The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-12

One is an OLD slave STATE, not, however, Jne
most fercely Democratic OF the slave States,
even in the old times, State that did not
pominally &c with the South in the war but
had its sympathies that way, yet was thought
TO be safely enough organized to do better for
the Republicans than in previous years. The
other is a free Northern State, peopled oy
that sort Of community that our political his
tory shows is always the readiest to be ag-
gressive, to take the side of any party that
calls itself the party of progress, aud that Is
naturally much less susceptible OF conssrva-
tive influences than older communities.
From these facts Of the situation II Is evil
dent that the popular impulse against the
radicals, which began two years ago, and
seemed to cuminste in the fifty thousand
majority against that party in the Empire
State, has yet lost none OF its momentum. 1t
was deeper than most men thought. II had
fast hold upon the ultimate convictions of
each man, and thus became the positive pur-
pose of the mass and it is doubtful If there is
any power to stop its progress. The nomina.
tiens have had no effect upon IL. The sud
den recognition of the radicals that they had
gone too far in their assaults on everything
dear to the people, and their consequent
halt, came too late. The promise of
honest government that they make in
presenting the name of Grant, the assurance
that their future views of national neces-
stiles shall be taken from the standpoint of the
commander who saved the oountry-all this is
quite unheeded. So is the threat from the
other side, given with the name of Seymour,
that everything shall be construed in favor of
the men who endeavored to break the govern
ment to pieces. Popular will goes forward
bliud to all, conscious only of its stored up
determination. Individuals are nothing. There
is no charm in any name. The contest of
great principles must be carried to its final
result. Such is the popular temper. Only
the deepest sense of the outrages against the
country and its laws, as well as against
humanity practised by the radical leaders,
could have brought the people to this mood
and wrought the conviction that no other dan
ger is so great as for that party to continue in
power. Perhaps, also, there is another thought
active in the case. There is a widespread
uneasiness under the burden of taxation in
volved by the debit and though both parties
tend towards reputation, the people will have
their rever ge on the men who made the debt,
and who therefore put the country in position
to require reputation. Revolutions always
Tepudiate the debts of civil war. Such repu-
diatiOn is the basis OF comp promise, for neither
one side nor the other will consent to repay
money borrowed to put it down. Reputation
is, then, very likely the ultimate bourne of
this impulse against the Republicans, and we
shall yet see Congress elected strictly to re-
pudiate the debt. In the meantime the same
impulse must act consistently in sweeping Re-
from power az all intermediate
points, OF which the Presidency is very i'm
portant one.
1t seems consistent with all the facts, there
fore, that the reaction against the radical
legislation and reconstruction shall go on as it
began, sweeping State after State, and fiually
sweeping the nation and giving us another
President like Pierce-only instead of poor
| Pierce it will be silly Seymour. Regarding
| the characters of the two candidates, it readily
occurs that the parties have respectively got
the wrong men. Seymour is the creature who
should be in the hands OF the radicals "a pitt
| full tool to be used ss Pierce was used by the
| Southern radicals, into whose hands he fell
and Grant should stand at the head of the
advancing Democracy, to wreak its relentless
will against radical power. But taking
the men as they are and the situa-
tion it is, we can only hope that to which
ever side victory inclines it will give no doubt
full voice. Let the decision be positive-one
side or the other-for therein is our only
safety. From an election that either one side
or the other can by any ingenuity dispute we
will have civil war. Some of the Southern
States are preparing this possibility in making
laws to take the vote for President from De-
mocratic communities and give it to radical
Legislatures. Should the Republican candi-
date be elected only in virtue of these ma
neuvres it will take another war to put down
the protest against him. Should the election
turn on any one of many such contingencies
peace will be farther away than ever, and,
therefore, it is to be hoped the Northern
people themselves will make the decision ab
solute. ,... ...r ... .r...t-.- .. ....