The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1868-09-02

date should manifcStly be the fayoritc. But
The outrageous blunhcrs of tho party in
power in all things relating to this moa,cn
,ous subject, til Dir utter want Of anything
like settled or permanent policy, the cnor-
nous I'M Jury they have inflicted upon near
~ every business interest in tho country by
their procrastinations, their uncertainties
and their ignorance, undoubtedly have per.
suaded thousands Of sober minded men that
on this ground alone any possible change in
administration would be n chauge for, the
better. Most ccctalnly, no conceivable par
ty or policy could be worse than those that :,
by refusing to reform the civil service, have
refused in time of unprecedented public
burdens TO save the country sixty five mill
lions of dollars q year; and who, by their
connivaEcc with whiskcy, frauds, have ini !.
povcrishcd the Treasury 10 an amount equal
to more than half the entire present annual
revenue. Now, all this cheating, imbccility
and folly may be inseporable from loyalty
and hatred to CorperhcNds and disintercsted
love of negroos; but if they are, being Of
very palpablc injury to the national inter
| ests white their inevitable adiuucts. are of
| but lheorctic advantage, it seems exceeding.
| ly likely that practical people may pre-
! fer, apart from all other issues, TO r;l Them
| selves of tho whole load of such good bad
and doubtful qualities together.
But the election hinges upon reconstruc-
ton, to which all other questions, however
| important, are evidently to be reckoned as
| subordinate. The Republicans, we'll kpow-
| ing thoir vulnerable side, deprecate this
| view oftho case with refreshing simplicity.
The issue of reconstruction, say they, is
| closed by events. Reconstruction is a
| thing accomplished Hence it is inadmis-
sible, or at least Improbable. TO discuss
| the wisdom of the process. In other words,
| II premium should be offered for all future
time TO encourage rancorous, precpitntc
| and unconstitutional legislation with the
promised result of vitiating every establish
| ed element Of the United States Govern
| ment and insnring is early overthrow. The
| national history has been cvcntful and un-
| iQuc, and, particularly Of late years, has
presented unexpected vicissi,udcs but wo
do not yet believe that Americans are pre-
pared without revision to accclt q solution
Of their great social and political problem
| which, irrcvocablo thereafter without
| oloodshed, involves the ncgation of hth>
| crto cherished and signally important prin-
ciplc of their constitution.
Already we hear from humorous points
accounts of collisions which have been re-
pcatedly forcshadowcd in these columns as
inevitable it political equality by many
| deemed unnatural, and which in any mode
rate view was at least premature, were fore
| cd upon the superior race Of the Southern
! people. Already tho results of an amazing
want of craftsmanship, to say nothing Of
| ordinary tact or generous feeling, are be-
coming critically manifest. Already crazy
faAaticism is exultine over secondary symp-
toms that, IT fails to see, may prove tho me-
dicice TO taye been even worse than the dis
case. The remarkable unpopuarty of
Gen. Grant meanwhile appears to increase
from day to day. Whether it is that the
people insinUt;vcly realize the impropricty
in republic of placing II military man as
| chief rulcrQvcr territory hypothctically free,
but which his sword has subdued, or that
! the commandcr-in- chiefs personal charac-
teristics beget constantly augmentng dis
like, it is certainly true that for no military
man ever presented as u candidate for the
presidency in this country has there been
little genuine enthusiasm. The weak
ness Of some parts Of the Democratic plat
form and the ridiculous indiscretons Of
some DemQcratc speech makers, arc per-
haps moro than counterbalanccd in noxious
, cttcncy by General Grants utter want of
magnetism, and the msrust or dislike with
which he is regarded by tho people.
II is probable that at this moment twenty
five per cent of the voters who will partici.
pate LII tho, coming election havo not yet re-
solved for whom their ballots shailbc cast.
Upon the votes Of this fraction tho issue
probably hangs, and circumstances may
still so full out as to throw the preponler-
ancc on tho Republican side. From pres
ent indications, however, we are led TO be.
lic,c that the three great States of'New
York. Pennsylvania and Ohio, will throw
themselves into the scale for Seymour and
; Blair; and, should they do 20, not all
the hosts of New England backed rs they
/, may be by the West md South, by voters
black or white, constitutional or unconstitu {.
tional, will avail to prevent the Republican
forces from kicking tho beam.
c,,onu,.,< >t ~ W. ,N $.