The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-11-16
General Grants Election-The Prospect Tor
the Defeated Democracy.


the October elections they fought with the
resolution, activity and tenacity OF General
Lee in his efforts to hold intact his lines
around Petersburg; but after the loss OF Penn
sylvania and Indiana the democratic rank and
file, like Lee when driven from his entrencn-
ments, seemed only intent upon saving their
shattered columns from humiliation. The
managers of the Tammany Seymour and Blair
Convention had presumed too much upon the
apparent political reaction OF 1867, as in
ls63-64 they presumed too much upon the
popular manifestations of 1862. In each case,
in falling back upon the extreme copperhead
| ideas that the war was a failure, and that the
| 'sUnion as 1t was" must be re-established, the
democracy undertook the hopeless battle OF
the Bourbons.
Where are they now? From their decisive
defeat, and from all the circumstances of their
position, they will be compelled to cast about
for new line of departure and reorganiza-
ton, not upon the dead issues Of the past,
but upon the living issues Of the present
| time. Their fatal mistake in the late
canvass was that they made it the fight of the
| ex-rebels Of the South against the reconstruc-
| ton laws Of Congress. The Northern demo-
| cratic managers in this were too fast in sub
hitting to the demands of the Southern dele
gates of the Convention, most Of whom had
| been among the leaders of the 'lost cause"
| Thus, in the Tammany platform the declara-
| ton that the reconstruction laws Of Congress
were Unconstitutional, revolutionary, null
and void" we had, only in other words, the
repetition Of the Chicago platform of 1864,
that the war was q failure, and that we must
have peace upon any terms acceptable to the
ex-Confederate party of the South. In the
face Of this bold and revolutionary issue all
the outrageous doings for the last four years
of radical Congress, and all the vast
schedule of corruptions, blunders, frauds,
wastages and profigate expenditures of the
party in power were eclipsed and became
secondary questions in the campaign. In a
word, the Tammany Convention took the very
ground desired by the republicans, and the
result is the overwhelming election of Grant
and Colfax and another republican Congress
of more than two-thirds in the Senate and
within a dozen changes or 80 of o two-thirds
vote in the House.
We may safely assume, then, that the
Southern reconstruction system adopted by Con-
gress, subject to the constitutional amendment
article fourteen, will stand. General Grant,
in his famous correspondence of last February
with President Johnson, which broke the nose
Of Chase as the radical favorite, has, on the
War Department imbroglio, left upon record
his position upon reconstruction. He will, as
President, recognize the existing laws, and
whatever notifications he may recommend in
reference to the unreconstructed States will
doubtless rest upon the constitutional amend
ment aforesaid. That amendment, among
other things, proclaims all persons born or
naturalized in the United States citizens
thereof, and of the States in which they reside
on footing of civil equality that suffrage and
representation shall 60 together, as each State
for itself may choose that certain parties
guilty Of rebellion against the United States
shall be disfranchised and disqualified for
Office, subject to two-thirds vote of each
house Of Congress, and that Congress shall
have power by appropriate legislation to enforce
the provisions of this article. Thus in the
reconstructed as well as In the unreconstr ucted
Southern States, and in New York as we'll as
in South Carolina or Texas, Congress has the
power to enforce this amendment; and we dare
say that in the interval to the 4th of March
next law will be passed for carrying into
effect throughout the United States the pro-
visions of said amendment.
Some new amendment has been limited at
embracing a uniform universal manhood suf-
frage; but meanwhile the amendment officially
proclaimed, we may assume, will be carried
into effect. In this view the question of re-
construction may be considered as settled,
however unpalatable to the extreme radi-
calls may be the provision Of this amendment
fourteen, which gives to each State the dis
erection Of universal or restricted suffrage,
subject only with q restriction Of the ballot to q
corresponding restriction in counting the
people for representation in Congress and in
the Presidential Electoral College. What,
then, becomes the future programme Of the
democratic party? Not useless war against
amendment fourteen, under which they may
very soon recover all the Southern States, but
recognition Of fixed facts and new depar-
ture agains. the financial blunders and excuses
Of the dominant party and in favor OF posi-
tive and clearly defined system Of retrench-
ment and reform.
This will do for the present; but under the
incoming administration new issues will GER
tainly spring up, which In their agitation may
afford fine opportunity to the democrats 10
cut in between the contending republican
factions and carry Off the balance Of power.
At all events, the first important necessity de-
volving upon the democratic leaders Is the
abandonment OF their dead issues, and a recog