The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-10-28
What tt ALI Means.
From the N. Y. Tribune.

From the N. Y Tribune.
Even the emphatic voices of the October
elections have not taught the Democratic party
the real issues of the pending contest. Routed
at every point Of the line, they still hug the
delusion that only their candidates, and not
their principles, have been defeated, and at the
last hour are casting about for new leaders, in
the hope that when the battle is already lost
they can save the field by mere change of
standard bearers. This error may break them
up forever They are beaten, not because
Seymour is of doubtful loyalty and Blair a
revolutionist, but because their platform re-
wives the very heresies which the North
fought four years to overthrow. No candidate
whom they could nominate could be elected on
the Tammany platform. The principles enun-
eiated in that instrument were settled once for
all at Appomattox Court House. We have
no purpose either to throw away our victory,
or to fight our battle over again, or to put our
trust in a party which was dishonorably for
peace in the midst of war, aud is now traitor
ously for war in the midst of peace. They can
didates are of comparatively little i'm portance
in this election, except so far as the repre-
sent the purposes of those who pat them in
nominations; and il the Democracy had any
chance of success on the Sd of November it
would lie not in change of candidates, but
in change of principles.
In the same way it is a mistake to suppose
triumph of popular general Many good
Democrats, no doubt will vote for Grant in
spite of his principles, because they honor the
man, though they are not in sympathy with
his party. For this, among other reasons. n
the he pu bllcan majorltleS In November Will be
much larger than they have been in October.
But we have already abundant evidence that,
quite apart from personal considerations, the
loyal party which stood firmly by the flag
through the long dark days of the Rebellion
has been true to its principles ever since, and
would be true to them even were there no
Grant to lead them on to victory in 1868,
as he led them through the Mississippi
morasses and the Virginia Wilderness.
General Grant, it should be remembered,
was not accepted as the Republican leader
until he had given ample proof of his
thorough accord with the Republican creed.
Highly as we have honored him, literally as
we would have rewarded him, we felt that the
election OF this year was to be great contest
of ideas, which must either settle or unsettle
the theory of the American Government, and
either complete the work OF the war or half
undo it. 1t was not mere test of personal
popularity, like the voting at fancy fairs for
the privilege of naming the prettiest girl, or
bestOwing a prize snuff-box. The people
were alive to the Importance of the issue.
They demanded of the Chicago Convention an
honest representative of the loyal policy; and
II
would not vote for him. But the points Of
his policy, which his modest reticence
had long kept in doubt, were by this
time understood. He had been the
first to urge a generous amnesty to the
defeated Rebels, while Andrew Johnson was
sbrieking for the axe and the halter, and the
Northern people were still inhsmed by the
a. sassination of Mr.. Lincoln. He had insisted
upon military protection for the Southern
lOyalists long before Congress recognized its
necessity. He had faithfully enforced the
reconstruction laws, repressed the Rebel spirit
wherever 1t broke out, and upheld with all
his strength the loyal officers, like Sheridan,
who had incurred the auimOsity OF a renegade
President by an honest performance of their
duty When Orr, and Brown, and Walker,
and other prominent Rebels came to him
for advice, hs proposed to them the
selfsame policy which was afterwards made
the very foundation of the Republican plat
fOrm-speedy reconstruction on the basis OF
amnesty and universal suffrage. And, finally,
when the great rupture between the Presi-
dent and Congress was completed by the re-
moval of Mr.. Stanton, Grant took his stand
resolutely on the right side; and so We have
recognized him ever since as the leader OF the
loyal hosts. When we elect him President on
the Sd of November we shall do it not to re-
ward him for his services in the war, but be-
cause we think him the best man to complete
| the work which the war left unfinished.
Goodbye to Horace Greeley.
Ff0N the ~. y World
The measures is full the chicken hath pipped
the she'll the 'blockheads'' of the Loyal
League have cried, 'Konkx Ompax this IS
more than We can stand %
Yesterday morning the indomitable Smell
fungus Flapdoodle entered the field as the