The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-10-19
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
EDITORIAL OPINIONS OF THE LEADING JoURNALs
Upon CURRENT TOPICS COMPLIED EVERY
DAY FOR THE EVENING TELEGRAPH
Our Terms are Unconditional Surrender.

Our Terms are Unconditional Surrender.
Ffom the ~. Y. Tribune
Loud and deep are the curses hurled from
the defeated and broken ranks of the Demo-
oraoy at those leaders who, foreseeing the
final defeat a few hours in advance, have
struck for the rear, launching tn ir Parthian
arrows in their flight, not at the common foe,
but at their own commanders. Inc W0rtd
and National InteHigencer have announced to
the Democratic party their approaching dis
aster, and in this they have acted the part of
true prophets. But the Democracy seek not
true prophets, but Democratic prophets. "It
is time enough" they argue, ''to find out our
defeat on the day after election" 1t will be
fortunate if they do not, like the Hindoo
Brahmin, crush the instrument which reveals
to them what their religion forbids them to
know. The mistake made by the World and
Inteligencer lies in supposing that the nomi-
nation of Blair on q revolutionary platform is
a mere accident of the campaign, which might
have been avoided. So far from this, it spoke
the inevitable logic of the Democratic situa-
tiOn.
Two courses only were open to the Demo-
cratic Convention. 1t would accept recon-
struction on the basis of universal suffrage,
and nominate Chase, or it would proclaim its
purpose to overturn it and nominate Seymour
and Blair. In the former case our Republican
principles would have triumphed in the nomi-
nation. In the latter, they triumph over the
nomination. For to adopt equal political
rights, as they must have done with Chase is
to surrender Democratic prejudces to Repub-
lcan principles. This would have merged and
destroyed the Democratic party as an anti
negro party. It would have been a clearer
victory of Republican principles, even had
Chase been elected, than we can now gain in
the election of Grant. 1t is surely greater
triumph to see your views accepted by your
onko ot han IN m haaa 10
he opposes them. The Convention did
not nominate Chase and accept equal political |
rights for all men, because their prejudces
opposed both the man and the doctrine. The
few who had no convictions and cared only for
success would have been satisfied with Chase.
But lie so SO palpable, had it been perpe-
trated, would have split the Convention.
No The Democratic party is held together
by common impulse to despise and wrong
the negro. To sever this bond is to convert
the party to Republicanism. We were willing
that this should have been done by the nomi-
nation of Chase. We would gladly see it done
now. 1t would do more than anything else
could do to settle old issues and give us peace.
But the majority of the Democratic party
meant then, and mean now, to overturn and
reverse Reconstruction if they can. Mr.. Blair
told them truly that against the Republican
majorities of three-fOuTths in both Houses of
Congress they could not lawfully overturn the
Southern State Governments. The President
must usurp the power to do SO by military
force. He was right, so far as he went and
the Convention saw it. Therefore, they nomi-
mated him. II he had gone further and shown
that no Democratic President whom they could
possibly elect would be able to use an army
commanded by Grant, Sherman Sheridan, and
Thomas, for such purpose, they would have
hooted him out of the Convention. Yet General
Blair might as easily have proved that the
Democracy could not have succeeded by wal
as that they could not succeed without war.
In fact, they had come to point where
their only policy was unconditional surrender
If they nominated Chase they would have
surrendered their principles. Nominating
Seymour they surrender the election. Elect
ing Seymour they must surrender their policy
or fight. Fighting they would have to sur
render at the end of the fight. Whichever
way the Democracy turned, therefore, there
was no course open but surrender or fraud.
They have tried fraud heavily, energetically
oourageously. But still they remain, like
Buckner at Donelson, like Pemberton at
Vicksburg, like Lee at Appomattox, face to
face with the calm, unconquerable majesty
OF the American people, impersopated in
General Grant. voice, inexorable as fate
says to them:-'I have no terms but uncondi
tiopal surrender. l propose to move imms-
diately on your works. Let us have peace. "