The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-14
THE MISSOURI REVOLUTION.

Ffom the ". Y. journal Of Commerce.
Missouri had political earthquake on the
Sth instant. The effects were tremendous.
The solid ground Of administration supremacy
in that State was broken up, and through the
yawning gaps proud party, like Korah and
his troop, have gone down fathoms deep.
The Missouri election is the most remarkable
political revolution of the age. President
Grant staked all that he had to give on the
issue, and lost. Never was policy more in
fatuated than his. He had no business to
meddle in the election. He might have kept
out of it had he chosen. But, either
through ignorance of the state of politics in
Missouri, or yielding to the bad counsels OF
weak and nnscrupulous men, he stepped
down from that high platform of non-inter-
encs in State issues which the President of
the United States ought always to
stand upon (and he has done it many times
before and threw the whole might of his Off
cial influence and patronage with the McClurg
party. Every oflice-holder who would not
sell out his principles for Government pay
was removed. To the honor of human
nature, many there were who would not bar
ter away their sincere convictions for Presi-
dental sops, and who put their heads under
the executioner's axe without fear or regret.
1t was reign of terror; and, as such reIgns
always do, ELECTED many noble examples of
courage and self-sacridce The crime for
which these'men were punished was that of
daring to differ from the Washington powers
on the questions of revenue reform and am-
nesty. Mr. GratZ Brown is as good Re-
publican as ever President Grant was,
or any of the flock of the faith
full; but he did not believe that the
management of the national finances was the
height of human wisdom, and that the denial
of general amnesty to the South was other
than a piece Of mean illiberality, un worthy
Of this era and this great people. He would
have corrected the errors of Republicanism
within the strict party lines. But the admin
istration foolishly chose to force him into an
attitude of hostility to the Republican party;
and persecuted him and his friends with
greater venom than if they had been out-and-
out Democrats To his side the emocratie party
of the State rallied. Differing from Mr. Brown
in many matters, they yet fully agreed with
him upon the necessity of revenue reform of
the South. In those particulars his fight was
theirs. The blood of every martyr decapi-
tated by Presidential orders for the mex
piable otfense of daring to call his soul his
own became the quickening seeds of the
new revolution, which has borne the won
drous fruits of from SO, ZOO to 10000 mao
rity for Brown. To measure the extent of
this political transformation, compare the re-
suit with that of the Gubsrnatorial election
only two years ago, when the now defeated
McClurg received maj jority of 10, 327. Such
is the lesson taught to the men at Washing
ton who seek to coeree freemen into the mar
row traces of soulless partisanship One can
often see, even in such slow moving changes
as those daily going on on the surface of the
earth, the transforming processes which have
made geological epochs in the past. And 80,
in this great political alteration in Missouri,
we discern the more swiftly acting forces
which are to modify, radically, the national
parties of this country. Let men look to Mis-
souri, if they would learn how the political
revolution of the future is to be brought
about 1t is to be by the coalition of fair,
moderate men Of all parties on vital public
questions like those Of amnesty, revenue