The New York herald., 1870-03-08
The Osmeralizsd Democracy and the Pres
pect of Parties. M


psct Or Parties.
Only the other dag future full Of power
and promise seemed possible for the demo-
cratic party. Its success had spread from the
city over the whole State; and a. It was
advised with no small sagacity, and had
general harmony Of purpose, it appeared not
rash to forecast its possible triumph in the
next contest for the Presidency. But what q
bubble all that promise was What has
become OF the hope that the democracy might
once more act on the nation as great, united,
harmonious, honest. liberal party? As the
hope was built on the appearance the party
presented in this State, what is left Of it even
herea Only four or Ave snarling factions.
We have ''the ring" or recognized Tammany
leaders; the silk stocking would-be leaders.
under the general direction Of Mr.. Sammy
Tilden; 'the boys"-that is, the Jimmy
OBrien and Mike Norton party; the union
democratic organization and the country
democracy. The countrymen know and care
all about the jobs in the rural and frontier dis
tricts. Canal jobs, Tor instance, are their
specially. Only leave them the manipulation
of all the little bits Of profit and plunder to
be made on the canals, and there will
be harmony so far a. relates to them, for they
relinquish even opinion with regard to the
city. But with the city factions it is quite
another story. They all want everything,
and the simple reason of this is because not
one Of them sees anything nobler or better in
success than that it will give the spoils to the
winner. There is no pure motive, no exalted
purpose, no national spirit, and, therefore, no
great mind; no organizing, conquering brain,
for great intellect Is not produced in = party
whose struggles are always the same mean,
mercenary scramble.
Mr.. Sammy Tilden, it is true, in declaring
to the contrary, calls our attention to his own
elegance; but, alas! for Sammy's argument,
1t has been known that men have worn silk
stockings who yet had very empty heads. 1t
is the same with his reference to the ''libe-
rality" Of the august Belmont Something
else is necessary to consolidate great people
around party platform beside the habit Of
tossing cash to the groundlings, though one
can hardly expect men of Sammy's calibre to
understand this. We even think that
Sammy ought not to drag his 'liberal"
democrat Of the past into the arena
again for we do not doubt that
our former Minister to the Hague
would now distinctly concede that ''shent per
shent" has fairly failed in American politics
At time when q country is standing in the
very atmosphere Of heroic achievements;
when the women still wear Grape for the hum
dreds of thousands Of gallant fellows who died
for the flag; when the people have freely
made illimitable sacrifices in their persons, in
their comforts, in their very liberties-all to
secure the supremacy Of an idea-at such a
time 1t seems to US a little less than decent for
party to come forward with fnancier as
its head man and to announce that this gen.
tleman is ready to make the most liberal
terms. Cannot they refer US to anybody but
their banker9 Before people pulsating with
reinvigorating sentiment Of nationality 1t ia
scarcely handsome to present even the silk
stockings of Sammy Tilden as the finest things
extant. Yet what else does the democracy
proffer? Is it the noble disdain Of law, order
and honesty that characterizes ''the boys"-
that young democracy which is sowing its
political wild oats in the city by breaking the
windows of the temple Of Justice, and present
ing the statue Of the poor old goddess standing
on her head. Alas for tho democracy Is
this really all there is Of it in the country?
There we're weak points in the republican
party. 1t presented some signs Of decay. It
was the instrument through which the nation
asserted its purposes in the recent great con-
test but its vitality seemed eaten out by the
corrupt traders who had abused 1t to their
selfish designs. It is still, however, most in
sympathy with the popular heart. It has the
advantage Of appearing to the country In the
person Of man nobly identified with the
greatest phase of the nations existence-a
soldier, hero, apatriot; simple-minded, pure,
without other ambition than to serve the coun-
try well. This Is better than for Q party to
appear only in the person of it's financial man.
Grant does not dazzle the admiring eye with the
brilliancy of his statecraft; but that is not
what the American people want. Who il It
that is carrying the nation onward in It's
straight course Of peace and prosperity? Who
directs the policy that puts money in the peo-
ple's pockets? Under whose government is
gold coming to par, and the debt growing
perceptibly smaller month by month"; Such
points ~ these are the ones that are vital to
this nation, and they indicate that the trusst
glory and best safety Of the republic are in the
continued supremacy Of the party that governs
with men like Grant.
Franco and the Holy SEQ.