The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-12-12


liked. From Maine to Oregon the popular ma
jorities rolled up against them rise to the grand
aggregate Of half million. We may aptly com
pare this triumphant campaign of the repub-
licans to the grand march of Sherman, sweeping
everything before him, through Georgia and
the Carolinas, or to those terrific seven days Of
General Grant from Petersburg to Apponattox
Court House, in which he demolished the army
OF Lee and crushed the rebellion. And yet in
the sum total of more than a million Of votes
polled by the democracy in these late elections
they have still the nucleus for powerful reor-
ganization.
But as with the lately insurgent States, 70 it is
with the disjointed, defeated and disorganized
democratic party-the first thing needed to set
il upon its legs again is reconstruction. How
can it be reconstructed 30 as to standf It's old
laundering copperhead leaders and controlling
newspaper organs are casting about right and
left, and shooting of here and there in various
directions for some new road out Sf the
''Slough of Despond." Thus while the leading
copperhead party trumpeter in the West blows
a blast for universal suffrage, negroes and all,
his copperhead brethren OF the East are con-
soling themselves with the idea of dead lock
on the Southern question, and propose To wait,
like the excluded States, and do nothing, in
the hope, that something may turn up
But this is sorry expedient 1t promises
nothing, and if adopted it will result in nothing
but the rapid disappearance Of the remains Of
party which will have given up the ghost.
Something better than this may be done
upon the Northern democratic nucleus of a
million and quarter of votes. The exigency,
however, requires nothing less than recon
struction Of the party on a new foundation
foundation of the practical ideas and practical
issues thrown uppcrmost by the great political
earthquake which has swallowed up the things
Of the past And what is the leading issue be-
fore the country? It is the pending constiu-
tional amendment That is the settlement for
the South, decreed by the popular voice of the
mighty North II cannot be evaded. II must
be enforced, because it is the will and the uli-
metum Of the North. Upon this platform the
republicans have triumphed beyond their most
sanguine hopes aud yet now there are signs Of
discords and divisions in their camp on this
very amendment Here, then, is the oppor-
tunity for the democracy, by dexterous flank
movement, 10 seize this republican thunder and
turn it against "Old Thadn and his radical fol-
lowers.
The plan Of action required is very simple.
The chiefs of the Manhattan Club, who, as we
understand. have been for some days revolving
this problem over their oysters and champagne
have only to provide for the calling OF ma
tional convention and to bring such convcn-
ton, when assembled, to the adoption of
the pending constitutional amendment as the
future platform Of the reconstructed democ-
racy. The wreck Of the Chicago plat
form can never be raised; but the man
who protested against fighting upon it
as the democratic candidate for the Presi-
dency is the man to lead them for the
amendment. We are satisfied that a demo-
cratic convention on this platform and in the
name of General Mcclellan would result in
reviving the party into active and vigorous life
again; that the movement in bringing all the
excluded Southern States back into the govern
mont and into "happy accord" with this new
Northern organization would speedily give it
balance Of power in Congress and perhaps
in the next Presidency, looking at these afore-
said elements OF discord and dissension now
visible in the republican camp.
On the other hand II Is apparent that unless
the Northern democracy take this new depart
ure the managing politicians Of the excluded
States will remain intractable, obstinate aud
defiant against the amendment, and that Con-
gress, In consequence of this Southern obsti-
macy, will, as last resort, set these States back
to the condition Of Territories and 60 through,
not only the Presidential election of 1868, but
probably that OF 1872, without them. To regain
something OF their old prestige in the North
and recover the balance OF power with the
restoration Of The South, the true course for
what remains of the late great democratic
party is TO call national convention and
endorse the constitutional amendment Bold
measures alone can revive the party-such
the front rank with the new order Of things
And so we call upon the Manhattan Club TO
provide at once for q National Democratic
Convention and the new departure suggested.
A BRITISH GENERAL RouTEp ny rHE FE-
NIANs.--General Sir Thomas Larcom, under
Secretary Of Ireland, abandoned bis official
residence In the Phenix Park, withia few
miles OF Dublin, and fixed his headquarters in
the castle, which is within the city, and was
being rapidly fortified against the Feiians on
tho 2sth Of November. The English govern
ment at the same time offered a reward Of Eve
thousand pounds sterling TO any persos, "man
or woman, young or DID," who would deliver
James Stephens, "dead or alive" intothc Gus
tody Of liz officers. This looks as II General
Sir Thomas Larcom is vastly afraid Of the Fee