The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-11
THE NEW YORK PRESS.
EDITORIAL OPINIONS OF THE LEADING
JOURNALS UPON CURRENT TOPICS.
cOmrm1D 1vnY DAY FOR EVENING TELEGRAPH.
Conservative Elements in the Republican
Party.

Party
From the Times.
The GOODNESS and persstency with which radi-
cal writers assume that the Republican party
is as they would have it are at least amusing.
Accept their word, and the Republican party
is composed exclusively of radicals. Rank and
file, body ana SOUL it is wholly and incontestably
radical, And, OF course, on this hypothesis,
conservative Union men are mere interlopers in
the party, 10 be summarily dislodged at the
proper moment, and meanwhile to be treated
as OF no account whatever. This render
ing of the case is, OF course, convenient for
those who employ IL. To take for granted
the identical points which are in controversy,
and then TO PROFOUND conclusions with the
emphasis that attaches to axIoms, is to avoid
much trouble, and 10 acquire q pleasant and
plausible importance. Thus the radical press
asserts its night to PROFOUND extreme views as
Tor the Republican party, and TO represent the
radical majority in Congress as the only lawful
inherltors OF the faith that elected Lincoln, and
gave to the Rebellion ITS quietus. One quality,
and one only, Is wanting to render this position
lnvulnerable. 1t would be strong il 1t we're
true. 1t would be Just ii 1t were not at vari.
ance with the record 1t would be proper IL 1t
were not likely to entail disastrous defeat.
The Republican party as we have many times
had occasion TO show, was in ils origin conser-
vatiVe, anu so also it has been, uniformly, in
ITS formal utteranCes. The platforms upon
which Mi. Lincoln was elected in 1860 and 1864
NCit III lnClE 6ss6uJldlS Tue very DIAliOrm upon
which conservative Republicans now help to
tight the battle OF the Union. They were con-
servative-not tIadical-platforms The lnaugu.
raj addresses OF the Republican President were
models OF conservatism; search them from open.
ing to close, and not speck OF radicaism is
discoverable. The course OF the President
throughout the war was IN every respect in har-
mony with the proclaimed purposes OF tne
| party that elected him, and with his own de-
clared intentions.
1t was conclatory, moderate, conservative
LOOKING to the earliest possible restoration OF the
Union as the single object of the war and Iynor-
ing. the idea OF exclusion, Acknowledgement or
conhscation as penalties TO follow the assertion of
national authority. The governing po wer in Con-
gress manifested the same spirit. Its proceedings
furnish no sign OF hidden purposes OF vengeance
or OF the extreme opinions which now aspire to
4 supremacy. On the contrary, the resolves of
Congress, like the platforms and the inaugurals,
set forth but one object, the restoration OF the
4 Union, and dlSClalmed all desire TO abridge the
/ privileges of the Southern people when they
should be brought back to their old constitu-
tional position III the Union.
Where, then, is the title OF the radicals to the
! mastery? AT what stage in the history OF the
party was its conservatism thrown overheard (?
At what period, and by whom we're the Repub-
hcan platforms adopted at Chicago and Balti-
more discarded, The assurances of President
Lincoln repudlated, and the resolutions OF Con-
gress overridden as destitute OF authority /?
When, by whom, and with what authority were
the mot crate, constitutional principles of the
| opinions and measures which are arrogantly
| thrust forward in The name OF the party? We
| shall 0e glad to have specific answers to these
| lnterrogatores, Ior they appear to cover the
| ground which is In dispute. If the Republican
party really is the radical, dlsunon organization
| which not a Jew OF our contemporaries deciqre
| 1t to be, we want 70 know now, when, where,
| and by whom the change was perfected. We
| want to know when and through what lawful
| process the conservative elements OF the party
| were driven out. For, with the party platforms
| conservative, and the twiceelected President
| conservative, the right seems to be on the con-
servative side, and the onus OF establishing title
rests upon the radicals.
| 1t is plain, moreover, that the conservative
| elements in the party will refuse to reliuquish
| the rights they have acquired. In Iowa they
have hello State Convention OF their own eX-
| clIdlng the radicals, ana constructing a plat
| form upon which a strong National Union
| party may well be content to stand. In Mis-.
souri, something similar has taken place; in
| Indiana movement is reported TO be in con.
| temptation; and there are reasons for be-
| heying that the struggle begun in the West
| will be extended to nearly every State in which
| the Union party has an organization. The
| record IS too clear the cause too lust, the
| exigency too important to admit OF a tame sur
| render Of the position won by the party ere
1t had been divided by the violence OF radi
calism.