Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-11-12
The Press on the November Elections

Il
majorities would he so large.
Is it reaction? Have the Republi-
cans lost their hold Of the affections Of
the masses; have they ceased to be the
popular party. aud must they go, like
the former Wings, into permanent
minority or is this manifestation Of the
peoples will mere passing chastise
ment, intended to rebuke their faults,
and bring them back TO moderation,
common sense and policy We think
the latter Interpretation is the correct
one. The Republicans have had entire
power and responsibility ever since the
close of the war; they were called upon
to restore the Union, to put our finances
on a stable, consistent and reasonable
basis, so that business men might know
what to look forward to; and to devise
system of taxation which should supply
the wants of the treasury, without inter
fering too much with the productive in
dustry of the nation.
These three things we're required OF
them; but they have accomplished neither
successfully; they have bungled in all of
them; and the people are dissatisfied.
Our methods Of raising revenue are un-
scientific, complicated, and oppressive;
our financial management is without
fixed principle or plan-not wholly un'
skillful, for Secretary McCulloch looks
and acts toward an important end, the
resumption of specie payments-but yet
sufficiently so to keep the commercial
mind in q state OF uncertainty and
chronic fever. AS for reconstruction, it
is not in so hopeful condition now as IT
was year ago, when the constitutional
mendment-Article Ia was passed.
Nearly all that Congress has since done
has been needless, violent, unstatesman'
liEe-we might almost say fanatical;
But wisdom of this obvious kind did
not suit the extreme leaders of Congress,
who, having an almost unchecked ma
jority to work with, could do as they
pleased. They would only be satisfied
with shearing the Executive of the pow
ers which render him responsible, and
with debating to the States their domes-
tic constitutions. Some of them went so
far as to propose thst a uniform law of
suffrage should be forced upon all the
States, loyal as we'll as rebel, in equal
disregard of the policy of the Constitution
and of the opinion of the people. Along
with this high handed and outrageous
scheme came reports of others, of de.
determination to suspend the President
during the process of his impeachment
-hagrantly in conflict with both the let
ter and spirit of the law; of plans to dis
tribute con6scated estates among the
freedmen and of gigantic system OF
education, under the control of the Gen.
eral Government, which would have
added still more enormous powers to its
already congested structure, and fur
nished new means of interference with
the rights of the citizen.
From the N. Y. Commercial Advertiserl
The Radical party is beaten. This
fact could have been announced conf
IDENTIFY, four weeks ago, for the result was
as apparent then as it is certain now.
Until cause ceases to produce effect it
could not be otherwise.
The national issues were sufficiently
embarrassed to tax the best energies of
the Republican party under the most
favorable circumstances. Ignoring this
great fact, the Radical managers in this
State superadded weights enough to sink
even a stronger party. These managers,
when they obtained control of the Re-
publican party, found it with an earnest,
compact, voting majority of more than
fifty thousand. They have gone on,
from year TO year, cheapening and
dwaIfng, and corrupting, until that
splendid political inheritance has been
wholly squandered, and the Republican
party now goes into bankruptcy. Thus
the improvident and thriftless scatter
what costs so much care and toll to save.
For the overwhelming msjorites in the
cities of New York and Brooklyn, there
is a simple solution & 1t is the second
signal expression of popular indignation
against Tribune liquor legislation. Rad.
icalism in this respect, as in regard to
the negro, has reacted. The Tribune,
in its "On to Richmond" temper and
tone, forced these two questions into the
canvass, and has its answer in major
ity of seventy thousand against its
party
In the State the party had other en-
barrassments. The Constitutional Con-
vention, after four months of abortive
labor, had disappointed the public ex-
pectation. Shameful frauds upon the
canal fund had been exposed. Dishon-
est members of degenerate Legislature
had obtained denominations. These
drawbacks, added to the 7Fibune'S cru
sade against the social freedom OF Ger
mans, and in favor of negro supremacy,
account for the falling off of the Repub
lican msjorities in the State.
But with this defeat passes our winter
of discomfort" and, under better au-
spices, the approaching canvass will be
"made glorious summer" Shaking
itself free from membranes, the Re
publican party, reorganized, reformed
and purified, will assert its devotion to
the Union, unfurl the Grant banner, and
fight out the Presidential campaign ION
this line.
New York "goes wrong" for two
principal and several incidental reasons.
The two principal reasons are; First
Insisting on negro supremacy in South
ern States; and, Second-The social
crusade against Germans. As these are
sufficient to account for our going
wrong" it is unnecessary to state the
minor reasons.
Had the question of negro suffrage
been submitted to the electors OF New
York, New Jersey, Ohio, and Kansas in
1865 or 1866. those States would have
responded afirmatively. Ohio, New
Jersey and Kansas have now answered
in the negative, not on account OF their
objections to granting suffrage to their
own eolored people, but to emphasize
their adherence Of the attempt to make
this a mixed Government Of black and
white. When Sumner warned Senators
that they must be prepared to welcome