The New York herald., 1867-05-25

lusienary Roactienises.
The singular course of Horace Greeley In
volunteering as representative republican to
secure the release Of Jeif Davis, the chief Of
the Southern rebellion, on straw bail, has been
the means Of developing Q very serious rup-
ture in the republican ranks; and although the
ssnarrow-minded blockheads" composing the
Union League Club Of this city have been
bullied by Greeley from their purpose Of ex-
pellng him from their association, ,sths people In
the rural districts and throughout the West Will
find means Of expressing their disapproval OF
his cot in different way. Indeed, it Is not in
the power Of any league TO stop the damaging
effect Of this qualification Of party calling II
self al0yal" Il i bombshell which has ex-
plodsd In the midst Of the republican camp,
and it has torn the organization oil to pieces in
this State and throughout the country. "The
little creatures whom God, for some inscrutable
purpose, permits to edit majority Of our
minor journals" and the "impudent puppies
and aimech" who subscribe for the Tribune
are I'll denouncing it - crime to the nation
and practical jasti6cation Of the rebellion.
But although great deal Of astonishment Is
expressed at Greeley's conduct, and although
tho Loyal Leagusrs mistakenly think him
"a weak sentimsntalist, misled by . maudlin
|. .phiiosophy,n he is after all, only the instru-
ment by which history is repeating ITSELF II
is the fate Of nearly all revolutionary parties
TO have their internal convulsions, and to
throw overheard and destroy, one after an
other, the men who have built them up.
When . great movement has been started,
which upsets the existing order Of things and
originates . new era, there will always be
found party within the party anxious to stop
the onward sweep of the machine, in fear that
it may run too far but those who endeavor to
apply the brakes are generally thrown to the
ground and left crushed and powerless in the
rear. Not to cite more remote history, 1t was
90 in the French Revolution, when, one after
another. the reactionists we're swept aside and
destroyed. Mirabeau, one Of the master spirits
who started the revolutionary tide by his bold
resistance to the encroschments Of the royal
power, endeavored subsequently in vain to
check its progress, and bitterly uttered on his
deathbed the significant prediction, "After my
death the factions will tear to shreds the rem
nants Of the monarchy" At q certain stage Of
the Revolution the Girondists made their stand
against the ultra revolutionary party, but were
borne down BY the fierce impetuosity Of the
Jacobins and the guiliotine ended their attempt
to allay the storm they had helped to raise.
Robespierre, after sending the opponents of
his terrible rule to the scaffold, became him
self victim. The remnant Of the Jacobins
strove to luli the revolutionary storm and
enjoy their power in peace; but In their turn
they were swept away, and France, after
wild whirl Of confusion and anarchy, fell into
the hands Of . military dictator. By the history
OF the English Revolution the same lesson Is
taught, and it is found that there, as elsewhere,
the men who, having Joined their fortunes with
the onward movement endesvored to pause on
the road and hold back their moro impetuous
associates, have only brought about their own
destruction, without accomplishing their object
The great revolution, tho seeds Of which
were planted thirty years ago in our own soil
and which sprang into active life on the re
bellion of the South, ia not exempt from the
| general law which appears to- have controlled
such events from the earlie& period Of the
worlds history. When IL was found that tc
defeat the atsemp& Of Southern traitors, headed
by JEFF Davis, to destrn- ;.
United eA-'- "0 government " 'ne
a.. ...ses, it became necessary to develop
10 full powers Of the constitution-to make
war against treason, to sweep away old
institutions and to maintain the inviola,
bility Of the nation at the cost Of millions
! Of treasure and nearly million Of lives-the
| whole loyal people became revolutionists. I,
wassoon found that the Jacobins of the party
Stevens, Wendell Phillips, Butler and their fol-
| lowers-iike Robespierre and the French Jaco.
bins, were nos contented to pause at the &C.
| complishment OF the abolition Of slavery and
the suppression Of the rebellion; and one by
| one prominent originators Of the revolution
have endeavored to stay its onward sweep; bui
they have all in turn been overthrown and
l politically guillotined. Thurlow Weed was one
| Of the first reactionists but he was speedily
| upset, driven out Of his influential State party
organ at Albany and compelled to find a
| shelter in an obscure corner of this city. Ray.
mond made feeble effort at resistance and
! wrote trashy address for the great Phila.
Jelphia l6veleast Of copperheads, rebels and
arecsnt and venomous apostates;" but he only
succeeded in losing his subscribers, his place
in Congress and his position in his party.
Andrew johnson, > very fierce Jacobin al
the start originated stop policy, narrowly
escaped impeachment, and only waits the ter
mination Of his official career to end bis
political existence. Greeley, who, by his old
time abolitionism contributed as much or
more than any other individual TO the revoin-
ton, now steps forward as straw bail for the
chief Of the rebels, declares that there can be
no punishmcnt under the law for the political
centricitu of traason 0iyes the lie To all the