The New York herald., 1868-06-20
The Pressure Of the New Revolution-The
COmmOtion Among the Democracy.

The Pressure Of the New Revolution-The
Commotion Among the Democracy.
There is terrible shaking going on among
the dry bones of the democracy. The agita-
tion by the HERALD of the commanding claims
and availability of Chief Justice Chase as the
democratic candidate for the next Presidency
has thoroughly reused the rank and file of the
party to the perils and necessities of the crisis.
Among the masses, who look at things as they
are and not as they were before the war, this
proposition in behalf of Chase is running like
fire in the prairies. Among the old Bourbons,
who '1earn nothing and forget nothing" it is
regarded with fear and trembling or with
affected contempt or indignation. The agita-
ton, however, has at length been reduced to
the simple alternative, Chase against Grant,
with brilliant prospect of success, or make
shift opposition candidate, with the certainty of
defeat
The case is clear as crystal. Only look at
it. Available democratic Presidential timber,
Northern MAPLE Western hickory or Southern
yellow pine, is very scarce. The war has made
it so. John Van Buren, man of some sa-
gacity, saw this in 1865 and nominated Andrew
Johnson as the man for the democracy in 1868.
The proposition was regarded, however, by the
party managers as lone of Johns dry jokes"
and no attention was paid to it. In 1866 Mr..
Johnson threw out a feeler in that famous
Philadelphia Convention, but from the fact that
Mr.. Raymond was the chosen orator of the
day the democracy could make nothing out of
it, and it was a yfasc0. In 1867, finding
that from his vigorous war with the radi-
Gals he had so astonished the democratic
managers that they were afraid of him, Mr..
Johnson began to cast about outside the White
House for an acceptable candidate for them.
He sounded General Sherman, but Sherman,
like the old fox at the door of the lions den,
begged off; he tried the fighting General
Thomas, but Thomas bolted; he found in
General Hancock soldier of the old conti-
mental Washingtonian type, but the Western
copperheads recalled the hanging of Mrs. Sur
ratt and protested against all epaulettes. Thus
the magnanimous efforts of the President in
behalf of the democracy were all in vain.
They would accept his fat Offices, but they did
not want his advice, since he had ceased to
be q regular member of the democratic
church, and had not as backslider repented.
In this exigency the HERALD, as magnani-
mously as Mr.. Johnson, came to the rescue.
In fact, we had been helping Mr.. johnson, all
the way through, in behalf of the forlorn
democracy; but here, at venture, we struck
out for Admiral Farragut, the great hero of
the navy, as the proper champion for the oppo-
sition against the great leader of the army.
We recalled the unparalleled herosm and sue
cesses of the Union sea king in those tremen-
dous conflicts with the Mississippi forts and
fleets below New Orleans and with the rebel
forts and iron-clads in Mobile bay, and we
presented the glorious old Admiral, lashed
fast in the crosstrees of his flagship, enveloped
in the glare of bursting bombshells. as a pic
ture which would match in any crowd that OF
General Grant and his cigar under the Appo-
mattox apple tree; but 1t would not do. The
sachems of Tammany had seen Admiral Far
ragut coming out of the Union League Club
house arm in arm with General Wetmore and
that was enough, although he did afterwards
visit the Manhattan Club
Thus, after canvassng the army and th'
navy without success, we we're compelled u
oast about in some other quarter for deAo