The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-11-18
General Granvs Views OF tho Lasc
Elections.

that, although disappointed with some States,
he thought that these elections, upon the
| whole, had resulted satisfactorily to the
republicans that he did not think there was
anything in them to cause alarm for the
future; that the people could not be success
fully drawn aside from the maintenance of the
great principles of the republican party; that
what the people want, in his opinion, is the
payment of the public debt, the reduction Of
expenditures, the reduction OF taxes and an
economical administration Of the government.
Furthermore, it is the opinion of the President
that ''the party that refuses to be drawn away
by side issues and that pursues the policy
here indicated will elect its candidate in
1872"
These views of General Grant (for we have
no doubt that they are his views) are entitled
to the respectful consideration which herein
we propose to give them. His platform-tbe
payment of the debt, the reduction of expendi-
lures, the reduction Of taxes and an economi-
cal Administrations good and sound. 1t has,
too, so far served the republican party in this
years elections as to secure for them a good
OF the next Congress, which, with the Senate
overwhelmingly on the same side, settles the
two houses to the next Presidential election
So far the coast is clear; but when General
Grant says that the people cannot be success
fully drawn aside from the maintenance of the
evidently means something more than the
principles of economy, retrenchment and re-
form. He doubtless means the great prin-
ciples applied in the reconstruction of the late
rebel States and embodied in the new amend
ments 10 the national constitution including
the abolition OF slavery, the establishment of
eq1al civil and political rights to all men, as
citizens, Of all races and colors, and the power
given to Congress to enforcs these great prin-
ciples ''by appropriate legislation" over every
foot Of land and water within the jurisdiction
Of the United States These are the great
principles, we suppose, to which General
Grant refers as insuring the continued ascen-
dancy of the republican party. He is right,
too, in this opinion, if it is certain that the
democratic party intends to continue the fight
against the republican measures of Southern
reconstruction SO neatly completed and re-
duced to practice by General Grant himself
since his call to the head of the government
The overwhelming success of the General
in the Presidential contest Of 1868 was largely
due to the suicidal resolution adopted by the
Democratic Tammany Seymour Convention on
the motion Of Wade Hampton, fresh from the
rebel army, declaring the reconstruction
measures of Congress Unconstitutional revo-
lutionary, null and void" This cutthroat
resolution, with Frank Blair's supporting
letter, in its very announcement defeated
Seymour and enabled the republicans not to
walk but to canter over the course. We have
had no democratic stupidity of this sort, how
ever, since the proclamation of the fifteenth
amendment In Delaware, Maryland and
Kentucky they still fight ''the damned nigger;"
but even in those States they fight him as
''iixed fact" at the polls. Upon this supreme
test, then, the democratic party accepts the
situation in the constitution as it is, with the
civil and political equality of all men as
citizens-white men, yellow men, red men,
niggers and all.
Thus the great principles suggested by Gen
eral Grant are among the dead issues of the
past The democrats fought them step. by
step ''to the last ditch )" but in the last ditch
they have given up the battle, and the
almighty niger" is all right. The republi-
can party, therefore, have only the
Presidents platform Of economy, retrench-
ment of expenses, reduction of taxes
and payment of the debt to stand upon;
and these movable planks in some
cases have been placed so wide apart that
many of the weak brethren are falling through
between them. For instance, here we have
the Tribune, republican organ, which insists
that payment of the debt means protective
tariff and here we have the Eoeztng Post,
another republican organ, which Is ready to
fight till it rains cats and dogs, and ready,
STILL to fight in the rain, for the dogma that
the reduction of taxes means free trade. AT
Chicago they have also Tribune, hitherto
rampant radical republican, which is so hot in
the cause that it proposes new party on the
platform of free trade; and all through the
I great Northwest, where their products are
wheat corn, pork and beef, they would, per-
haps, agree to tax upon the 'boated bond
| holders" Of the East if they could thereby get
free trade in iron and woollen goods. The
President it appears, is glad that in coming
out for a new party, after supporting John
| Wentworth. an outsider, for Congress, the
Chicago Tribune is sailing under its true
colors as an enemy to the republican party.
i hot
trade notions are at the bottom Of his retire
ment from the Cabinet, because, as it appears,
the Pennsylvania protectionists, headed by
Senator Cameron, made dead set upon Cox
| 10 Get him ont Again while the Tc6nina