New-York tribune., 1868-04-14
THE STRUGGLE BEFORE Us


This country has been convused by many
vehement political contests; that of 1868 is
destined to eclipse and dwarf them all. The
aggregate popular vote for President at the
three last elections was rs follows:
1850 .4O56,Ols 1850. .4,e8o.iG'
1864 Oh States silent. .4Io34,7S9
This year. we presume there will not be less
than Six Millions of votes polled, although
nearly or quite One Hundred Thousand persons
are now dsfranchised because of their proni-
nent paticipation in the late Rebellion.
We have not agreed with those who predicted
that with Gen. Grant running for President,
there could be none other than one-sided
contest. Gen. Grant has great personal strength
much more to-day than he had previously to
the publication of his testimony before the I'm
peachment Committee of the HOuse-but the
magnitude of the political issues involved IN
the canvass tends strongly to dwarf all personal
considerations For example: There cannot DC
less. and probably are more, than One Million
voters in the several States who adhere 10 the
Roman Catholic Church; and of these Cen
| Grant. running on the Republican ticket, VIII
be lucky indeed if he receives Fifty Thousand
The residue will vote sOlidly against him, not
| from dislike to or distrust of the man. but
from repugnance to the principles wherewlth
! he is identified
| Reconstruction is the pivot OF the canvass
In what shape shall the Southern States DO
restored to the places in the Union, from
which they were precipitated by the slave
holders Rebellonf The Democratic party IN
sists that they shall come back as little changed
os NAV he from the shape in which they went
out-the Rebels uppernost the Blacks under
| foot or nowhere. In the Democratic concep-
ton, the overthrow of Slavery WAS measure
of usurpatiOn and disuniOn-a fell crime when
"united the South and divided the North
! The Democrats would have had the Southern
| States resume their places in the Union under
the Governors and Legislatures which taxed,
| borrowed, cOnscripted to the utmost To Dissolve
| and destroy the Union, and wOuld have had
/ them fill their seats in Congress directly with
Generals and Colonels surrendered by Lee and
Johnston, and paroled by Grant and Sherman.
That, according to Democratic ideas, would
| have been no Reconstruction, puI Sehuiio
| Restoration"
| There are Republicans who seem to us to err
As widely in an opposite direction. They would
have confscated the property of the more con
snicnous and wealthy Rebels and disfranchised
Gf not also banished) them forever In their
eyes. rebellion-at least rebellion in behalf
of Slavery-s an INCAPABLE crime, aud the
Republic should never forgive it. Some Of
these care nothing as to the future OF the
Blacks; they are anxious only that the Rebels
shall be kept under.
We hold Universal AMNESTY. IMPAHrIAL
| SUFFRAGE, to be the proper bases of the true,
benefcent Reconstruction Imperatiyey de-
manded We do not ask that malignant, inn
placable Rebels be empowered to resist by Their
votes the enfranchlsemcnt OF loyal Blacks; but
we do heartily wish that Congress would forth
with enfrancbise every ex-Rebel who would
take an oath of fidelity to the Union and of
acquiescence in the enfranChisement OF the
Blacks We believe that majority of those
now disfranchised for treason would take that
oath, and, having taken, most OF them would
keep it. And that would push practical Re-
construction long way ahead. We might
choose to 90 further so far we think Con
gress might go at once without Inconsistency
or peril.
We believe the Republicans must triumph
next Fall; but their triumph will be more or
less certain and thorough as practical Recon-
structiOn shall be visibly further from or nearer
TO completion. Let every Southern State be re-
organized, under d government OF ITS own
choice, with its representatives already ad-
mitted to seats in Congress or clearly about to
| be- and it is not possible that we should be
! beaten. Suppose we should carry but half the
Electoral Votes of the lately Rebel States, we
can take the North and West nearly solid If it
shall appear that Our triumph means Recon-
struction consummated and abiding while our
adversaries involves going back and beginning
the work over again.
The masses want Peace and Thrift: They
care less for distractions and theories than for
results And if it shall appear next Fall that
the nearest way to Order and Tranquility lies
through Republican triumph, we shall be re-
enforced by tens of thousands who care little
for either party but very much for Stability
and Prosperity
We do not lay much stress on the divisions
of our adyersaries They may and will differ
up to the meeting of their National Conven-
ton; but whenever Pendleton shall have been
nominated-as he probably will be OH the 5th
of July next-they will all go in for him at
least as heartily as they did for Mcclellan.
And Mcclellan was beaten by the victories of
Sherman, Sheridan, and Fanagut, which be-
came generally known after his nomination; for
/ had the election been held two months earlier,
| the popular vote would have been very close
Ont
The one circumstance that must weigh heavily
against the Democrats in this canvass is their
substantial identification in sympathy and ideas
with the crushed Rebellion. The enormous cir
cuatiOn attained in nearly every State 10y
Brick Pomeroy's Rebel organ Is fact that
! cannOt he exnlaincd away. Hcre is a journal