The New Orleans crescent., 1868-05-20
THE CHICAGO CONVENTION.


The Republican Convention meets at Chi
cago to-day, ostensibly for the purpose OF
nominating candidates for the presidency and
vice-presidency. But the nomination for the
presidency is fixed in advance. Grant will be
chosen, if not with enthusiasm and by accla-
nation, at least without serious opposition.
The bargain between Grant and the radicals
has been made, and there is no power that
can prevent its ratification at Chicago. 1t is
a case of alliance for a common object but
without any serious affection on either side.
Grant wants to be President and the radicals
want the presidency. Grant knows that he
cannot be President without the radicals and
the radicals know that their chances are hope
less without Grant. So these two bankrupts
agree to indorse each other in the hope that
in this way they may regain their lost credit.
1t is an instance of the most extraordinary
and audacious political kiting recorded in
history. Neither party to this compact has
a dollar of political capital left. Both are
hopelessly insolyent and yet they fancy that
they can force the people to take their obliga-
tions, by lending each other their worthless
names. In the whole series of idiotic blum
ders perpetrated by Grant and the radicals,
there is not one that surpasses this. The real
question for the curious observer is not which
lends most strength to the other, but which in-
ficts the more injury. It is positively cruel
in the radicals to impose the enormous bur-
den of their iniquitous schemes, from the dis
reimbursement of the Southern States down
to the impeachment project on the supposi-
titious hero OF the Appomattox apple tree; and
it is worse than cruel in Grant to subject his
allies to the odium of the questionable trans
actions and conspiracies in which he has
openly engaged during the last year. But
there is no help for it now. The bargain has
been made, and neither party will consent to
excuse the other. SO Grant will be nominated
at Chicago, and beaten beyond measure in
November.
The great struggle of the convention will
be for the vice-presidency. For this Office
there are several competitors. Wade, Fenton,
Buckingham, Curtin, Colfax and Durel, are
all candidates. Sometime ago Wade was sup
posed to be secure of the nomination. His
patronage as Johnsops successor
made him predominantly powerful. Had i'm
peaehment succeeded, the convention would
have been besieged by horde OF hungry
Office seekers, eager to commend themselves
to the favor of the acting President, and the
delegates could not have withstood such a
pressure. Now all that is changed Wade is
,CAD II, l,
The dignity and power of the executive Office
are not attached to his person. He is simply
nothing more than a very profane and very
ambitious gentleman, who stands in the way
of other gentlemen less profane, but quite as
ambitious as himself Since his defeat in the
Senate, his chances for success at Chicago
have materially diminished but it is not by
any means certain who will be nominated.
Curtin is sure Of Pennsylvania and as Penn
sylvania is supposed to be a doubtful State
he must have great weight in the convention
Fenton will get New York, but as New York
is surrendered to the Democrats, this influence
will not amount to much. Nevertheless, Fen
ton is a strong candidate. He has the power
ful support of good deal of Southern carpet
baggery. The Louisiana delegation will vote
for him after complimenting Judge Durel
with a show of support. Colfax and Wade
will, probably, divide the Western vote, and
buckingham may get New England. Alto
gether, it is a very pretty fight as it stands
The important business of the convention
will be the action on the impeachment ques-
ton, on which the radicals will insist. The
object of the adjournment of the High Court
was to give time to bring the whole
weight and pressure of party machinery to
bear on the recusant and recalcitrant senators.
The impeachers will demand that resolutions
insisting on impeachment be inserted in the
platform, not only to coerce their non-con-
forming colleagues but in order that they may
appeal 70 the voice of the party for moral
support before the people. If the recusant
senators have any friends in the convention
they will resist this attempt to depose and
degrade and ostIacise their chiefs; and if the
number of resistants be respectable, a serious
disruption of the party may be the result.
At all events it is difficult to see how the
anti-impeachment senators can longer act
with party which publicly condemns the
most solemn act of their lives, and which
makes opposition to their course, on this vital
question, test of political orthodoxy.
Cor lanes M.NN - Tho MobiIa pa,is.o, 90