Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-10-26


the presidency more to the young, vigor'
GUS and growing democracy and the
odium of Federalism than to personal
popularity, notwithstanding his distin-
guished merit. And neither VIM. Henry
Harrison nor Zachary Taylor could have
reached the presidential office had not
the cry of retrenchment and reform
against the extravagance and maladmin'
istration of their predecessors borne them
in on the crest of the popular wave. We
can see nothing in Grant or Chase to beget
enthusiasm in their followers and to carry
the Radical party into powder under any
circumstances. And now especially, when
il has multitude Of sins to answer for,
without the possibility of giving reason
to tie country why its power should be
renewed, and its destructive usurpaiions
"outside" of the Constitution be con-
tinued. it would seem its defeat was
rendered secure. Besides, the country
at large has now one great and sole wish
and purpose, and that is to return to the
conditiou'of peace and prosperity to all
sections, and to restore virtuous as well
as intelligent government, and return to
an economical administration, to all OF
which the Radical rule is opposed and a
bane. That is what will govern in the
next Presidential canvass, and no per-
sonal popularity will have straws
weight to change the result. The next
President will be representative man
the embodiment of the controlling senti'
ment and will Of the people.
The New York Tribune regards the
support of it, negro allies as indispensa'
BILE to success. 1t AYERS that the rebel
lion would have been success but for
their aid, and thinks it is now equally
true that black votes are the only hope
of salvation to the Republican party and
the Union. The New York Times, on
the other hand, thinks it necessary to
throw Chase overheard just because he
is the representative of the principles
the negro and the bonds-by which the |
Republican party is bound. Grant,
representing nothing especially but
big sheriff with a big posse, who sup
pressed big riot is more available
The Times dare not rely on the popular
ity of its principles, while the Tribune
is willing to fall with them. No mans
availability can be sufficient to resusci-
tate the life of a waning power. John
Brown no longer marches on. Feavy
brushes the prosperity OF
the country. The next President will
be elected because he represents the
wish of the now conservative people.
Otherwise no man is available. The
Tribune thinks that, without the negro,
Pendleton or Thurman or Vallandigham
could be elected as easily as Grant No
doubt of il. The Republican party will
not outlive THE Niger"
EG- The Cincinnati Commercial, the
friend and organ of Salmon T.
Chase, is now Tending of for him. Some
Of the Radical papers, as well as Conser'
vative, having admitted that the election
in Ohio lends forever the presidential
prospects" Of Chase, the Comm erctat
contends supplicatiDgly that he is truly
that " he was the first
public man, after the close of the war and
he death Of Lincoln, to call the attention
Of the President to the only solid basis
Of reconstruction-that ia, the enfran-
chisement of everybody-suffrage for all
slaves, amnesty for all rebels, with, per
haps, half dozen named exceptions
That is what we must come to. The
wisest men of all parties have admitted
It. The policy is that of Judge Chase,
and was urged upon President Johnson
some time before the date of the North
Carolina proclamation. As for the
schemes Of vengeance in the form of the
confscation of the lands of Southern
white men and their division among the
blacks, Judge Chase disconntenances
them entirely. The notion that Congress
should seize upon the President and
thrust him, with blows Administrations,
out of office, has never been encouraged
by Judge Chase. On the contrary, it
was his opinion that no little mischief
was done during the late political cam
paign by the wild threats of summary
impeachment that were freely made"
As to the charge that Chase is re-
spousible for the negro suffrage issue in
Ohio, the Commercial denies that he ever
urged it, and says, "he recognized the
fact that while in the Southern States,
where the great body of loyalists we're
black, negro suffrage was demanded by
considerations Of the public safety; no
such demand was made in the North;
and that the Southern whites might in
great degree have their prejudices con-
quered by coupling suffrage with am
nesty, while there was no such induce
ment in the North to make application
of the golden rule"
This defense Of the Commercial fur
nishes the strongest of reasons for con-
demning him. No man knows better
than Chase that it was not eonsidera-