The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-29
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FYont fAe ". y Cnisen.
We see Mr.. Greeley is advocating in the
Tyibune, with his customary force and cour-
age, that the radical party in selecting its
Presidential candidate, shall choose man TO
represent its principles and aspirations, instead
Of looking only to "expedienoy" or "availa-
bility"-that this or the other man occupies a
political situation 80 uncertain as to be able to
secure many votes outside OF party lines; and
on this doctrine he urges that Judge Chase, of
the Supreme Court, as the most essential re-
preventative Of radical ideas, shall be made
the nominee Of that party in the great struggle
Of next year for national ascendancy. We
heartily endorse Mr.. Greeley's position, and
would like TO see II accepted also in the selec-
tion 10 be made Of our Democratic nominee.
"Expediency candidates" are never good
for much-never bringing thousand votes to
any party standard; and, even If they be
elected, "mighty mean critters" when in
pOwer--of no use 20 friends and Of no detri-
ment 70 enemies. Their neutral and uucom-
mitted position is practically an attempt to
obtain success on false pretenses. Nothing is
decided; no expression of the national or
party will can be obtained by running an
9expediency nominee" In grave times, such
as the present, when the existence or non-ex-
each party should first agree upon platform
representing its best judgment and convictions;
after which, 1t should look around for the man
best calculated to represent that platform, or
who, If possible, had most largely contributed
to framing its original ideas. Judged from
this point of view, there can be no doubt
that Salmon p. Chase, Of Ohio, is entitled to
the next radical nomination for the Office Of
President.
In like manner, we think the loyal Demo
cratic party--er 'War Democracy" as II was
ohristened during the recent struggle-should
either take up General Grant as the Clearest
exponent Of its devotion TO ''the Union at any
cost, or Lieutenant General Sherman, than
whom no officer brought out of the late war
more brilliant or substantial record. He did
not win by brute force, but by strategy, and
his successes were gained by immense and
rapid movements, under which the enemy
found himself beaten without being given an
opportunity to fight. These remarks are not
made in any spirit of disparaging General
Grant, the difficulties Of whose situation-op-
posed to the choicest armies and ablest General
of the South, and in a country Offering, with
q little engineering skill (of which General Lee
had more than enough), immense capabilities
for defense--seemed to call for, indeed 10 make
imperative, a totally different line Of action
from the grand swinging and devastatye
movements of General Sherman.
ln6S6 are our ALTERNATIVES lOT mllJafy
candidate to represent the loyal Democracy.
But should it be resolved in the great council
of our party that the tendency to a Military
Dictatorship needs rather to be repressed than
promoted, why then let us resolve TO put for
ward, as the ablest, purest, most unselish, and
one of the most actively loyal labOrers for his
country in her hour of need, Ex-Governor
Seymour of New York--a name that would
more distinctively represent the Democratic
party and its principles, and would certainly
call forth more honest and hearty enthusiasm
than could be evoked by any other name what
ever that could be placed at the head of our
ticket. We know Seymour was once called
"disloyal," a"vile Copperhead," " and so forth,
but that was in period of excitement, when
any one who could not or would not swallow
the worst ultraisms and tyrannies of radical
despotism and corruption, had only TO be
called "Copperhead, and so feverish was
the public mind that his instantaneous inoaT-
oeration in Fort Lafayette would have been
aoquiesced in by fve-sixths of the whole COM
munity.
But we happen to have personal knowledge
that, while Governor Seymour was being most
loudly and fiercely denounced in radical jour
mails as an 'abettOr Of the enemies of his coun-
try" both President Lincoln and Secretary
Stanton were writing him warm letters Of
thanks, which shall be forthcoming in due
season, expressing their deep and grateful ac-
acknowledgements for his active, efficient, and
always well-advised efforts in pushing forward
by every means within his power as Governor
of New York, the war for the maintenance of
the Union and the Constitution of the United
States. Governor Seymour then favored the
draft, but opposed its machinery in New York
as partisan, corrupt, and malicious-and for
this the howl against him was loudest. But
was he right or wrong l-answer, Senator
Roscoe Conklin! Let the Republican Con-
gress answer, which, after full investigation,
caused MajorGeneral James B. Fry TO be re-
moved from his office of Provost Marshal
General-nOt alleging that anything in Fry's
personal motives had been corrupt; but dis
tinctly affirming that the system under which
the draft had been executed in New York was
one of vastly organized fraud, tyranny and
partisanship-a stencil in the nostrils of men,
and a cause for questioning the Justice OF
Heaven that had permitted such atrocities 10
be perpetrated. .ll a.-.t l..a
The last and perhaps angriest, because the
falsest and foulest Outcry against Seymour
was when he protested against the seizure anC
incarceration Of Colonel North and othe
Democratic agents, duly appointed and EN-
ployed to collect the votes of any soldiers O
the state OF New York then serving in tn
Army OF the Potomac, or in the vicinity 0
washington. But what was the RESULT
monstrous hue and cry Of "fraud" was raise
against these agents OF our State; monstrou
stories TO the injury of the Democratic part
were telegraphed by the Government. then h
control of all the "wires'i of the countrv-
telegraphic and military financial. official an
p0liticak but when the need was over and IN
Presidential election an ACCOMPLISHED fact
then the Government, with all its inpenuit