The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-10-16

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declined IN sympathy with further break in Pacific
| Mail. Gold was quiet at 1870 a 1904.
Prominent Departure.
Colonel George Il. Church, OF New York. sails TO-
day IN the steamer Alaska en- route for Bolivia and
| the head waters OF the Amazon river.
The Late EIec,ions-The Northern Demo-
I cracy. the South and tho Succession.
| The late elections in Pennsylvania and Ohio
ought to be sufficient to convince the demo-
cratic party that the reign of slavery and the
constitution of Buchanan are among the things
of the past--that the financial policy of Gen
eral Grants inaugural touching the national
| debt will stand, and that the fifteenth amend
mont, interdicting the United States and every
| State from any restrictions on suffrage on
| account of race or color, will become in the
interval to the elections of next autumn part
of the supreme law of the land. These things,
at all events in the elections of last year and
| this year, are established or inevitable, and
| they cali upon the democracy for new depar-
| ture.
The decisive battle of the democrats on their
| old Bourbon principles of State sovereignty
| the declaration in the Tammany national plat
form, that ali 'the reconstruction acts of Con-
| gress are unconstitutional, revolutionary, null
and vod" which involved the proposition to
| carry us back to 'the constitution as it was"
before the war, Southern State rights and all.
Upon this issue in Grants election the recon-
struction acts of Congress were endorsed by
the people, including negro suffrage in the States
directly concerned. What would have been
the result had Chase been nominated instead
Of Seymour, and on q platform recognizing
the reconstruction acts of Congress, or what
might have been done had not Seymour been
pinned down by the Tammany resolution of
Wade Hampton and the revolutionary letter Of
General Blair, it would be waste of time
now to consider. We have to deal with things
as they are. After the election of General
Grant, with its endorsement of the republican
party, another advance was made by the out
| going Congress on negro suffrage in the
fifteenth amendment, proposing to mako this
| suffrage uniform throughout the United States
under the authority of Congress. and in the
Generals inaugural he cordially supported the
proposition.
What has followed? Beginning with Vir-
ginia, the old Southern State rights demo-
Gratis and conservative republicans have
formed new Southern party under the wing
| of the administration. The new anti-radcal
Legislature of Virginia thus elected has rati-
fed the fifteenth amendment, and in Missis-
sippi and Texas, with the success of either
party, the same course will be pursued. They
have given up the fight with Congress in the
South, the supporters of Seymour in that sec
ton being satisfied that his defeat settled the
question, and that it would be worse than use
less any longer to follow the Bourbons of the
North. Here, then, we stand. The fifteenth
amendment is on the verge of full rati1ca-
ton the Southern democracy have entered
into new political league on things as they
are while the Northern democracy have been
again defeated on their old issues, and in cleo
tons, too, in which Indifference so far pre-
vailed on the republican side that it was
expected these elections would go by default.
Nothing is changed North from the results of
last year except the situation of the Northern
wing Of the late democratic forces, which now
stands alone, with much lost and nothing
gained.
Reconstruction is here demanded; but
where is it to begin? Party discipline will
carry the democracy, no doubt, with their
colors aloft, through our coming November
election. But what then9 Assuming that
negro suffrage and Southern reconstruction
will soon be practically settled, the dividing
lines between the two great parties hencefor-
ward will be drawn upon the measures of
General Grants administration and of Con-
gress. The measures and policy of the party
In power on the money question, in oil Its
details of debt, bonds, banks, currency, inter-
nal taxes and tariffs, and on our foreign rela
lions, including the Cuban question, the Next
can question and the Alabama claims, vii!
give shape and direction to the contest for
the next Presidency. Twelve months hence,
from present appearances, the new Southern
party will hold every Southern State, In gain
Ing tho bulk Of the negro vote; and twelve
months hence, free everywhere from Congress
sional supervision as Tennessee or Kentucky.
this new party will drift into opposition to the
powers that be, and in view Of something like
o restoration Of the old Southern balance OF
power.
Here, then, Is the turning point OF the
Northern democracy for the succession. We
think, too, they will be called to It before the
next October elections They have no policy
now, or nothing but dead Issues and loose
general policy Of opposition TO the admnstrs-
zion. They must reorganize upon the living
issues of the day and recognize the niger,
and use him, as they are doing In tho South.
In taking this step the Northern democracy
by the year 1872 will be aDon the hiUh road to