The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-08
Noe. 2ls and 20 {

1t is not merely courtesy to acknowledge,
but polite to appreciate, the aid we have re-
ceived in these elections from Republicans. A
few Republican politicians and presses have
covertly aided US as a means of facilitating the
nomination of General Grant by their party.
The reasoning of these schemers has been cor
rect, but their influence very slight. The
great body OF the people do not enter into the
spirit of finessing tactics. The Republicans
by whose assistance we have won these great
trlumphs have acted from more simple and
straightforward views. Their sense of fair
ness has been violated by the domineering
and extortionate policy of their party leaders,
and it is chiefly in the interest of fair play,
according to their sense of it, that they have
given us their cooperation. 1t is a repug-
nance to extreme measures, desire to see
these agitating controversies settled on a
basis just and moderate enough to secure
general acquiescence and therefore likely to
be enduring, that has led some Republicans to
vote with us and more to abstain from voting
against us. But they will no more follow us
to extremes than follow the radicals. But if
we do not stupidity insist on cutting winter
coat from summer CLOTH and fitting it to the
measure of past generation instead of the
present, they will have no great objection to
wear the uniform of our regiment and continne
the march.
We stand on strong vantage ground,
which may be cut from under US if we fail to
understand our epoch, " and to seize events
by the forelook. If the people entrust us with
the government of the country, 1t will be be-
cause we convince them by large, liberal
spirit, and broad grasp Of the situation, that
we are capable of devising policy which will
settle public tranquility on a solid foundation.
The people covet national harmony harmony
between the different races in the South; such
a settlement, in short, as will prevent either
from constantly recalcitrating against it and
appealing to one or the other political party
in the North to disturb and upset it. 1t should
be obvious to all thinking men that we must
have more harmony in the North to accomplish
this desirable result. The breach which the
Republican party has opened between the two
races in the South can never be closed, so
long as one of them can confidently appeal to
half, or nearly half, the Northern people to
support them ia an effort to have things one
way, and the other race can as confidently
appeal to half, or nearly half, the Northern
people in an effort to have things in different
way. Whatever the united North (bating a
powerless body of radical factionists) may
agree upon as a final settlement, will be- ac-
quiesced in by both races at the South from
! the sheer impossibilit ty of changing it.
Now the assistance, direct and indirect,
which Republicans have given us in this cleo
| tion, is quite a step towards that unity of
|
South and durable tranquility to the country.
AT least half the Republican party are little
| behind those who have assisted us by staying
away from the polls. We are opposed to any
barter, or negotiation, and to every sort Of
| political dicker, both as degrading in ITSELF
and as recognizing the nauseous and absurd
claim of political leaders to traffic upon the
| people. The thing for the Democratic party
to do is to form correct estimate of the situa-
tlon, and plant itself on a policy adapted to
that situation and just in itself. If this be
! done, and done promptly while the Republ-
can party is toundering in the confusion of
defeat, we shall have the almost unani-
part of the people. True leadership
does not lie in the spirit of intrigue, but
| n ideas which hit the wants of the time
| ideas so obviously just, which so perfectly
match the situation, that they shine by their
! own light, with little aid from argument. It
| Is by such ideas that the country must be led
and harmonized; and the party which
puts them forth is the party Of the future.
A broad, robust courageous common sense
exerted on the actual circumstances not the
| piddling refnements of political metaphysics
nor stupid adherence to inapplicable prece-
dents, is the source from which such fresh,
| living ideas are to Gomez and when the right
tune is struck the dancers will fall into their
| places. The patriotism, the honest feeling,
NAiO O1o'iAl6 iOA JioLiOOy
exist in the hearts of the people, aud furnish
a soil in which the seed will quickly germi-
nate.
By these elections the Republican policy of
reconstruction is a demonstrated failure but
no policy can be a success which does not
recognize what is true and honest in the aspi-
! ratiOns of large masses of the people, because
it is only by satisfying these that the North
can be Tar enough harmonized to prevent one
half of its people being perpetual incentive
to mutiny by either the black or the white
race in the South. Whatever Just arrange
ment is substantially agreed upon by the
North, both races in the South viii accept and
abide by. Nor is a durable settlement at
tainable on any other basis, We shall have
more to say on this subject, the present sug-
gestions being rather the keynote than the
tune.