The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-10-20
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
EDITORIAL OPINIONS or THB LEADING JOURNALS
UPON CURRENT TOPICs-COMPIIED EVERY
DAY FOR THE EVENING TELEGRAPH.
"A Bull Run Panio-The Party Press.

about the withdrawal of Governor Seymour
and General Blair from the Presidential can
vass. The late elections seem 10 have created
regular Bull Run panic, or the confusion OF
q mutiny on board ship among the terrified
Democracy. We have never had anything TO
compare with it in all the ups ana downs Of
our political parties. IL Is all owing TO little
clique in New York. a little clique in Wash
ington, and little clique in Cincinnati, seized
with the idea that Frank Blair is the Jonah
who has brought the Democratic flagship
amopg the breakers, and that, Blair thrown
overheard, the vessel might still be saved.
Hence through the telegraph these oliques
undertake the desperate experiment, and so
simultaneously from Washington and New
York the proposition is thrown out. But
Messrs. Tilden, Belmont, and Augustus Sohel,
of the New York board of underwriters, say
l'No. This thing gentlemen, will never do.
A change Of front is impossible. 1t would be
equivalent to disb2udiDg our forces. We in
New York are not panic-strioken."
This settles the question. II would have
been the stupidity ot an idiot on the part of
Mr.. Belmont TO have given a moments respect
tul attention to this proposition for a retreat
OF the Democratic army by a flank movement
IN the lace Of the enemy. he rightly says 'lt
would be equivalent to disbandiug our forces"
The same opinion is expressed in terms of
fiery indignation not only by the red hot Demo-
Cracy, but 10y the rank and file generally. Nor
do they hesitate to charge the treacherou5
proposition for a change Of front to the weak
ness and the crime which placed poor Maximi-
2ian in the hands Of Escob5do, and gave to
everlasting infamy the name of Benedict
Arnold. Among the cOnjectures aaoat it il
said that the most active parties behind the
scenes in this movement for the dropping Of
Seymour and Blair were certain coteres of
sporting gentlemen who had made heavy bets
upon Seymour and were anxious to save their
money, and hence this shreWd device of with
drawing him from the course. Ii this is true,
then, in addition to the bank ring, the whisky
1ipgs, the tobacco, petroleum, and other specu-
lating and peculating rings in this canvass
must be added the faro bank and sporting
rings, heretofore omitted in the general sum-
ming up. We incline to think, however, that
the cliques we have indicated in New York,
Washington, and elsewhere really thought
that, in dropping Seymour and Blair and
taking up Chase and Hancock, or Chase and
Hendricks, or Chase and John Quincy Adams,
the Democracy might still carry the Presiden-
fial election, and that a prOnuactdnltento at the
same time from two or three prominent Demo-
cratic organs would bring about through Mr..
Bel mont and his committee the change de-
N anded.
the party organs thus involved in this bust
mess, instead OF striking oil, have been sold,
aud their assets, we fear, will hardly meet
their liabilities. But party journals and the
choues depending upon them are very often
pushed to the desperate exp9dient of stalking
every thing they have of cash or credit upon
tbe turn Of single card. They are nothing
but gamblers in politics, and are utterly unscru-
pu GUS in their tricks of the game. The time
has been when they were power in the land,
brt that time has forever passed away. Some
tAi' ~ odd years ago a change of base, sug-
ges Ied simultaneously by recognized party
organ in Albany or New York and another in
Washington, would have been promptly made;
but we see that such an experiment at this day
OF the telegraph and the independent press ex-
cites only derision, indignation, and contempt
in the party camp. The people of this country
of all parties, rank and file, have advanced far
beyond the debasing instructions and selfish
schemes of the party press.
But, meantime, a world of mischief has been
done, not only to the Democratic ticket, but
to the morale of the party. The Manhattan
Club organ here and the Johnson organ at
Washington having sounded defeat and
retreat the alarm has gone forth upon the
wings of the lightning, and from all points Of
the compass We hear the echoes of spreading
panic, from the centre to both wings Of the
amy. Democratic despatch from Washing
ton says that the regular old Democrats will
not swallow Chase, and that they "bitterly
denounce the Tammany politicians, whose in
1rigues secured the nomination of Seymour
many politicians) are the first to desert
the ticket" Another Washington des-
patch says that the President is in
favor of change, and that Montgomery
Blair thinks it would have been all right
if Frank had been put first and Seymour
second. Another despatch says that there
was an unusually prOtracted session of the
Cabinet on Friday, and that some suppose it
was all about this proposition to ''swap
horsesn Democratic organ at Nav ORLEANS
says that if Blair is to be cast overheard Sey-
mour must 60 with him, and that this is the
way to cut the goTdian knot. The Philadel-
phia Democracy, in view of a probable change,
are reported to be in favor of Chase and Han
cock From the West we have the informa-
tion that Frank Blair is ready to stand fast or
retire, as the party may demand. A Demo
cratic organ at Augusta, Georgia, charges
Belmont and the VOrid with lukewarmness
and with having made an effort to sell out to
the bondhOlders, and calls for change in the
head of the National Executive COMMITTEES.
That fellow was little too fast. Mr.. Belmont
does not retreat.
From these perturbatiOns among the Ds-
mocracy, however, it will be seen that this
proposition for change of the party ticket
has had terrible effect throughout the party
camps, equal 10 that of an exploding bomb
shell in the midst OF picnic. Five hundred
Thousand dollars expended upon Republican
campaign documents ana stump speakers
would have been but bagatelle in behalf o
the Republican cause, compared with this bias
from the Democratic trumpeters Of Washing
ton and New York-that the Democratic part
cannot survive unless they Immediately cas-
over Frank Blair into the depths of the sea
and Seymour too, because of his association
with Blair. Here comes in, for the instruc
tiOn of HOratio, that tTite old maxim
that 'cheating luck never thrives.