The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-18
The Next PresIdency-The Drift of Pub
lie Sentiment.

lie Sentiment.
From the ~ Y. Times.
The Democratic organs continue their ex
ultations over the result of the late elections
This is both natural and proper, though it
seems to us good deal overdone. Practically
so far as Offices go-they have gained very
little by them; their Importance consists
wholly in the evidence they afford of change
in the political sentiment of the country. The
Democrats look upon this change as rendering
absolutely certain the return of their party to
power. In this we think they will be very
much mistaken. We look upon it as much
more likely to render that event impossible.
The late elections, in our judgment, will
compel the Republican party to make General
Grant their Presidential candidate. They
dare not nominate anybody else, however
much very many of their "leaders" would
like to do so. If Ohio and Pennsylvania
had gone Republican by as large majorities
as they did two years ago, and If the fall
elections generally had shown no abatement
of Republican strength the party would
have felt reasonably sure of electing any
man they might nominate, and probably
Judge Chase would have been their candidate.
But such proceeding now would be by no
means safe. The elections show, beyond all
controversy, a revulsion in public sentiment
against the measures and policy with which
Judge Chase is most closely identified. He is
more thoroughly committed to the principle
of universal negro suffrage than any other
public man OF equal prominence as candl-
date; and that principle has been most dis
tinctly and decisively repudiated in Ohio. 1t
is all very well to say that the Republican
party cannot abandon it-that they must
''fght on" and "rally afresh to the combat, F"
and ''keep the banner of eternal justice very
high" and all that sort of thing. So it may,
and 80 it should; but it does not intend
to be beaten in the next election. The party
does not see very well how the cause of JUS
tice and the rights of the negro are to be
aided by the election of Copperhead Presi
dent and 1t does not intend to permit any such
result. 1t will 60 in to iOin and it will nomi-
nate as its candidate the man who is most sure
TO be elected.
No one can doubt, or fail to see that the
sentiment of the whole country points to
Grant as that man. Nine-tenths of all the
Republican journals and politicians of the
country look upon his nomination as an abso-
lutte necessity, and as an equally absolute GER
talnty. -Four months ago we said that the
time was not far off when ''the very existence
OF the Republican party, as well as the welfare
OF the country" would be seen TO demand his
nomination 1t was just as imperative a
necessity then as it is now; but IL was not 80
generally seen and tnolon to be such. II needed
the elections which have Just been held Ia
open the nations eyes to the fact.
Now General Grant, as the candidate of the
Union and Republican party, will come nearer
TO being elected unanimously than any other
man since James Monroe The Democratic
party cannot put in nomination any man who
can hold the field against him, or get even :
respectable minority vote. He win take one
fourth of the whole Democratic vote in ever,
Northern and Western State. Indeed we d,
- oEdf axya rfofu /, ~,
Democratic party would nominate a candidate
against him. but the result would be the sam,
In either case. Nor will 1t be at all affected
by the nomination Of a radical candidate
through such a movement as was attempte,
at Cleveland in 1854 against Mr.. Lincoln
Such nomination would swell the vote whiol
Grant would receive from the Democrats ia
more than 1t would weaken the Republican
support.