Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-05-15
UNION AND AMERICAN.
SYMPTOMS OF DTss0LITTIoN

OnIoh or hepuhllcan party, tn:
with the suppression of the rebellio
and therestoration of peace the mi!
sion of that party would be ende
the object which called il into eN
lstence and gave it life and vigo
would be accomplished by the ces
sation of the strife between the con
tending sections of the coun
try. 1t was claimed that the part
was united only upon that singh
issue, while the diversity and antag
Onism of sentiment upon politica
questions that had existed previous
: TO, would be resumed when the wa
endede8 When the struggle ceased
the RNlical leaders had become sc
intoxicated with the exercise OF
power, and fattened upon the ex.
= 1raSSgance and corruption that char
acterized the conduct of public afr
fairs during that struggle "for the
life of the natioD," as they termed
it, that they are unwilling that the
old issues that had divided the
country and antagonized parties
should be resumed. Every effort
has been made by the leaders of the
dominant party to keep alive the
passions and prejudices that the war
developed and engendered. If true
love of country had ruled in the
public councils, q sincere desire for
the public welfare, the restoration
of the Union would have followed
the restoration of peace, and bythis
time tie devastation and waste
caused by the terrible struggle
would have been efaced. But the
interests Of party and the aggran-
dizement of partizans have been the
rule with the leaders of the party in
power, instead of the interests of
the country and the advancement of
individual prosperity and happiness.
The New York Ecening Post,
Radical print, thus portrays the
character and the doings of the law
making power: "Never before has
Congress" and Congress is the cpl
tome and exponent of the Radical
party, %been so corrupt; never has
the lobby been so powerful at Wash
ington; never have efforts to con-
troll Congress for the advantage of
special legislation been so unblush-
ingly made Never has |
the public business been so badly |
X Never has
the national legislature done so
little good, and so much harm.
= = X The business of Congress
is almost as badly done as that of
our Legislature at Albany, another
Radical body,l in which the whole
session is occupied with jobs and
schemes for plumber. Whenever
attempts to do more
than TO keep the peace and do
Justice, it becomes inevitably, as
with as, the tool of sharpers." And
he New York Herald, among the
first papers to urge the nomination
and election of Grant, says:
The Republican party is fearfully
iemoralized. The rank and file
If this hitherto all-powerful Organi-
zation have no longer any common
bond of union, except the common
bond Of public plumber, and over
the plumber since the 4th of March
last they have been growing, snarl-
ing, swapping, and fighting like in
ruriated cats and dogs. 4 y <
Our opinion is that a terrible recoil
will come upon the corruption and
party in power, and
thata wholesome political revolution
will follow, in bringing a new party
into the foreground. Thus, while
the signs Of the times indicate that
the present administration will be q
disastrous one to the Republican
party, we think it will be good for
the country. \ ~F A sweep
ing revolution is the only remedy
for universal corrupt. = x
The fact has become patent that the
party is the most cor
rupt that ever cursed our land.
During the war its leaders fell upon
the National Treasury and the pub
lie credit like so many ravenous
wolves. Their jobs and rObberies
in the way of army contracts, in the
sale OF rotten old hunks for trans
ports in the building of new war
vessels that proved shells or aboT-
tons, and IN everything connected
with supplies, including provisions,
forage, hospital stores, and
so on to the end of the catalogue,
for the use of the army and navy, |
were enough to appall any other than
the American people"
One phase of the great demOrai
cation that exists is seen in the |
scramble for place, a shameless
thing wholly without precedent in
the annals of the government. From
the highest to the lowest they are
all bent upon plumber and spoils;
and in this alone there are the sure
indications OF disorder and despera-
ton which can only end in dissolu-
ton. For who, without having
reached the condition of depravity
and total loss of self-respect, could