The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-07-16

leaders have this advantage, that the principles
upon which parties stand and party lines are
now well defined. The hypocrisy which covered
up the last Congressional elections is now un-
masked. Then the radicals were % bitterly
opposed to the reconstruction policy Of Presi-
dent johnson as they are now, but they dared
not say 80. To have taken the ground against
the administration then which they have since
would have led TO their defeat, and they knew
It. The President has not changed; he stands
now precisely where he stood then. Nor have
they changed; they were simply elected under
false pretences They cheated the people most
shamefully. The mask Is now torn away, and
they cannot 60 to the elections again protesting
to be with the President, for during tho whole
Of tho last session they made war on his policy
and on him personally. The breaking up of
the Cabinet and retirement Of the radicals from
Il, together with the late bitterly hostile eau
cuses, will open the eyes OF the people to the
issue made. Deception is no longer possible a.
to the wide difference between Mr.. Johnson's
consistent and conservative policy and the revo-
lutionary Jacobin policy Of the radioals.
These are striking facta which the Phila del.
phia Convention might use with great effect.
But in order to make that convention Of SER
vice to the country, 1t ought to have tn o widest
representative character possible. 1t ought
not to be composed Of seli-constituted dele
gates, and these the old political hacks and
will certainly creep in, II they can, to serve
their own purpose. II they should get in and
control the convention, that would be fatal to
the higher object in view. Public meetings
should be held throughout the country without
delay and the best and ablest citizens be
chosen as delegates. Let the people have d.
rect voice in the matter, and lat the delegates
come fresh from the people. There is not
much time in which to do this, it is true, but
still something can be done. Above all, we ad-
wise the Southerners not to send any delegates
who are obnoxiously tainted by the rebellion.
Their own good sense ought to make them
prudent In this respect The radicals will
SEIZE every pretext to assail and break down
the convention, and this ought to be a sufl-
cient warning.
The Philadelphia Convention may have great
moral effect upon the country. 1t will not meet
to make nominations for office, as some may
suppose; it will be simply gathering Of men
from oil sections TO deliberate upon the affairs
Of the country and to lay down platform Of
principles. What objection can there be to
thiss Why should not the citizens Of the
North and the South, the people Of all parts Of
our reunited country, meet together for this
purposef The radicals will not let the South
ern Representatives meet In Congress will 1t
not be well, then, to meet in conventioni More
than i've years the people Of the two sections
have been estranged, and they desire to be re-
united and 10 forget those years Of terrible
trouble and arrangement What patriot, what
lover Of his country does not desire to see har-
mony rcstorcdf As disunion radical Con-
gress refuses to bring the North and the South
together, We certainly think the next best thing
Is spontaneous convention Of delegates rcp-
resentlng both sections. II can do no harm,
and may have the best moral effect
But what can the convention do beyond
meeting 70 interchange yiswsi To be most
efficient II ought to have some direct object or
aim. II ought to direct ito attention immedi-
atsly and specially to the Congressional cleo
lions TO take place In the fall. How much Is
regards the future Of this country b involved
In these electionsi The convention should do
al II can through widespread political organi-
cations to defeat the radicals; but It ought
especially to take up the corrupt and destruc-
live LEGISLATION Of Congress and lay that before
the people. An able and clear analysis Of this
easily understand 4, and then it should be madsa
campaign document TO be sent into every house.
Never was . party more vulnerable to attack
than this radical party. The refusal to restore
the Union, the infamous Tariff bill, the Internal
Revenue bill, tho Freedmen's Bureau bill, the
national bank system and = hundred legis-
lative jobs that burden the people with imposts
md taxes and squander the public money
Ihese are fruitful themes that would arouse the
country. We do not want the mere assertion
of dull political dosmas, but live issues, to be
laid before the people: viii the men OF the
Convention be equal to the crisis I
They have nne opportunity. We shall see
whether they will show the necessary patriot
Ism, ability and vigor.
DECADENCE on THE THEATRES. theatres,
y places Of public amusement and popular in
,tructlon, have fallen sadly into decay Of late.
The audiences are not large enough to pay the
expenses Of the gaslight, and the performances,
n general thing, are reduced TO standard
below that Of . respectable circus One would
naturally inquire why this should be so In q
great, populous city, where the people spend
heir money freely; but tho inquirer may be
satisned with tho answer that the theatres have
become .1arnumlzed. When tho managers
placed themselves under the leadership Of
the classic muses. packed up their