The New York herald., 1866-04-19

sentation will be respected even by the radi-
calls. We expect nothing from Congress in the
interval but the manufacture Of electioneer-
ing speeches and documents.
The Now Leader OF tho Democratic
Party.
Mr.. James Brooks has come home from Con-
gress and has had good dinner at the Man
haitian Club. This club is the new headquar-
ters Of the remnant Of the fierce democracy Of
New York, and Mr.. Brooks has been received
there with all the honors due to the new leader
Of the party. There were rich viands from Q
kitchen which, as we are ofacially informed, is
"already renowned, !" although we DO not know
for what There were wines Of those "rsrest
vintages" that always flourish upon such occa-
sions. The table was elegantly and appropri-
ately decorated with magnificent natural fow-
ers," a. II Nature herself had joined in the ova-
ton to Mr. Brooks. The portraits Of Jackson,
Van Bursu, Marcy, Douglas and other former
leaders @of tho democracy looked down WITH
more or lees appreciation upon their lsteH sue
osssor. ueulemsn Adistnguished IN political,
mercantile and lsgs circies,1 gsthsrsd n their
beauty, their ehlvalry and their dress coats, TO
pay homage to the gallant democratic
chieftain. Speeches were delivered by Mr..
James Brooks, by Mr.. Erastus Brooks, by
Washington Hunt, by General Slocum and
others. Letters were read from Mr.. Charles
O'Conor, Senator Stockton, Mr.. Voorhees, and
other public men. In o word, there was a
very grand tme and the new leader of what
is left Of the democracy was splendidly in
augurated.
But now that the lights are fed, the gar
lands dead and all the guests departed we
may not unnaturally inquire what Mr. James
Brooks, of the political firm of Brooks
Brothers, has done to deserve all this distinc-
ton. 1t has been decided that he was not
elected to Congress; but that is not enough to
entitle him to the double position of martyr
and a leader. A great many other men have
not been elected to Congress; but they re-
ceive no especial recognition upon that &C
count A great many other men have thought
that they ought to be elected; but nobody has
given them q dinner for that reason. The
case of Mr.. Brooks is very different from that
compared. The people and the Legislature
of New Jersey conceded the election Of Mr..
Stockton; the majority of the Judiciary Com
mttee of the Senate had no doubt
about 1t but he was expelled by close parti.
san vote in order to permit the radicals to
override the Presidents vetoes. The election
Of Mr.. Brooks, on the other hand, was disputed
from the very first; the Congressional Commit
tee reported adversely TO his claims; and
although the radicals had nothing to gain by
his expulsion, nothing to fear from his vote II
he remained, and several good reasons for
allowing him to retain his seat, he was turned
out simply because he had no more right in
Congress than any other person not legally
elected. II this state Of affairs constitutes Mr..
Brooks political martyr Of the nrst wine and
water, we really cannot understand why thou
sands Of other disappointed aspirants for of,ce
are not eligible to the honors and refreshments
of that new democratic paradise, the Manhat-
tan Club. II everybody who tries to get into
Congress and fails is to be dined and toasted
and promoted TO leadership, that already re-
nowned cuisine" will be kept pretty busy in
future, and those "wines Of rarest vintages
will become as common as Bourbon Whiskey
or small beer.
It may be, however, that the course
Of Mr.. Brooks In Congress has occa-
stoned this remarkable manifestation Of re-
spect for one whom the democrats used to
denounce most bitterly a. . Know Nothing.
From the tone Of the speeches and letters we
infer that the still unterrifed democracy en-
dorse and approve Of all the proceedings Of
Mr.. Brooks. This seems to us sngularly incon-
sistent in view of the fact that Mr.. Brooks, as
the democratic leader Of the House, helped Mr.
Thaddeus Stevens, the radical leader, to pass
the bill granting suffrage to the negroes of the
District Of Columbia. A large majority Of the
House was opposed to this bill; the conserva-
tive republicans tried TO repudiate it; Mr..
Stevens, with all his power, could not have
passed it il Mr.. Brooks had not led the demo-
Gratis to his assistance. When the bill came up
for action Mr.. Hale New York republican,
moved to qualify it so as TO conform with the
Fiity-three conservative republicans voted In
favor OF Mr. Hale's motion, and II the thirty
five democrats had voted with them 1t would
have been carried. But Mr.. Brooks and his
democrats voted with Mr.. Stevens and his
radicals, and the motion was defeated.
THUS the conservative republicans were driven
back to their party lines and under their
party discipline, and on the next vote the
Negro Suffrage bill was passed, and the golden
opportunity for completely extinguishing the
radicals had been thrown away. We hold Mr..
James Brooks the democratic leader. respon-
sible for this result and for all the troubles
which have followed 1t. When the conserva-
tive republicans deserted nv. Stevens and the
radical line was broken Mr.. Brooks went over
to the enemy installed Mr. Stevens again in
nnxer and restored the snnremacx of the radi-