The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-05-21
The Ncgre vote-The Conduct or the Radical
Leaders-Iss Logical Result.

The Negre vote-The Conduct or the RIA deal
Leaders-Iss Logical Result.
In the present indecent haste to seize and
secure that grand spoil-the negro vote, we
see the real estimate Of the war that rules in
the minds of Greeley and Company, the wilder
leaders of the republican party. For four
years there was holocaust; and every family
laid its sacrifice, as 1t fondly supposed, on the
altar Of the nation. Husbands, sons, brothers,
fathers-men cherished by ell the endearinss
names known to humanity-were proudly sent
out to the death harvest that the country
might not perish nor suffer shame. Devastation
in the form Of fire and sword swept over half
the land, and the people with one ready,
willing voice, gave the government mortgage
on every dollar and every dollars worth. But
was 1t all for the country reallyi or must we
now gradually open our eyes to see that it was
all for party? Greeley and Company assume
that the war had no higher or nobler object
than to give them . chance to get at the
niger vote. All the blood shed, all the
money spent, merely moved away the obstacles
that were between them and such purpose.
Their eagerness now Is not to secure in the
South any national object tina. might have been
worthy such a war; not to draw toward us by
wise laws the States that slavery had 80
nearly torn away; not to establish property
and personal rights on a better basis; not
to assure to the country that permanent peace
and tranquility for which such sacrifices were
made. No; their whole policy-all that the
war has led them tbs simply and purely an
and scramble for the votes of all the niggers
between the Potomac and the Rio Grande.
Was it for this that the American people gave
a million lives and thousands OF millions in
money?
We must understand the recent events al
Richmond in the light of this republican view
Of the war; Republican bondsmen, judges,
jurors and lawyers all see it the same way and
open their mouths in an accord as happy and
harmonious as though they were only the four
and twenty backbirds Of the political pie.
Aud the burden Of the song must starle the
country. We care, They say, for no result of
the war that is worthy Of respect There was
no such principle in it as should make oppo-
sition crime. II was only sur party game,
and we have won. We have removed the
obstacles to our party supremacy; we have
access 10 the niggers-to vast ignorant mass
of voters whom we can shape and use ~ we
will. and by Va0se votes we can control, not
the South Mersly, but the North also.
There are no precedents to be made there
was absolutely nothing in it but the
Niger; and this prisoner, who might be impor-
tant if there were any such aatiOnal question a.
good government and treason at STAKE, ia not
even worth his board in a casemate such Is
the tune. How does The country like it, How
will the people bear to be thus told, by the IN.
difference with which the representative man
of the whole tremendous revolt is sci at large,
that there was no treason? How will they
bear 10 learn, by seeing everything forgotten
in eagerness to secure the niger vote, that the
great dominant party sees no nobler result in
the war than the chance to use the niggersf
That it can shut its eyes to the first necessities
of restoration, to the securing Of peace and
good order and harmonizing the country;
nay, that it will actually lay down pro-
gramme to imperil again all the proper objects
of the war; rather than risk the loss of the votes
it has evidently always regarded as the grand
spoil Of the struggle.
Two thoughts will grow into the national
mind as the people reflect on these events-the
reputation of the vast debt incurred for party
purpose, and the reputation OF the party that
incurred it. II the conduct Of radical leaders
forces the conviction that the war is to have no
other result than might be summarized in
party programme, the people will grow FESTIVE
under the burdens II has placed upon them.
The debt was incurred by the people through
devotion to the national cause: il the money
was spent for any less important cause than
that of saving the nation, the people will not
pay. That, in plain English, will be one result
of the last radical assumption that the country
was never in danger-that there was no
traitor, no treason, no crime merely some
in its nature and Tor which II would be cruel
to punish any one. Another result must be
the utter destruction of popular confidence in
all those men who have thus shown their readi-
mes. TO play fast and loose on questions that
the people justly regard as vitality important
to triHe with the life of the nation. There must
be and will be clean sweep Of these poiti-
cal hucksters. Men who have no other ideas
of the greatest struggle Of modern times than
that II was the last political shuttle are I'M
worthy the respect Of an intelligent people,
and must give place TO leaders with more Of
the real character Of the people in them, and
who, by their sympathy with the people, can
properly lead the country to the fulflment of
the nobler parts Of its destiny.
Renewal Of the War Befweea spain and
Chile.
The Spanish government has not, it appears,