The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-09-29

to make it strong and constantly swelling
gale.
The Peace of Grant, the Grave of Liberty.
Petersburg Va) I'aden.
Wendell Phillips, who is the real leader of
the radical party, and who always occupies an
advanced position which it never fails to march
up to, thus speaks of Grant in a recent mum
ber of the Anti-Sidvery Stdndard:-
,,a Ine ne, people have been largely educated to
even anect 10 put uH any share of 1T on the
shoulders OF Grant, or fancy that he can or will
lead any body, or In anything. rhey see In
The nomination OF Grant by the radical
party was owing solely to the fact that it did
not have an available leader, aud was forced
to take an available tool. II Grant should
prove less supple than the party leaders anti
cipate, he can easily be removed by impeach-
ment and the Chicago Convention made pro-
visions for that contingency by appointing
Colfax as his successor in case it became neces-
sary to depose him. 1t has been said that in
case Grant is elected it is his intention imme-
diately to resign, retaining his present high
and lucrative Office, and hand the reins over
to Colfax, confniDg hmself simply to the exc
cution of the DEGREES of the Government,
should the army and navy be requisite for
that purpose. Thus will be accomplished the
fate which our great friend, De Tocqueville,
readers turn to the concluding chapters of his
great work, Democracy in America" where
he shows the strong tendency of all commuui-
ties where the doctrine of equality prevails to
relapse into central despotism. The great
problem in America where We have no aris-
tocracy, is to maintain at once our individual
freedom and the equality of each individual
before the law.
The almost irresistible tendency among
GREAT DamOcratic npOnlp ia for tho nd VII al
and the municipality to benome hslplass, and
for the great central power to become absolute
and omnipotent.
What De Tocqueville feared for us was that
from great republic prolific of great men, OF
heroic souls, and Independent manly genius,
we would sink into agreat nation of little men,
We would become vassals to a vast and
mild despotism, which would deprive us at
once of the wish and the will to be free, and
whose all-pervading power would not be the
less despotic and irresponsible, because an en-
ervated and debased people themselves ap-
pointed the instrument by which it will be
administered. He points out that such Gov
ernment will give us peace, and that this is
the attraction which it will offer, and that in
some weak and unguarded moment, following
the turbulence of civil war, the nation will
accept the fatal bribe and exchange liberty,
freedom, independence and glory, for equality
despotic peace, and inglorious ease.
A tone of mournful foreboding pervades the
conclusion of this great mans work on
American Democracy. When we first read it
before the war, we did not share in his appre-
tensions. But the course of events has
proved that the prophetic intuitions of his
genius are probably about to be demonstrated
by the inexorable logic of events.
He did not, however, quite despair of our
Republic. He pointed out the way of escape.
1t is yet open to us. Let us reanimate the
form Of our government and our Constitution
with the great spirit of its founders, and we
shall have the repose which accompanies the
achievement of great and noble purposes, the
rest which follows high and heroic and sue
cessful action and the calm satisfaction which
pervades the glowing hearts of people upon
the humblest 81 whom its government dare
not tread, and yet for the humblest Of whom
all the thunders Of its power will awaken to
aveDge wrong inflicted by foreign hand.
Such repose, such rest such satisfaction is
promised by the success of the great National,
Union, Constitutional, Democratic party.
The peace of radicalism and Grant is the
peace OF death and despotism. To accept it is
to lie down in the dust with all nations who
have lost their freedom, to whose graves the
Muse of History mOurnfully points and bids
us beware,