Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-01-13

perfect. w uht tuc DOutucthtIci Hi"S n
and white, understand is force. Mr..
Stevens and Mr. Butler may write the
most radical spesches-we may send as
many political missionaries as the Cath.
olic church has in her service; so long
as the rebel and the negro see the power
to strike down the loyal Generals, to
send Sheridan 10 the Indian country,
and take the stars from Sickles, they
cannot respect Congress. After the ex-
ira session, when Sheridan was re.
moved we were assured that, so soon as
Congress reassembled, the law would be
so amended that Grant could have abso-
lutte advisory and directory power. Yet
Congress has met, and Grant is still a
cipher, the hand that countersigns John
sons orders; and, while Radical mem
bers are eating turkey and plum pudding
in the most cheerful and domestic man
ner, the President whirls Pope from his
seat That one act does more to
strengthen the President in the South
than hundred reconstruction laws to
weaken him. And yet we have Republi-
cans, conspicuous among them Mr..
Raymond Il call him Republican for the
sake OF argument, who. says :
For Heavens sake, friends, don't
worry the President; don't quarrel with
him; you are as bad as he is; don't ex'
asperate him; he cannot be controlled,
aud you car. Let us smile upon him
benignanty, and have peace" There is
something sweet and beautiful in the
New Testament virtue of these sanity
men-something edifying in this turning
the smitten cheek to the smiter-this
kissing the hand that gives the blow.
The only instance like tiff you will
allow me to make another familiar illus
tration--is that of the caned and beaten
Pecksuin, who sinks away, with battered
head, saying: "If you should wish to
have anything inscribed upon your silent
tomb, sir, let it be that I-ah, remorseful,
sir, that |, the humble individual who
has now the honor of reproaching you
forgave you; that forgavo you when my
injuries were fresh and when my bosom
was newly wrung. 1t may be bitterness
to you to hear it now, sir, but you will
live to seek consolation in it." 1t is 80
much more beautiful to have trusting
nature than doubling one; and, read by
the Pecksniffiap philosophy, Congress
to day occupies most beautiful and
trusting position.
In addition to this trouble, we have
another even more perplexing. The
call of the National Republican Com
mittee says:
Each State in the United States is
authorized to be represented in said con-
venton by the number of delegates
equal to twice the number of Senators
and Representatives to which each State
is entitled in the national Congress-
And again;
"We invite the cooperation of all
friends of the speedy reor-
ganization of those States aohose goo-
ernments ,oere destroyed by the rebellion,
and their permanent restoration to their
proper practical relations with the
United States in accordance with the
true principles of republican govern
ment
1t is held-and l am merely repeating
the arguments made by at least one lead.
ing Republican-that this call means
only those States which, at the time of
the meeting of the Convention. will be
held to be in proper practical rela-
tons with the government Iii argued
that the Convention cannot ADMIT any
delegates but from these States; that, in
the event of any doubt of the nomina-
ton of Grant, the States will be kept out
of Congress until after the nomination,
when they will be allowed the privilege
of voting for a candidate they did not
help to nominate. What is this leading
to? | do not write as an alarmist, but
to present the actual political situation.
1t means that an effort is being made to
organize new party in opposition to
the regular Republican candidate. The
elements composing that party may be
classified as follows
l. The dissatisfied Republicans in the
South.
2. Those Republicans in the West and
North who believe with General Butler
that the bonds should be paid in cur
reney.
3. Those Republicans who believe the
national banking system to be wrong
The argument of one who stands high
in this movement may be thus para
phrased: Take away negro suffrage
and | am a Democrat. | find what may
be called an aristocratic bond-holding
class, which will not tax bonds nor help
to meet taxation. find them deter
mined to pay gold where we only give
/ find them making dis
internal revenue laws and
tariffs, when l am a free trader. / see
in Gen. Grant BODYBUILDING candidate,
supported by Mr.. McCulloch, and Jay
Cooke and My--A. T. Stewart in New
York, and the whole Wall street interest.
The national banks cannot nominate Mr..
Chase, and they are putting their fingers
on Grant They own him, and his sue
cess would be the triumph of principles
to which l am opposed" " Then, l
suggested, you mean to oppose the
party, whoever it may nomi-
nate, and your movement is secession,
like the Birney movement of 1874 or the
Van Bdren movement of lS4S" L do
not put it in that view altogether"
was the reply. 81 am a Republi-
can on the question of suffrage,
and that holds me in the party. We
can make the elements of a party
against Grant, simply because Grant is
the only candidate who does not possess
the confidence Of the party on the suf-
frage Questlon-iust now the femerel a.
terry of the party -life-if you permit the
phrase / would oppose Chase or Col
fax, or anybody else, upon financial is
sues; but they are so Radical-Chase
especially-that those who believe with
me on the other matters would postpone
them until q new election. 1t would
also be so with Sheridsh-if you must
have stsrs-with Thomas, perhaps-with
Thomas certainly, if he had not been
born in a slave State" / give you as