The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-12-13

The Late Disasters of the Democracy
How tho Party May be Revived,
From Ae Herald.
From the unexpected and unprecedented dis
asters suffered by the Democracy in the recent
elections, they stand coniounded and demora.
lized. From Maine to Oregon the popular ma
jorities rolled up against them rise to the grand
aggregate of half million. We NAV aptiy com.
pare this triumphant campaign of the Republi.
cans TO the grand march of Sherman sweeping
everything before him, through Georgia and the
Carolinas, or 10 those terrific seven days of
General Grant from Petersburg 10 Appomattox
Court House, in which he demolished the army
Of Lee and crushed the Rebellion, Ard vet in
the sum total of more than million of votes
polled by the Democracy in these late elections
they have still the nucleus for powerful 1eor-
ganzation.
But as with the lately insurgent States. so il
is with the disjointed, deseated, and disorga-
ntzed Democratic paTty-the first thing needed to
set It upon its legs again is isreconstrucJion. How
can It be reconstructed so as 10 staud9 Its old
blundering Copperhead leaders and controlling
newspaper organs are casting about, right and
lett, and shooting off here and there in various
directions, for some new road out of the ''Slough
OF Despond." Thus, while the leading Copper
head party trumpeter IN the West blows a olast
tor universal suffrage, neproes and all, his Cop.
perhead brethren of the East are consolIng
themselves with the idea of a dead lock on the
anu propose 10 wait, ike the
excluded States. and 40 nothing in the hope
hat something may turn up.n But this is
sorry expedent. 1t promises nothing, aud If
ADOPTED 1t 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
he Northern Democratic nucleus of million
and quarter Of votes. The eXigency, how
ever requires nothing less than a reconstruc-
ton of the party on a new foundaton-a foun-
dation OF the practical ideas and practical issues
thrown uppe1nost by the great political earth
quake which has swallowed up the things Of
the past. And what is the leading issue before
the country? 1t is the pending Constitutional
amendment. That is the settlement for the
South, decreed by the popular voice of Tn
mighty North. 1t cannot be eyaded. 1t must
be enforced, because il is the will and the ulti-
matum Of the North. Upon this platform the
Republicans have triumphed beyond their most
sangulne hopes, and yet now there are signs of
discolds and divisions in their camp on this
very amendment. Here, then, is the opportu-
nifty Tor the Democracy, by deXterous flank
movement, to seize this Repu blican thunder
and turn it against "Old Thau" and his radical
follow Ners.
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 national
convention, and to bring such convention when
assembled, to the adoption of the pending Con-
sttutlonal amendment as the future platform of
the reconstructed Democracy. The wreck of the
Chicago platform can never be raised; but the
man who protested against lighting upon it as
tie Democratic candidate for The Presidency is
the man to lead them for the amendment We
are satisfied that Democratic 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 Government and into a
HAPPY accord" with this new Northern organi-
zatlon, Would speedily give it q balance of DO wer
in Congress and per haps in The he xt Presidency
looking at these aforesaid elements of discord
and dlssension now visible in the r publican
camp.
On the other hand, it is apparent that. unless
the Northern Democracy take this ne W depart
ure, the managing politicians oil the excluded
States VIII remain intractable, obstinate, and
defiant against the amendment and that Con-
gress, in consequence of this Southern OBJ sti-
nacN, WILL as last resort, sci those States back
to the condition of Territories and go 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 restora-
ton 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 measures as will
bring 1t from the rear INTO the front rank with
the new order of things. And so we call upon
the Manhattan Club to provide at once for a
National Democratic Convention and the new
departure suggested.