The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-27 00:00:00

in his own neighbourhood, and unless his experience
is widely dissimilar from ours, he will find that
those who are externally the most respectable are
precisely the ones from whom the least co-operation
in reform may be expected. The Democratic party
of former days had some definite principles, and
afforded a legitimate channel for the activity of all
men who believed in those principles. But it has
now abandoned all its old doctrines, and takes no
interest in any questions other than the reduction
of the negro to political servitude, and the repudia-
tion of the public debt. Its members are more
ignorant of, and more indifferent to, the teachings
of political economy than the most narrow-minded
Republican can be. Their whole attention is de-
voted to the perpetration of a huge national swindle.
Robbery, and that (as we said in our first com-
ments on their platform) a robbery out of which
few of them can make five dollars each, is the ab-
sorbing vision of their dreams, the goal of their
ambition. You might as well talk political economy
or social reform to a party of cracksmen on their
way to a burglary as to the Democratic party of
to-day. The descent of the Democratic organ in
this city offers a striking illustration of the irresis-
tible tendency of the party. The World, in 1862,
was in many respects the best newspaper in New
York. It bad some of the best writing that has
been seen in our political press. It has still
upon its staff some of the best writers in their line,
but the paper has been dragged through the mire
until there is nothing too mean and vulgar for it,
and it has on the same day published—in fact, we
may say it now habitually publishes--a column of
able and dignified argument, with another column of
mingled scurrility and obscenity. Why is this, but
because the readers whom it must now please will have
it so. We do not pretend that it is easy to reform and
purify the Republican party. It takes hard work
to keep any organization decent. Ask a candid
minister whether it is easy to keep up the moral
tone of his church. Ask a teacher whether it is easy
to excite his school to diligence in study. No good
work can be effected, even under the most favour-
able circumstances, without zeal and industry.
But we do affirm, and we think what we say will
be assented to by every man of practical experience
in the details of politics, that hard work for reform
within the lines of the Republican party always
produces encouraging results, and rarely fails of
entire. success. Nothing but fraud and violence
ever defeat it ; and these would not, if they did not
prematurely discourage those who engage in the
good work. The development of correct ideas on
finance, revenue, and general political economy
among Republicans, is, we admit, a more tedious
process. They are much more ready to respond to
moral considerations than to intellectual or pru-
dential arguments. But they are not so obtuse as
they are often supposed to be. Very little has been
done in this direction ; but the fruit of what has
been done has been much greater among Republi-
cans than among Democrats. No reasonable ma n
can feel greatly discouraged in view of the facts.
In conclusion, we exhort every one who desires the
growth of a sound public sentiment in respect to
the management of public affairs to do as we intend
to do—work with and in the Republican party,
submitting to its mistakes of judgment, voting
against its candidates when they are personally un-
worthy of confidence, and voting for them when
worthy, denouncing corruption in our own party
more unsparingly than anywhere else, exposing its
mistakes and regretting them more deeply than the
mistakes of an adverse party, and in every way
striving to make it a wise and a pure organization.
Drawbacks and discouragements we expect ; entire
success we do not expect ; but we feel entirely cer-
tain that no other path lies open to any man who
loves liberty, who hates corruption, and who seeks
to establish the honour of his country by means
which shall leave his own honour unsullied.

The Government has signified to the Bishops of
Linz and Brunn that should they not give up in a
fortnight to the civil authorities the registers of
marriages, which they refuse to deliver, the new
constitutional laws will be executed by force.
The Deputy Genero, accused of complicity in
counterfeiting money, has become insane.
C. Deverigaz, the Hawaiian Minister of Foreign
Affairs, has arrived in San Francisco on his way to Europe,
whore ho gods with full powers to procure a revision of
treaties with the Sandwich lidands.