The New York herald., 1868-06-10
Military or Civil Goverunent.

Military or Civil Government.
viii the people have military government
or civil government in the United States !?
This is. what they are to decide in
the next Presidential election. This is
the real issue that must be fought out
between Grant as the impersonation of the
republican policy and the candidate of the
opposition, If the opposition has any practi-
cal purpose to win the battle. There ia some
appearance that the opposition is not awake to
this fact. The Western democracy presses its
favorite candidate, Pendleton, in a way that in
dicates absolute ignorance of the true differ
ence between the parties that are to appeal to
the people for support in this canvass. Its ad-
vocates seem to live in the geological museums
of politics, where they wander up and down
mutterng or shouting "Pendleton and demo-
cratic princples!" What are these astonishing
democratic principles that only Pendleton' can
stand for? Pendleton is distinguished, is
known to the country for one great fact-he was
peace man during the war. But the war is
over. All men are peace men now, and the
distinction is gone. Can it be that these demo-
Gratis of the West, who were 80 long in some
ways in finding out that there had been q war,
are equally unconscious now that there is
peace? Is this the reason that they go on
with their Pendleton hocus-pocus, shouting
that they will have no leader but one whom
they knew in another struggle, who came be-
fore the country on an issue that Is dead and
dried up and who died with it
If this is an indication Of the course the
democracy is to be driven into by the West
they will be fighting the battle where there are
none to oppose them, and will 6nd when the
contest is over that they have wasted their
effort and their ammunition. These Western
democrats insist upon ignoring the issue-they
insist upon occupying some other ground than
that which is important in this contest They
are far away from the main point and seem
determined to keep away. They are uncon-
scious of the fact that politicians cannot make
issues, but must accept those that ars the
growth of events and do what they may TO
direct the people in regard to these. There
has been much Of this folly in our political
history, and nowhere more than in the career
Of these same spurious democrats who now
desire to control the course Of the opposition
to Grant. Never was there o more fragrant
instance Of il than in the circumstance that
brought Pendleton prominently before the
people. The great struggle Of the democracy
before the war was for the country against that
disorgsnzing coterie, the ''abelltionists :" and
the democracy went on blindly lighting this
mere name of ''abolitionst" until in the
changes Of time the whole people were abo-
litionists-untl the cause of the abolitionyts
was the cause Of the country; and then was
seen the queer spectacle of democracy
arrayed against the people, of party fighting
in the name OF a country against the measures
absolutely necessary to preserve the very
existence OF the country There is nothing
clearer than that Pendleton is not a democrat
as the people are now ready to apply that
term. His so-called democratic principles
are merely the copperhesd rubbish that was
used during the war in opposition to the nation
and the cause Of the people. Ii the democrats
intend to stand on such principles all will
rejoice in their defeat. Any party that is to
win in this contest, so far from boastins
Pendleton as its banner man, must cover him
up and hide him from sight and smell; for ha
mas no political existence save a. an offence in
the national nostrils.
Let the people not be deceived by these
| selfish and pitful clsmorers, The resi issue d