The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-05-27
Politics In New York,

The ignominious and overwhelming
defeat experienced by the Republican
party of New York at the last State
election, was not altogether unex-
pected by those who have been dis
passionate observers Of the conduct
of the Republican leaders in that
State for the past four or five years.
The defeat may do good in calling the
attention of the earnest and true men
of the organization to its causes, and
inducing them to throw aside the
barnacles in New York City. which
have cursed the party with divided
counsels and weak engagements, to
say nothing of their mercenary in
trigues with the Tammany Hall
leaders.
The New York Standard, in COM
menting on the result, gives express
sion to some facts that we deem wor-
thy of transfer to our columns, 10 show
Republicans Of the West what is the
matter with the organization in the
Empire State. The Standard says
The absence of 1nan like Thurlow
Weed from the Republican councils
of New York, is a misfortune, es-
pecially when we see the Democrats
under the mastery and brilliant
leadership of men like Peter P.
Sweeney, Samuel J. Tilden, A. Oakley
Hall aud William NJ. Tweed. For
whatever faults Mr. Weed may have
committed, and however unsuited,
from character. temperament and
conviction, to lead a party of ideas
through the political campaigns of a
mighty war, he was unsurpassed as a
dealer, if not leader In men. The
true politician is pre-eminently a
dealer in men. He must know how
much to concede; how much to de-
mand; when to advance, when to
stand still, and to guide his vessel
over the shoals and banks of treaeh-
erous political seas.
We have no reason to complain of
Mr.. Fish, for it may be argued that
he has mo taste or capacity for polit-
ical intrigue;" he has been a moder.
ate, prudent, careful Secretary, and
has strengthened the Administration
with the prestige of a good name. AS
much may be said for Mr.. Grinnell
We do not join the World in singing
out these men for criticism or dissat-
isfaction. True criticism must go
deeper. A strong party might well
be proud of men In office as pure and
high-minded as Mr.. Fish and Mr.
Grinnell. The Republican party is
not strong, and we need men who can
give it power.
There is no head to the partyl Up.
on the overthrow of Mr.. Weed, and
the detection of Mr.. Raymond, Mr..
Greeley passed into power. No man
ever held so high place In any party.
His long years of service,-the con-
viction of his honesty, sincerity, and
political sagacity-his ability as q
writer and speaker,-his thorough
knowledge of men and events in our
State history,-gave him unchalleng-
ed dominion. The misfortune with
Mr.. Greeley is that he will never fight
when he can dicker. and he can never
forget his personal prejudices He
insisted upon a dicker with the South
to defeat Seward-upon a dicker with
extreme Radicalism to defeat Lin
coin; and men are not above suspect
ing that he would have dickered with
the Democrats to elect Mr.. Chase
over Gen. Grant. He would certainly
have ended the war by dieker. He
tried to dicker Universal Amnesty
for Universal Suffrage, when every
body saw that Suffrage was ours, that
Amnesty would come in good time,
without a concession. A man who
never forgets and rarely forgives, he
has more to forget and forgive than
any man In New York. He has never
thoroughly recovered from the defeat
of Henry Clay in 1874, for instance,
and would probably make a canvass
| upon that issue now, more earnestly
than upon any other.
We saw the enormous advantage
Republicanism had in Albany, and
the assured triumph of that party
through the mutiny of the Anti Tam
many Democracy under the powerful
! lead Of The World. We saw how
that revolt was healed. and Tammany
restored to power, by the direct influ-
ence of Mr.. Greeley. He excused him
self By saying he had made a dicker.
1auMdDN Ad0
Mr.. Greeley had an honest election
law" Under his honest election
law" fraud has been reduced into a
science, and Tammany Hall is as tri-
umphant as Rome over Carthage.
Nothing is left of Rspublicanism, but
walls and ruins. As a commercial
misunderstanding to be sold at a
proft-and the source of an enor-
nous business-the Republicanism of
Mr.. Greeley deserves the largest cir
culation. But TO him, more than any
man, we owe the unnecessary and IN :
PARALLEL disaster Of Tuesday.
So Republicanism is really a party
without a leader and without any dis
ciplinl Weekly Tri6unes are good
enough as a kind of an army cracker,
and as such we are glad to see them
largely bought and sold. But that is
all We have a President as accept
able as any since Washington man