Daniel Sickles wrote a letter to Hugh Judson Kilpatrick criticizing the New Jersey Democrat 1865 platform (see last section of the linked post). Moreover, New Jersey Democrats were even lagging behind South Carolina:

The party in power in New Jersey might learn a good deal from South Carolina, Mississippi and Alabama. In these States, when Slavery was found dead, it was decently buried by the voluntary decrees of the people, pronounced by the Conventions now in session. New Jersey refuses her consent to an amendment of the Federal Constitution abolishing Slavery. Is this Democratic?

Here’s the whole letter (from the Library of Congress):

“Democrats, will you read this? General Sickles on the New Jersey democrats … [1865]. ” (Library of Congress)

“Gen. Judson Kilpatrick” (Library of Congress)

“Gen. Daniel E. Sickles ” (Library of Congress)