The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-06-17

General CRANE tho Railying Point of
Popular Power.
F5-onl me Hototd.
Certain citizens of Virginia recently wrote a
letter to John Minor Bolts and some other
party men and politicians in that region,
urging good reasons why the people of the
State should not be divided by arbitrary poll
tical lines for the benefit Of small demagogues.
The letter of these gentlemen indicates that
they perceive a remedy for the evil. They
use these words.-''For ourselves we indulge
the hope that the great soldier who commands
the enthusiastic attachment of his own section
and the undivided respect of ours, may be the
instrument under God of overthrowing the
despotism of party of uniting all our people,
and of restoring those fraternal relations which
ought TO exist among citizens of a common
country" BY these words we May perceive
that there is more wisdom in the Old Do
mtnion than comes to the surface in its party
struggles. We may see that the men in Vir-
ginia capable of really weighing the present
trouble, and of perceiving the only safe way
out of it, are not numbered or named among
party leaders, have only an individuality as
part Of the great popular mass, and keep to
private life. No man recognized outside of
Virginia as prominent politician could have
seen the mischief so clearly or have described
it so we'll. Party leaders there are lost in
party struggles. To them there is nothing
else but party. But this letter of the citizens
of Louisa published in last Fridays Herald,
rising like an emanation from the general
thought of the section, shows that the popular
mind is sound and healthy.
Over the whole country 1t is the same as in
Virginia. Party strife is the grand evil of the
hour. Faction rules and ruins. Faction in
Congress carries certain law, and faction out
side prevents its enforcement. Congressional
faction thus finds its hands strengthened, goes
further, and continued opposition only serves
to furnish it with excuses for newer and
greater aggression and enoroaohment. Thus
government, law, peace, and the national wei
fare are tossed from faction to faction; and who
shall say where they will land2 1t is the
South that suffers to-day; but If we permit this
to go on against the South, shall we not make
the precedent on which future factions viii
condemn us alsoi Robespierres are typica
figures in history, and they die always on the
guillotines that they have made part of the
law. How shall we stop this war of factions
History tells us there is but one way. II
throw off the tyranny of party the people
must have nucleus for the gathering of thei
strength. They must rally round the persoI
of some great leader-some man of power
courage, fidelity-and combining on him, Civ
him the strength and confidence to put dow
the factions. By making Clncinnatus dictate
the Romans saved the State. Later Roman
would have saved it again if they had done tn
same by Caesar before the factions had time t
kill him. Nations must profit by such lessons
The only chance for the American people t
stay the ruinous war of faction is to gathe
around Grant and confide to him the strength
and the power to pacify and restore the nation
In Virginia the people see this as the obviou
fact. Elsewhere it is seen also, and as thi
idea comes to prevail and the people act on
through the ballot-box, we shall have satisfac
torily solved the great problem of our nationa
troubles.