The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-05

but quiet. Gold closed at 144lS 14414.
The Presidential Campaign-The Drift Of the
Popular Tide.
The Vermont election of Tuesday last was
as much a trial before the people of the
strength of Grant and Colfax on the one side
and Seymour and Blair on the other as if they
had been directly voted for and the result
from our observations on these preliminary
local elections of many years, indicates the
drift of. the popular tide throughout the coun-
try on the main question. We are prepared
for similar result in Maine, some nine days
hence, and for corresponding republican sue
cesses in the October State elections in Penn
sylvania, Ohio and Indiana. In the event of
such successes no doubt will remain as to the
Presidential issue in November. The election
of 1868 will be substantially the election of
1864 over again, and the success Of Grant in
his first heat may be even more decisive in the
general result than that of Lincoln in his
second election.
All the facts before us and all the signs of
the times indicate an overwhelming triumph to
1867 there was manifest popular reaction set
in motion against the excesses, shortcomings
and blunders of the party in power. The de-
mocracy had only to fall in with the spirit of
this movement in order to retrieve their mis-
fortunes of the last eight years. They had
splendid opportunity offered them in July to
flank the republicans, and an admirable cand-
date at their service in Chief Justice Chase. a
candidate competent to carry Off the repub-
lican balance of power in every State;
but the National Democratic Convention threw
this golden opportunity away and fell back into
the old copperhead grooves of their Chicago
anti-war and Southern rights expounders. Not
only was the Chase movement of the progress
sive democracy secuted by the Tammany Con-
vention but rejected so treacherously and con-
temptuously as to drive over at once to General
Grant every honest and Independent supporter
of the claims and cause of the Chief Justice.
Half million of votes were thus stupidity
thrown away. We may say, too, that the tor
tuous course pursued by Mr.. Seymour to Sc
cure his own nomination-by pretending that
he did not want it and could not take II, and by
protesting to be the chief engineer of the Chase
movement, by speaking against Pendletons
platform and then accepting it-has diminished
his friends and increased his enemies even in
his own party camp. Certainly by withdraw
ing as a candidate and by declining and pro-
testing and protesting and then by accepting,
with tears in his eyes, what he had denounced
and with all the Alterations of injured inno-
cence, he has added nothing to the general
public estimate of his character as a scheming
politician.
His nomination gave no strength to his
cause but when coupled with the platform of
Pendleton on the finances and of Blair on
Southern reconstruction it became dead
weight to his party. It changed the whole
complexion of the political field. II was a move
ment backward, not only to the democratic
situation of 1864, but back to the constitution
Pendleton on the finances may be more than
half right; but coupled with Bar's letter on re-
construction the position occupied by Seymour
as the democratic candidate is accepted by the
Union party of the war as an appeal to the
ballot box against Grant in the battle field. And
again, the scandalous course pursued by the old
copperheads of the democratic press in the per-
sOnal abuse of General Grant has operated and
is operating immensely to his advantage. The
people will not countenance an unjust and out
rageous party persecution of faithful public
servant. In the cause especially Of such a
champion of the Union through struggle of
life or death, such faithful servant as Gene
raj Grant, they will Indignantly turn against
his defamers and render judgment which
they will remember. though they may have
forgotten all similar lessons Of the last forty
years.
In conclusion, the political situation from
the standpoint of the Vermont election seems
to be this. In the nomination Of Grant by the
republicans they did much towards placing
this Presidential contest on the issues Of the
war for the Union, and the democrats have
done the rest, in their ticket and platform, and
in their leaders and managers, journals and
orators conducting the canvass From all the
signs of the times, therefore, the Presidential
election of 1868 will be repetition of the cleo
ton Of 1874. The result Of the coming Maine
election, however, will throw a stronger light
upon the subject
RosEcRANs AND THE SOUTHERN LEADERS. -
The pronunciamento Of the Southern leaders
in regard to the views of their section on the
s1hesions decided by the war, and especially
the negro and slavery questions, has been