Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-12-07
}ITTLAND HERALD.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER /, 1865,
The Republican rarty.

"a
anne phiosoph r, we believe II was
NJ ia Place, has made the remark in sub
.tauce that the only value of any theory
consists in its serving as framework
anon which facts may hc conveniently
arranged. The theory in and of Itself is
\ Of no Importance, aud ike the scatiold-
ug Of building it may he ultimately
dismns,d with If perfectly harmonl-
ous and symmetrical system OF well-au-
theuticated facts shall have been estab-
ushcd. We suppose that similar remarks
will anply to political organizations and
parties generally, We never learned In
our catechism that the "chief end OF
man" was 10 belong to some party, to
hold lucrative Office in a party, or to
20 for a party through thick and thin.
At the same time it is, perhaps, the duty
of every true man to attach himself to
such organizations, political, benevolent
and religious, as most nearly correspond
TO his own views and wherever he sees
that they are defective, to endeavor aC-
coriing 10 the best Of his ability to rem
edv these defects If at any time he be
comes convinced they have reached the
limit of their usefulness, he may, so far
as he is concerned, without a murmur
or tear, allow them to fall TO pieces.
4 It was in accordance with this principle
that the late Benjamin F Halett, for
bF NJ M nA Af
the Anti-Masouic party in Rhode Island
and Massachusetts, came to the conclu-
sion in 1882 that Anti Masonry had sur
Vived its usefulness, and theuCeforth he
would attach himself to the fortunes of
the Democratic party More recently,
William Lloyd Garrison has declined
the Presidency of the Anti Slavery So
81 rigty, and has discontinued or is about
II to discontinue the publication Of the
Liberator-the great object for which
that society and that paper were estab-
lished being now virtually accom-
3 plished.
Miss Dickinson remarked the other
evening that "the Republican party, I'M
consciously to itself, was born of pro-
test Of the human conscience;" and she
proceeded to say in substance that it
came into existence to meet certain
emergency. As in its past it has writ
ten Victory so in its future, If it would
still exist and flourish 1t must write
Equality and Fraternity. Remember,
said she, if you turn back it is death p;
if you stand still it is disintegration,
but If you go forward it is Victory.
She expressed the opinion that if the
Republican party did not make haste 10
grant manhood suffrage" to the freed
men, not many years would elapse before
the Democrats would come into power
On the other hand we have just been
reading an article in that embodiment
of oracular wisdom, the New York Her
aid, which says, "if the Republican ma
jority of the coming Congress are wise
they will avoid this danger, and shape
their course by the safe maps and charts
laid before them by President Johnson" "
The probability is that the great Re-
publican party In Congress assembled
will. be so wanting in gallantry that
they will pay as little attention to the
truly eloquent barapgues of the gifted
Anna Dickinson on the one hand, as to
the Sibylline leaves of the Herald on the
other. We suppose there will be a
goodly number in that body, who, while
they are not Indifferent to their party,
have something higher than party con-
siderations in view. There are men who
have some appreciation Of the weighty
responsibility which rests upon the dom.
inant party, and who will strive accord
ing to the best light they have to pro-
mote the best good of the whole ma.
ton, The party is so powerful that ii
can afford to be both magnanimOus and
Just. 1t has no resemblance at all to
Cromwelps Rump Parliament, as the
New York Herald sneeriDgly intimated
before the election. The experience Of
the past few years ought to have deeply
impressed even the wisest of its mem
IL bers with a sense of human fallibility
II and frailty. If it should prove true
that the members are shaping their ac-
ton mainly with reference to the per-
petuation of the party organization
then all we have to say is, the sooner
disintegration takes place, the bet
ter.
-. n, A. o,..;,,,I . l.,