The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-02-01
Reconstruction Comp!ctcd-Its Effect
upon the Republican Party.


upon the Republican Party.
While the adoption of tho Fifteenth
Amendment will render necessary important
alterations in the policy Of tho Democratic
party as an Indispensable condition of its con.
linucd existence "a u national organization,
the completion of tho work of reconstruction,
viewed as the eliminating point in tho long
ronnict with slavery, will likewise demand
Immediate and radical changes in the meas
ures and leadership of the Republican party,
If 1t hopes to escape the fate of its prcdc-
cessoIs, tho Wing and Federal parties
The Republican party was constructed out
Of materials Which concurrcd in sentiment
only upon the one question of hostility to ne
gro slavery. liz largest ingredient, numeri.
enlly, was remnants of the Wing party; but
this was by no means 50 potent in shaping its
policy and selecting its leaders as either the
Democratic or the Abolition ingredient Al
the outset it was coalition Of incougruous
elements, rather than a Homogeneous party
In the ordinary sense of the term, as is
proved by the notorious fact that it contained
large mass Of foreign-born citizens and a
strong infusion of know-Sothings. The
organization embraced its full share of the
intelligence of the nation AMI was not more
remarkable for the vein of independent
thinking which permeatcd It's ranks, than
for the great variety OF opinions among it's
members on all public questions other than
that of slavery, which had ogtNtei the
country for the previous twenty years
By agreeing TO subordinate their views on
other questions TO the single object of orposi
ton TO slavery, 1t became, in tlc broad Sense
Of the term, party of one idea. Organized
10 prevent the spread of slavery into free
territory II fought its battles on that ground
down to the outbreak of the war, when it
was compelled to strike at the existence Of
slavery in the States, in order to crush the re-
bcllion and preserve the life of the nation.
After the insurgents had thrown down
their arms, and the Thirteenth Amendment,
which forever prohibits slavery within the
boundaries of the Republic, was adopted, tho
contest seemed TO be over. And so IL would
have been, for a long time at least, except
for the perycrsity Of ANDREW JOHNSON, the
folly of the Democratic leaders, and the deter
mination of an active body of Republicans TO
seize the opportunity to complete this great
reform for all time. Then followed the
Fourteenth Amendment. If President JONI.
SON and the leaders of tho Northern Dcmoc-
racy had urged the South to promptly
accept this amendment rs a final settlement
of the controversy, and if they had done SO,
It would have been impossible for the more
radical Republicans to bring the organ.
izatlon up to the point Of making univer.
sal suffrage national institution. But per.
vers,ty and folly still ruled in the councils of
their opponents, and the result has been
what everybody but these blind guides fore
saw II must be, the overwhelming defeat of
Gov. SEYMOUR in the fall of 1868, the re-
treat of ANDREW JOHNSON from the White
House in the following March, pursued by a
general boot of contempt the imposition of
more stringent terms Of reconstruction upon
the four States unrcrrcsentcd in Congress,
and finally the Incorporation Of the Fifteenth
Amendment into the Constitution.
A month or go will suffice TO finish the
work of reconstruction. Then the mission
Of the RcrublicOn party will be completed.
Its one idea of hostility to slavery, and the
political equality of all men before the law,
irrespective Of color, cline, creed, or cond.-
ton, will lc written with impcrishablc cha,
rGctCrs in the Constitution. No doubt,
in fighting 20 many battles shoulder to
shoulder during the past fifteen years, q
pretty large share of the Republicans have
come to think stantially alike on good
many sui ccts besides slavery. But il needs
only superficial observation to perceive that
there are within the party irreconclable an
taGonisms on many questions Of pressing I'M
portancc; willie those ccnyersant with its
interior workings know that it IL torn by the
jealou-ics OF hostile sections and rival lead.
crs, which have been kept from breaking ont
into open feuds only by the pressure of the
patriotic mass IS Of the party, who have in
sisted that there should be no quarrrs
among leaders or factions until the great
work was done.
1t Is out of tho final termination Of the
slavery contest that the main peril of the
Republican party arises. Al the last Prcs
DENTAL election more than half million OF
mcn voted for Gen. GRANT solely becaus4
they wanted to sec the pending plan Of re-
construction carried through, When this il
accomplished they will feel no special alta h
mont TO him or Lis party, They are indie
pendent citizens, who never support party
merely for the good it has done II is tc
these satisfied Republicans that the party
may be indebted for its early defeat, and even
its ultimate dissolution. Then there are ia,
doctrindircs of the party, who differ with its
present policy on the tariff, the currency, th,
construction of tho Constitution, and til,
gradual absorption into Congress of an IN
warranted share of the powers of the Gov
srnment, The cord which has bound al
these classes to the party ID broken Follow