New-York tribune., 1867-04-05
TRJrWPH orr or DEFEAT

friends should be thanked for doing well.
The President was against us, and with him
all the patronage of his administration. One
Senator, Mr.. Dixon, had openly gone over to the
enemy, and was the champion of COpperheads and
Rebels against the party which gave him all his
greatness. Other leaders were cold and faint
We had the large minority of the timorous,
" time serving, and conservative" wholbehaved
80 badly in 1865, when the opportunity OF dong
Justice to the negro was granted. What with
renegades, frozen friends, the patronage OF a
great Administration and the compact, ably
commanded Democratic organization, RepuDl-
canism might have Jared worse.
The experience of all parties is. that coward
ice is the worst policy. An army never fights
a battle in bivOuac, and wherever any party OF
progress quietly unfolds its tents and rests,
saying, "the day is warm, and the roads
"are heavy, and the streams are swollen,
"and we are weary, and must fight no
vt becomes a mob, and its work
is done Thus it hath been thus it always
will be. Agitation, progress, constant advances,
are as necessary to its purity and strength
as sea currents and salt are to the purity of the
ocean. When a great principle Is at stake, we
cannot gain a half victory. Such victories alr
surrcnders for we either cOncede that our
enemy is right, or that we are weak No
party can live without answering It's mission.
How well our party has performed ours, let
the history of these grand momentOus years
bear witness Ii has led the nation from the
thraldom of Slavery to Freedom, its success
transcchding the hopes of its most sanguine
leaders. The aristoclacy of the South has been
DESTROYED. Labor has been taken from the
loom of Carolina cOtton-iields; and even as we
found her. lashcd and tom and much h-begrmed
and shacklc -chafcd, and not cOmely to see,
she has been crowned with a diadcm, and
clothed with purple, and sits i'll the very gates
of freedom. Our flag no longer bears dshon-
orablc stars. 1t means freedom 10 black man
and white. 1t must also mean universal liberty
and impartial suffrage, that he who digs may
govern. that the hand which holds the hoe Is
not unworthy the ballot.
Were its history To end here, we might
proudly close the record. But II must not be-.
We have done much We must do more. Our
enemies say that our party was a consequence
of the war, and should die with peace. There
is no peace until every probable cause OF war
is removed So long as wrong l. possible, 50
long rs pcrnrious theories are nufscd IN Court
and Cabinet like serpent, eggs, 20 hatch new
treason. when sunshine comes again so long as 1t
necessary for the swords of Sheridan and SicblcS
to remain unsheathcd, the Republican party Is
a war party We are nearer peace now than
at any moment since the surrender of Lee
and if we only stand firm, we shall have a
reconstructed Union before many months.
The danger is that We may at any time
rclapSc. undong all we have done. and,
instead of the prudent and healing remedies OF
Congress, have the dreadful quackcrio, OF the
President and those who advise him There
is danger from the enemy, and from our
selves. Nothing trc, IN army more
than a victory. To bee fcsolutc III dan
ger is couragc-to be resolute and pa
tient in victory is religion. There are 50 many
tcmptations-spoils OF ohicc-ambitions, jcal-
ousics We dread more from those Rcpubli-
cans who remain with our party 10 feed with
il, who came to it in the hour OF victory,
and vino have no aim beyond plum
der-thc suffers, and quartermasteIs, and
camp followers of Rcpublicani,m--than from
any combination Of the Democracy.
The Republican party was never so great as
when it fought Mr. Buchanan ard his patron
AGE without an ollicc-hoder in IT. ranks. II
never made more gallant battle than when
it fought MI Johu?gn and his office giyers,
defeating him in spite Of his power and pro-
scIption. Were it to go into opposition to-
morrow. it would be- purified and strengthened
by the exorcism which defeat would bring, by
the mercenalies running from it like the swine
possessed with devils.
Because of this we are anxious that the
party should be thoroughly organized. Above
all things, let there be-nO surrender, no retreat,
no compromise, no abatement OF our high
purpose. HcncefOrth the motto should be
Universal Liberty and Impartial Suffrage, re-
gardless of caste, race, or color. Let this be
ourtest-0ur watchwOrd and battle-cry. If there
are any who are faint hearted and timOrous-
who dread to do what il right--if there is any
poor devil who would rather burow in his
ofiice-if there is any one who shrnks from
entering upon this campagn-let him step from
the ranks now that we are forming, and go to
the enemy. This principle will bring victory
TO us and peace to all the land. Without
Justice we die, or live life more terrible
than death. Let our friends unite, and
canvass, and reorganizc. Where captains
are unworthy, or timid, or time serving,
let them be cashiered. Where Senators
seem more anxious about missions, and Judge
ships, and cosy places, and fear to say yes or
no because of Presidential frowns, leave them,
and take men whom we can follow. We lost
Connecticut by timidity and cowardice. We
only deserve victory when we are worthy
of it. Victory that comes by compromise,
or concession, or time-serving, disgraces
and wounds Republicanism. Rather than
see such triumphs we would prefer to have
the Radical party go back to what it was ten