The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-10-02
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
EDITORIAL OPINIONS OF THB LEADING JOURNALS
UPON CURRENT ToPIcs-COMPILED EVERY
DAY FOR THE KvKEISG TELBGRAPH.
Reunion of the Northern and Southern De.
mOcracy The Party Of the Future.

II was hardly within the limit of possibility
that the Democracy could triumph in the pend
ing canvass for, in the very nature of the case,
their position was such as 10 awaken the mis-
givings of the people. They necessarily stood
before the country in an attitude of hostility to
the party that could with some show of justice
claim the conduct OF the war as portion OF It's
record; and the popular intellect, which gene
rallies on broad facts and does not weigh nice
points, could see no difference between oppo-
sition to the party of the war and opposition
to the war itself This was made worse by the
impenetrable stupidity of Democratic writer's
themselves confoundiDg the same things, and
arguing as If the best way to expose the folliei
and bluuders of the Northern war party was
to glorify the Southern armies and depreciate
the courage of the national soldiers and the
abilities of national generals. Thus, by the
popular view and by the coppery instinct of
its own writers, the Democratic party was at
once debarred from assuming that attitude in
which alone there was a possible victory for
an opposition party-the attitude, namely, OF
party that, acknowledging and accepting the
result of the war, wages its strife against the
abuses and shortcomings of political organi-
cation corrupted by the possession of too
much power. Thus debarred from that only
sure course, the Democracy was from the
beginning doomed to defeat.
Certain of the Democratic leaders saw this
not the Northern ones, for they are fellows
cunning of jobbery, just in proportion as they
are poor in that true capital of party-edu-
Gated thought applied to the solution Of politi-
cal problems. Northern Democratic leaders
were summing up the total OF spoils they
would gather when they won, as the beggar
of Ba9dad counted the price OF the chickens
that were in his basket of eggs; and while
they were thus busy the Southern leaders
the same men who ruled our system by
superior sagacity in days gone by-were
weighing the chances OF the conflict and
devising the means by which victory was
TO be secured sooner or later. These men
saw that the contest of their party in this
canvass against name that so carried
the story OF the :, war as Grants did
was hopeless, and turned their thoughts to
what might practically be done this year.
They gave up the candidate to be named by
the North on condition that the North would
give them their vital points of principle in the
platform. This was cheap victory. They
could afford to let the North name the candi-
date, for it made no difference who he might
be, since it was so nearly an absolute certainty
that he must be beaten, while in securing the
platform they were enabled to identify a new
consolidated Democracy in the very hour of
its birth with that policy in regard to
the Southern States that must eventually
have the sympathy of the whole people.
They gave up the candidate and the New
Yorkers named him. The position Of our
city Democrats on the Presidency is this if
there is man in the White House whom
they can manage they would like to have a
Democratic President; but if they cannot
manage q Democratic President they would
rather have President Of the other party.
This is all in rsgard to the city spoils. A
President they can manage will put their own
men in the Custom House and the Post Office,
and all will be harmony between the national
plunderers and the municipal plunderers OF
this free metropolis; but if the President is
one who will put other kinds of Democrats
here to distress the municipal stealers and
provoke division on tickets, they would rather
have President to put in Republicans, from
whom they will be safe. This is their politi-
cal philosophy, and in the contrast between it
and the political ideas that moved the South
ern leaders we see the true difference between
the two classes Of men.
The Southern leaders are looking, therefore,
in this fight solely for its effect on the future.
They know that they cannot win this year
they must apprehend that they may not win
for two or three campaigns to come; for, in
view of the vitality that Grant will give, in
view of the development Of political purposes
that will characterize his administration, it is
at least possible that his party will receive
from him an impulse that may carry it tri-
umphantly many years into the future. Or
the other hand it cannot be concealed that il
is party naturally tending towards early
disintegration. 1t is full of elements that are
essentially conflicting, and that can only ac
together while some idea or will altogether
dominating keeps in abeyance the natura
tendency. Already this inevitable divergence
of the elements of that party may be seen a.
it appears on one great topic in the comparison
of the views OF different radical leaders on tbs
subject of national finances. And while thi
is true, it is certain that the Southern Demo
Gratis have placed their party right for tn,
future on the subject that is to determine thu
fate of many candidates, the reconstruction
of the Southern States and the relative posi-
tion of the different races of men under thi
Government.