The New York herald., 1868-05-22
The Chicago Conyention-The Republican
Ticket and Platform.

The Chicago Conyeution-The Republican
Ticket and Platform.
The republican party, through Its grand
Sanhedrim or council of war at Chicago, having
chosen its standard bearers and agreed upon
its plan of operations, is now fairly In the field
for the Presidential campaign. With gene
raj enthusiasm and confidence In his popular
strength never surpassed In any party conven-
ton over any other name, General Grant
stands proclaimed the unanimous nomination
of the republicans for President. Compared
with the roll of his grand military achieve
ments from Fort Donelson to Appomattox
Court House, Old Hickorys battle of New
Orleans, Harrisons Indian fights at Tippe-
canoe and on the Canadian river Thames,
where fell the great Tecumseh, and Tayior's
Mexican victories, from Palo Alto to Buena
Vista, and SCOTS from Vera Cruz to Molino
del Rey and Chapultepec, and Fremonts sue
cesses as ''the Pathfinder" from the Rocky
Mountains to the Sierra Nevada, to the San
Joaquin and the Sacramento-all dwindle into
bagatelles. II, therefore, the military glory of
these men, each in his day, rendered them
more available for the Presidency than our
most distinguished contemporary statesmen,
what shall we say of Grant, whose crowninss
campaign against the late rebelliok covered an
area of five hundred thousand square miles
and compassed the surrender of three hum
dred and fifty thousand armed men? We can
only say that this candidate is stronger than
his party, and that the party, seriously weak
ened in consequence of its radical excesses,
still confidently relies upon his strength.
For Vice President Schuyler Colfax, of
Indiana, Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives, has carried off the prize. The failure of
the eleventh article of the impeachment was
the failure of cold Ben Wade" With Andrew
Johnson's removal and with cold Ben" in the
White House, he would have been master of the
situation at Chicago for the second place on the
ticket. His only hope of compensation now for
his great disappointment lies in Johnson's re-
moval, or in the prospective Cabinet of General
Grant. Mr.. Wade's present term in the Sen
ate expires on the 4th of March next, when
democrat takes his place, elected in consequence
of the startling overthrow of Wade and his party
In Ohio last fall on their platform Of universal
negro suffrage. Wade, as bigoted fanatical
radical, is an unpopular man outside the ultra
radical faction. Colfax, q man of larger abili-
ties and broader and more liberal ideas, is one
of the most promising and popular men of his
party. Fenton is failure and was wisely
overslaughed. Curtin, q very respectable
man, seems to have labored under similar
difficulty in his own State to that Of Fenton.
Had the New England States united upon
Hamlin or Wilson they might have secured
him. 1t was against all these disafections
upon these other candidates that the general
popularity of Colfax prevailed, notwithstand-
ing the fact that he makes the ticket 'Gike the
handle of jug, all on one side'-Grant from
Illinois, and Colfax from Misunderstanding the
East and the South both out In the cold
The platform upon which this ticket is pre-
sented to the people is work of some in
genuity. Like an old campaigner, the Con-
vention moves with a bold step where the
ground is firm, but treads cautiously and gin
gerly over the boggy places. The country is
first congratulated on the success of Southern
reconstruction under the policy of Congress-
proposition which could not be avoided, good
suffrage is demanded in the South, regardless
of race or color, which looks very much like
the abandonment as far as convenient, of the
universal negro suffrage policy of reconstruc-
ton. Next, every form Of reputation of the
financial obligations Of the government is de-
nounced as crime-a declaration which is
broad enough to meet all questioners, but still
so dubious as to signify nothing. Next, an
equalization Of taxes, economy in the ad-
ministration, and an abatement of corruptions
in Office are promised; and as these things are
sorely needed to save us from wreck and ruin,
these promises have pleasant sound. Pro-
misses, however, are one thing and perform
ances are another, as we see in the inequalities
of the taxations, the lavish expenditures and
the shocking corruptions in office, for which
this party in power is responsible. So far, at
all events, this new republican platform is
broad enough to admit all the various shades
of opinion In the party camp on this thing,
that thing and the other, without any promises
of definite or satisfactory character on the
great issues Of the day.
On the main question (Andrew Johnson) the
Convention speaks with bolder manifestation
of earnestness and emphasis. He is de-
nounced as worthy of impeachment for "high
crimes and misdemeanors, which, being inter-
preted, means that while the Convention could
not undertake to pass an er post facto party law
against the republican Senators-Fessenden
Trumbull, Grimes, Henderson, Fowler, Van
Winkle and Ross-for voting ''not guilty on
the eleventh article of impeachment against
the aforesaid Johnson, he is to be hauled up
again, and then every republican Senator
voting mot guilty" will know where he
belongs. This is the most significant feature