The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-05

remain strictly on the defensive, and erect
breastworks until November, when the foe
will bear down upon them in overwhelming
force, routing horse, foot and dragOon, and
capturing everything bag aud baggage.
BY an ordinary display of shrewdness aud
TACT the Tammany leaders might have averted
this irretrievable dilemma in which their party
is now placed. Many Republicans we're dis
satisfied with the extreme course of some of
the leaders, with Congressional reconstruction
with the attempted Impeachment, and with
other things The Democrats were not slow to
perceive this, and earlier in the season they
were most exultant over the prospect of what
they styled 'the Generalization and dis
ruption of the radical party" Prior to the
assembling Of the Chicago Convention, they
looked upon victory as already assured. When,
however, that body steered clear of the Buffers
and Stevenses, and following the wise counses
OF General Schurz, disappointed the foe by
giving us platform and candidates upon whom
all Republicans and loyalsts could harmonize,
the ardor Of the Democracy was considerably
dampened. The proceedings OF the New York
Convention finally dispeled all their dreams of
success and sounded the death knell to all
their hopes. Their vantage ground was swept
completely from under them in the twinkling
of an eye. From being on the offensive, they
were suddenly placed on the defensive, where
they will remain until the close of the cam
Democratic leaders assembled on Fourteenth
street, completely reversed the political situa-
ton, lost all the advantage and elan which the
party had acquired through Republican inn
prudence and short-si ghtedness, and insured
to the latter party far more than it had lost
through the folly of some of its leaders. We
now enter upon the campaign with the conf
dence, buoyancy, hope, and determination
which insure victory.
R1ta fhat yrad No in 40
Tammany Convention particularly objection
able or inconsistent with the Democratic papers
and speakers following the advice of the Bed
ford gentleman and assuming the Offensive
not day passes without bringing something
which must be apologized for. Every time
Frank Blair opens his mouth he necessarily
incurs a whole brosdside of explanations and
apologies from the Democratic press. Every
time he puts his hand to pen he writes sen-
tences which fairly wilt his would-be SUP.
porters, and cause them to quail before the
effect which they must have on the country.
Would that Frank might be preserved in
''lemons and whisky" until the end of
the campaign, is the prayer of many
Northern Democrats. And there too are
Hampton, and Forrest, and Preston, and
Vance, and Wise, and Bowie, and Pike, and
fifty others who will persist Notwithstanding
the efforts made to choke them off in airing
themselves and the Convention, in demon
stratiDg how they run the Tammany machine,
and made the platform and nominations, aud
in explaining that the whole proceedings mean
revolution, dispersion of Congress at the
point of the bayonet, the overthrow of esta-
blished laws, and the attaining OF the ends for
which the Confederacy fought.
1t would have been just as reasonable for
jeff. Davis to have required of Lee to
assume the offensive when he was totally sur
rounded on the head waters of the Appomat-
tox, as it now is to demand of the Democratic
party to abandon the defensive with such a
platform, and with suoh cn.diddtes and backors.