The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-07-03
RELIGIOUS DISAPPOINTMENT.

The New York Post and the New York
Times both profess to be disappointed that
Governor Seymour, in his late speech, did
not mark out a policy for the Democratic
party that would not imply reprobation
of the radical policy. The Post tickles
is own fancy no doubt if it does not il
Illuminate the subject, with this old and far
fetched story 1.-The case is fatally weak,
said an eminent counsel 10 the attorney who
had retained him. Then abuse the other
side" replied the ready-witted attorney.
Every sagacious lawyer knows that nothing is
to be gained by simply abusing the other
side, if the other side has intrinsic merit.
And no sagacious lawyer will stake the issue
upon denunciation of the adversary's cause,
unless convinced that his cause is fatally
weak, and that its fatal weakness is equiva-
lent to the invineible strength of his own.
The disappointment professed by the Post
and the Times at the speech of Gov. Sey-
mour has a felictous significance. With the
instinct of party leader and with the saga
city of statesman, Governor Seymour per-
ceives that the time vocation of the Demo-
cratic party at this time is to effect a sweep
ing reform in public affairs. If it is not pre-
pared for this work, it has no legitimate
business in the political arena, it cannot
plead a sufficient excuse for its exist
tence, and it cannot rightfully claim
the support of honest men and true patriots.
And how can it address itself to reform with
out holding up for popular condemnation the
evils which demand to be reformed? And
how are these evils to be exposed without ex-
posing the iniquity and charlatanry which
make up the sum of radical policy? Such an
exposure at the hands of Gov. Seymour the
Post is pleased, with pointless righteousness,
to stigmatize as mere "abuse of the other
side" and the Times, with querulous affecta-
ton, eharacterizes as putting us off with
mere denunciation of the policy of Congress.
But it is precisely here that the fundamental
strength of the Democratic party, as the party
of reform and of the future, is to be found
The old epoch of prohigacy and waste, of folly
and wickedness, must first be held in whole
some adherence by the people before the new
epoch of economy and prosperity, of justice
and craftsmanship can, be inaugurated. The
first step of Democratic reform is to put an
end TO the stupendous and atrocious abuses of
power by the radical faction. Some of the ac-
complished results of radical policy it may not
be possible to reverse, or it may be unwise to
attempt to reverse them. But at least it is
possible to prevent the disastrous continuance
O. this policy. Let that be done, and ninety
line parts of the work of reform will be per-
formed. What measures should then be
taken could be easily deduced from the leading
measures Of radical policy. Let US imagine
that as Lot was fleeing from Sodom the pros
pect around him became obscure with vol
canic smoke; and let us imagine that he con-
suited the tracks of caravans which the day
previous had entered the doomed city, and
that, seeing how they pointed, he secured
safety by pursuing the contrary direction.
Like those tracks in the opprobrious plain,
the traces of radical policy, wherever found,
will always point to central seat of abomi-
nations and horrors, and to hungry vortex
of perdition. To go, in all cases if possible,
precisely the opposite way to that which radi-
cal policy has taken, is the maxim on which
the Democratic party must base its policy if
it expects to be the party of reform and of the
future. To denounce, expose and suppress
the fallacies and atrocities of radical rule
would not be the unsatisfying negation which
such journals as the Post and the Times, of
New York, would like to have the people be.
lieve. 1t is surely Of some consequence to
the public that notorious criminals should be
brought to justice and disabled from further
harm. But, according to the theory of these
journals, honest men must remain at the
mercy of any regime of villainy to which an
evil day may give birth, unless they can state
with parliamentary exactitude of phrase all
that they will do, or can do, or hope to do, if
they succeed in getting rid of the villains.
This is a harder condition than the one which
the Theban Sphinx exacted.