The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-07-21
The Movements Of Our Political PARTIES
The Administration.

The Movements Of Our Political PARTIES
The Administration.
In the South the Virginia election aud the
active campaign now in full blast in
each of the States of Tennessee, Mississippi
and Texas, and in the North the recent State
conventions, especially of the democratic
party, have developed some interesting move
ments on the political chessboard. new
anti-proscriptive and thoroughly liberal party
has come to the front in Virginia. This party,
accepting the reconstruction conditions Of Con-
gress including the fifteenth amendment and
negro political equality, has won the day in
Virginia, in taking ground for white emanci-
patton and political equality; or, in other
words, for general amnesty, blotting out the
test oaths and political disabilities under which
certain classes OF Southern whites participating
in the late rebellion are now suffering.
General Grant is satisfied with this result in
Virginia, some of the more advanced Of the
republican journals are satisfied, and anticipate
with pleasure similar results in the approach
ing elections in Tennessee, Mississippi and
Texas, and in all the other Southern States in
their turn. But NJ Boutwell, aud several
other members of the Cabinet and powerful
combination, it is said, of the radical republi-
eau leaders, in and out of Congress, are actively
at work, by hook or by crook, to upset this
Virginia election-arstly, through General
Candy, the military commander Of the State, in
the organization of the Legislature, or, failing
in this, they will, secondly attempt to set aside
said election in Congress itself on charges of
fraud. Now, upon this question General Grant
has a fine opportunity to reconstruct the re-
publican party upon the liberal platform Of the
Walker organization of Virginia, and to make
himself master Of the political situation without
the slightest difficulty. An order to General
Candy requiring him to deal with the new
Virginia Legislature literally in the matter OF
the irOn-clad oath will suffice. It will at once
clearly identify General Grants administration
with the new republican party Of the South,
and thus compel the radicals of the North to
fall into line or TO bolt into the barren fields OF
an outside political faction.
Such is the splendid opportunity offered to
General Grant for liberalizing the republican
party on the Virginia platform OF the emanci-
patton of the Southern whites. The move
ment may require a change or two in the Cab
met to make it effective, but such impediments
as inractable Cabinet members may be easily
removed under the amended Tenure of Office
law. In any event, General Grant should
seize upon this fine opportunity to reorganize
the republican party on the reconstruction
platform of his administration, inasmuch as he
will have from the start the masses of the party,
with a majority in each house of Congress, to
back him. On the other hand, the admins
tration, in playing fast and loose with the
republican proscriptives and the republican
liberals of the South, will only make confu-
sion worse COMPOUNDED to all concerned.
Next, with regard to the Northern demo-
cracy, we had supposed that, taking counsel
from the Virginia conservative victory, Sc
cured by the fusion en- maasse of the democrats
! of the State, out-and-out Bourbons Of the
elder branch, with the Walker republicans, we
say we had supposed that the Northern demo-
cracy, upon this practical hint, would accept
the general situation and boldly strike out fol
q new departure But the Northern demo-
cracy, 80 far, have done no such thing in any
State, and evidently contemplate, with some
thing like disgust, the idea of fusing with this
new liberal party of the South. In Ohio, Cal
| ifornia. Pennsylvania and in every other State
Lot al oLyau ;pcr
| Iowa, the Northern democracy have taken
| substantially their old ground of hostility to
''the Niger" and most radically not only
against the ratification of the fifteenth amend
ment, but against its recognition when de-
clared ratified, as they expect it to be with the
reassembling of Congress in December.
Thus the democratic party on the negro
question are still foundering on | ee shore
and their only hopes in the coming fall cleo
tons lie in the sporadic NOV ements of the
temperance societies against lager beer for an
independent political organization in this State,
that State and the other, and in the revolt oil
disappointed radical ofice-seekers. In fact,
both the republican and the democratic parties,
though their leaders generally do not seem to
understand it, are in transition state, and tn &
reconstruction of the elements of both is still in
the hands of the administration. The great
money question, the Cuban question, the Next
can question and the Alabama claims are the
issues upon which General Grant may repeat
the r5le of Monroe in fusing all parties in ar
"era Of good feeling" around his administra.
ton; OF, as at the close Of Monroe's service
in the White House, he may leave us the ma
terials in abundance for scrub race, open t.
all corners, for the succession in 1872.
As matters now stand no President sine,
the time Of Washington Or Jefferson can b.
named as possessing better opportunity than