The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-19
THE DISCORDS OF THE REPUBLICAN,
PARTY.

lHE DlSCORDS OF The REPU BulOAN
PARTY.
From the ". 7. Herald.
In recent conversation in the White
House with Senator Wilson, as it appears,
General Grant, in reference to the late cleo
tions, said that, although disappointed with
some States, he thought that these elections,
upon the whole, had resulted satisfactorily to
the Republicans; that be did not think there
was anything in them to cause alarm for tho
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 they are his views) are entitled TO
the respectful consideration which herein we
propose to give them. His platform-the
payment of the debt the reduction of expeu-
ditures, the reduction of taxes, and economi-
cal administration-isgo good and sound. 1t has,
too, SO far served the Republican party in this
year elections as to secure for them good
working majority in the popular branch 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 great principles of the Republican party
he evidently means something more than the
principles of economy, retrenchment and re-
form. He doubtless means the great princi
Piles applied in the reconstruction of the late
Rebel States and embodied in the new amend
ments to the National Constitution, including
the abolition of slavery, the establishment of
equal civil and political rights to all men, as
citizens, of all races and colors, and the power
given to Congress to enforce 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 ascend
ancy of the Republican party. He is right,
too, in this opinion, if it is certain that tho
Democratic party intends to continue the
fight against the Republican measures of
Southern reconstruction SO nearly completed
and reduced to practice by General Grant
himself since his call to the head of the Gov
ernment.
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 let
ter, in its very announcement defeated Soy
nous and enabled the Republicans not to
walk but to canter over the course. We have
had no Democratic stupidity of this sort,
ha Nf tha
fifteenth amendment. In Delaware, Mary
land, and Kentucky they still fight ''the
id nigger" but even in those States they
fight him as a fixed 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
General 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 nigger" is all right. The Repub-
lican party, therefore, have only the Presi-
dents platform of economy, retrenchment 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 tho weak brethren
are falling through between them. For in
stance, here We have the Tribune, a Re-
publican organ, which insists that payment
of the debt means protective tariff; and
here we have the BceAtHg 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 a Tribune, hitherto a
rampant radical Republcan, which is 80 hot
in the cause that it proposes new party on
the platform of free trade; and all through
the great Northwest where their products
are wheat, corn, pork, and beef, they would,
perhaps, agree to a tax upon the "bloated
bondholders" 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 Ta1bune is sailing under its true
colors as an enemy to the Republican party.
We suspect, next, that General Cox's free-trade
notions are at the bottom of his retirement
from the Cabinet, because, as it appears, the
Pennsylvania protectionists, headed by Sena-
| tor Cameron, made dead set on Cox to gel
him out Again, while the Evening Post i:
doing battle for Cox and against the Presi
dent on the AcGarrahan claim, We suspect
! that free trade is really the secret of the
Posts admiration of Cox, and of its detesta
! ton of McGarrahan, and of its hostility tC
the Presidents sensible course upon thil
McGarrahan claim.
We cite these cases of Republican discord
as affording each an explanation of some o.
these late Democratic victories. In thi
State again the results show that in the lat
election Senator Fentons influence in "th
rural districts" was not given to Woodford
and all because the gentle and genial Thoma