The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-13
The "Greatest Statesman of the De-
mOcracy AID General Blair.

TIE comments upon the Democratic nomina-
tions by the journals of the country Of various
shades of opinion, are of a contradictory and
conflicting character; the organs Of the Re-
publican party and some independent news
papers declaring that the ticket is inevitably
doomed to defeat, while the Democratic jour
mails, as in duty bound, affirm that nothing
could have been more satisfactory and en-
couraging than the unanimous selection Of
their greatest statesman" as their Presi-
dental nominee. This declaration, which Is
apparently sincere, affords striking comment
ary upon the position and conduct OF their
party. 1t maintained for long period unin-
terrupted sway in the national councils, train
ing large number of its chosen favorites in
the public service as Congressman, Senators,
Cabinet officers, and diplomatists, and yet 1t
now boasts that it has found in a man who has
officially figured exclusively in the tortuous
politics Of the Empire State, statesman of
moro exalted genius and greater profundity
than any of the Democratic champions who
have enjoyed opportunities in a national arena
to air their theories and to demonstrate their
wisdom or their folly, their patriotism or their
reasonable proclivites. If this judgment be
correct, it reflects great discredit upon the
long list of Democratic magnates who have
been fairly tried before the people, aud in
their eulogies of Seymour it would be interest
ing to hear them explain how and why he
gained his alleged pre-eminence, despite the
lack Of proper opportunities. The nation has
witnessed, during the last twelve years, some
times with modification, but oftener with just
Indignation, innumerable displays of Demo.
cratic craftsmanship. The favorite doctrines
Of the party were exemplifed in the South,
by the reasonable efforts to inaugurate the
Rebellion, and in the North by schemes to
prevent a vigorous prosecution of the war
instituted to suppress it, and there is no evil
denoe that HOrstio Ssymour's craftsmanship
ever elevated him above the low level of
Democratic prejudices and platforms. Indeed,
when it is remembered that the
man who, in the New York Con-
vention, first strenuously insisted upon
his nomination was no less parsonage than
the notorious Vallandigham; and when Sey
mour's record in connection with the stages Of
the rebellion and the New York riots is con-
sidered, it will be difficult to ascribe to this
paragon any other sort of craftsmanship than
that which has been emphatically condemned
by the repeated verdicts of the American peo-
pie. His chief advantage over his competitors
arose from the fact that he did not place on
record in the Congressional Globe, or in the
archives of national departments the current
opinions of the party to which he has ad-
EIa1;k IN,,k la h
said and done enough to prove his thorough
sympathy with the ultra leaders Of his organi-
zation, and to become the chosen candidate OF
the radical Pendleton faction. Satisfied that he
will blindly follow "the old landmarks of the
party" the Democratic politicians will scarcely
attempt to disguise this obvious fact and they
will only endeavor to attract doubtful voter
by some Of the glittering generalities of their
platform and by their nominee for Vice-Presi'
dent. Resisting the nomination Of Genera
Hancock for the first place on thei
ticket, they concluded that it would be saf
to confer the secondary honor upon Union
seldier, who had followed up his abandonment
of republicanism by declaration that he
favored a revolutionary reversal OF the recon
struction policy of Congress. Thousands O
men entered the war as Democrats, and
emerged from it Republicans, but General
Blair gained strong hold upon the affections
of the Democracy by pursuing the directly
opposite course. In 1860, when he addressed
Lincoln meeting in this city, he bitterly de-
nounced the members of the Union party of tina
day in Pennsylvania for not openly assuming the
name of Republicans, and boasted that in the
slave State of Missouri he gloried in proclaim
ing himself an emancipationist. Stubbornly
as the New York Convention resisted the ap.
peals of those who urged that success was i'm,
possible unless they nominated for President
some man who had not always been stric
Democratic partisan, the force of this argu-
ment was evidently ACKNOWLEDGED in the mos
urgracious and Ineffective manner possible BY
the nomination of General Blair. Instead O.
strengthening the Democratic ticket, his ezra
lio record and his recent letter invoking new
rebellion will render him even less acceptabl,
to patriotic voters than Horatio Seymour.
The Republican party will inevitably
triumph in the coming election, unless i
commits the error of so greatly undertaking
its antagonists as to permit them to carry tn,
election by default. 1t is evident that tn,
Democracy will make desperate attempt Il
achieve success. Conscious of the popu
larity of Grant and Colfax, they start from tn,
outset fully impressed with the idea that in