The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-11-22
Narrow Escape Of tho Radicals-WeI
dell Phillips Looking Ahead.


dell Phillips Looking Ahead.
We publish to-day the latest pronuncia-
nssento of Wendell Phillips on the political
situation, and there are some hints in it
worthy careful consideration by the leaders
and managers of the republican party. Some
of them, Phillips says, Imagine that the great
battle has been fought;" but he holds that
''there has only been skirmish for position;
that Tomorrow comes the fight" that
whether tomorrow means the next two years
or 1872 no one can tell !" that Sin numbers the
armies are about equal" that sit is most
alarming to see that with mobocrat rebel
like Seymour for candidate and . platform
dictated by Forrest and Wade Hampton the
democratic vote was not three hundred thou
sand less than the republican in a mass Of
more than four million votes, the republican
majority being about six per cent Of the whole
vote" In reference to the future the demo-
Gratis, in the opinion of Phillips, being clear of
all responsibility in the conduct of affairs,
have great advantage, and If ''skilfuly used
it will almost insure democratic triumph in
1872, as it came near doing this fall.
In these facts and conclusions Phillips Is
very near the mark of the actual political sit
uation Of things Notwithstanding the great
popularity of General Grant on the one side
and the obnoxious antecedents, surroundings
and platform of Seymour on the other side,
the radicals have had narrow escape. They
saved themselves In Pennsylvania by ten
thousand in vote of over half a million, and
in Indiana by less than q thousand in those
October State elections. Those elections were
the real fight, and it was very close. The
November elections afford no true index Of
the real strength of the democratic party; for
we doubt not that IL the whole vote of this
party, North and South, had been polled out in
November, and for Seymour, the popular
majority of the Union would have been against
Grant-small, perhaps, but still against him.
In the reconstructed Southern States, in
spite OF the anti-negro policy generally pur-
sued by the Southern democratic leaders, in
some cases to downright terrorism, we per-
ceive that the democrats have been gaining
heavily from the negro vote. In accepting the
the constitutional amendment fourteen we are
satisfied that the Southern democracy within
the next two years will be able with their
gains from the negro vote to carry by decisive
majorities every State and nearly every Con-
| gresham from Virginia to Texas. Thus upon
| the nucleus Of negro suffrage we may expect
to see the South democratic unit in 1872,
needing only New York and another Northern
State or two to carry the next Presidency.
The only remedy against this danger, in the
estimation Of Phillips and the only safety for
the republicans is in ideas; and the new idea
which he urges is new amendment of the
constitution establishing impartial suffrage and
equal political rights in oil the States alike,
CARELESS Of race, color or previous condition.
lie says, indeed, that ''the constitution will
not be perfect till sex also is included in this
last enumeration which means another
amendment, giving to women Of all races
and colors the right Of suffrage. We appre-
bend, however, THAI the suffrage "a now Fixed