The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-04-26
RECONSTRUCTION OF THE REPUB.
IICAN Parry.
The New Reform Movement.

As we announced In our telegra PHI
lc dispatches yesterday, a movement
has been started In Boston which will
soon spread over the whole country.
It contemplates the substitution of
moderate revenue tariff for our pres
ent unjust and ruinous protective tar
ifF. the establishment of a civil SER
vice instead of our present wild chase
for Office and the distribution of
spoils. and a speedy return to specie
payments.
Our readers will perhaps remember
that these are the very points which,
some time ago, we laid down as our
future platform. If the Republican
party adopts these points, it will be
the party of the future. fnOt, it will,
in tie course of our political devel-
opment, have to give way to a new or
ganiZatlon.
The Republican party needs a new
programme and the infusion of pew
ideas, if it wants to secure for itself a
new tenure and efficiency, its former
task having been gloriously accom-
pIished. Organized originally for the
purpose of preventing the extension
of slavery into the new Territories,
the rebellion of the South compelled
il to declare war against slavery itself,
and thus to effect its fnal abolition.
By the apostacy of Andy Johnson and
the rebeIlious spirit which it re-
kindled in the Southern States, or as
Mr.. Lincoln would have said, by the
logic of events, " the Republican party
was constrained to advance one step
further, and to base the reconstruc-
ton of the South on the corner stone
of equal political rights. This. too,
was accomplished, and thus the prin-
ciples of the Declaration of indie
pendence were recognized in the for
nation of the new Southern State
ORGANIZATIONS.
But thereby new necessity arose.
The right of suffrage having been
conferred upon the negroes in the
South, it became a matter of simple
Justice not to deny it to the negroes
of the North. This claim was salts
fed by the Fifteenth Constitutional
A mendment, which is now in the
course of adoption, aud ia less than
one or two years will be the law Of
the land. Thus the principle of equal
political rights will be realized In the
several States; for, as far as the Fed
etal Government is concerned, the
election Of General Grant to the
Presidency has already made it sue
! cessful. The appointments made by
| him of colored men as Ministers to
| Hayti and Liberia; as Assessors aod
| Collectors in several Congressional
| tees of the Peace for the District of
Columbia, are great events IN the his
| tory of civilization, because they have
sealed the doom of the prejudice of
race. A reaction In this respect is no
longer possible The Republican
party has accomplished all its pur-
| poses - what, then, remains to be
done by it? Ii cannot live on the
"reminiscences of its past merits. 1t
it wants to lay claim TO the confidence
| of the people, it must declare what it
purposes to do hereafter. La other
| words, it must must adopt a new pro-
| gramme.
That this will lead to differences of
opinion can easily be foreseen. But
| that it is absolutely necessary, if the
| Republican party wants to secure a
new lease of life and vigor, to root
out corruption aud enter upon a new
career of victory and greatness, every
one will perceive who looks upon pol
itics as something different from a
mere scramble for local offices.
| Such movements as that now inau
| gurated In Boston are of the highest
importance, and should be promoted
/ by the honest, thinking and progress
sive Republicans all over the country.
| Our immediate chances for the reali
cation Of the>views referred to in the
| beginning OF this article are with the
| Republican party-not that the final
success of a great and correct prinei-
pie depends on the favor or disfavor
of a political party; on the contrary,
| ideas can make their way without
parties and in spite of them, but If
| the Republican party will rise with
the occasion and adopt this policy
we shall have the advantage of 3
powerful organization already exist
ing, and able TO carry it out.
From the Democratic party moth.
ing can be expected. Its vicious in.
stincts, aud the unclean elements
whose influence is paramount 10 it:
ranks, will probably make it a repu
diation party. And even If thi:
| SuOuiu nut Ne TIC CaSO, us udTEUN
prejudiees, its hatred of race, its vic
lent party spirit, and especially its un
patriotic record, are such as will nevel
be able TO win the confidence of tn,
people. Hence, the battle for thu
ideas above enunciated will have L
be fought frat within the ranks of thu
Republican party.
There will not be very consider
able difference of opinion as to tn,
necessity of establishing a civil ser
vice. The spOils-system now prevail
ing has proved itself to be so corrupt
ruinous and demoralizing, that it vii
not find many decent advocates. No
will the question of a return to speci
payments be very difficult, provided
we keep out of foreign war, and tn
new administration succeeds in tn
Introduction of economy and retreneh
: ment. What, with confidence one
re-established, with a Congress ceas
ing to squander the public money
with a revival of business, and with
galaxy of new and prosperous State
arising out of the territory of tn
Great West, the specie payment ques
ton will settle itself, provided that i
the meantime political power does no
pass into the hands of the greenbael
expansionists. The main difficulty
therefore, will consist in the TART
question: struggle between publ,
and private interests. But we hop
that the spirit of liberty in which tn
slavery and suffrage questions-hav
been settled, viii also prevail wit
reference to commercial questions
The age of Chinese walls has passe,
away. The industry of a country can
not be promoted by Government in
reference or by preventing eompeti