Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-01-20
Looking About.

AuOun
A general amnesty would have this adj
vantage, that it would increase in Congress
the number of gentlemen like Senator
McCreery, who express the real spirit of
the Democratic party. The American peo-
pie are so generous that they easily forget,
and they are often saved from the dis
astrous consequences of their own indif-
ference by what the Puritans would have
called "little Providcnces." When the
war ended there was strong tendency to
a kind of mush of emotion, by which the
most serious considerations were likely to
be overbOme. 1t was state of mind very
serviceable to the designs of those who
had been disloyal through the war, and to
the mere ambitious demagogues like An
drew johnson. The death of Mr.. Lincoln,
whose kindness of heart was always con
trolled by remarkable sagacity, brought
the country to the verge of very grave
perils. The detection of the johnson Ad
ministation with all its patronage, and the
confusion of the public mind in regard to
the constitutional difficulties, were a
threatening embarrassment But the black
codes of the Southern Legislatures and the
massacre at New Orleans were "little
Providences which, by recalling the
country to u sense of the actual situation,
saved it from a catastrophe
So at the end of the shameful johnson
era when the Democratic National Con
vention met at Tammany Hall, there were
many of the more sagacious members of
the party who hoped for a platform and
n nomination which would perpleX the Re-
publicans and open chance of victory.
But the predominance of the rebel chiefs,
the repudiating platform, and the nomina-
l lfsl 20 llxrr
sponsible for the New York riots of 1863,
and of another who had proposed forcibe
measures with Congress, were little
| Providences again, revealing to the coun-
| try the real character aud purpose of the
! Democratic party. And now, when it was
! hoped by that party that there was Repub-
| lican dissatisfaction enough with General
! Grant to produce a formidable Republican
| dissension, when the burden of taxation
| had been SO oratorically emphasized that
with the restoration of the Union it was
believed that Republican fidelity would be
relaxed, and that by skillful concealment
the Democratic party might regain great
deal of power, if not absolute control of
the government, a performance like that
of Senator NlcCreery is little Proyi-
dence" which opens every body's eyes,
and shows us the eternal truth, that
whether the Evil One tempts st. Anthony
in the form of tiend or OF beautiful
woman he is the Evil One still.
OF course few more gentlemen of the
same-kind in Congress would mutually
embolden each other, and the country
would see still more plainly the drift OF
the Democratic party. And if we ask why
it is that this party seems to be so curious
ly unskillful, always pulling the area bell
as a wag says, instead of that of the front
door, the reason is obvious. 1t is that it is
a negative and not positive party. 1t has
no general policy to propose. 1t decries
Republican administration as unconstitu
tional and wasteful. But the covert pro
posal to disturb the settlement of the
Union does not attract the country, and
while the Democrats talk about free trade
they say that they don't exactly mean it
Meanwhile general declaration of econo
my and administrative honesty, from 6
party of whose honesty and economy the
city of New York is the perpetual illustra
ton, is jest which the whole world ap
preciates, Nor is the situation improved
by the traditions of the party, or by the
character of its leaders. Its paramount
aim for a generation was the extension o.
slavery and many of its present conspicu
Gus leaders are men as deeply identified
with political corruption as its older chiefs
with slavery extension. Indeed, the sole
hope of the Democratic party is now wha
it has been since the war, that by careful
''hushing up" of the McCreerys and Wade
Hamptons and Pendleton repudiators anl
by fine talk about low taxation and fret
trade it may attract the discontented Re
publicans, and come into power.
The duty of the Republican managers
, therefore, is plain. 1t is to disappoint thi
hope, and TO retain the cordial approval o
: the best men in the party, who value purit.
more than party, and who will not b
q whipped by men whom they do not respec
into the support of measures which the
: do not approve. They may not, if dissa,
isiied, vote for the other party, but thei
Q strength will be lost to the Republican:
t They do not like to see, as they sometime
f do, honorable and able men, men who's
character is an invaluable capital for an
party or administration, Withdrawing froT
g public life without explanation, but az
7 parently as if it were impossible with sell
: respect to remain. They are dismayed b
2 the apparent ascendency in influences {
, some persons who are notoriously III
!. principled and jobbers. They feel, an
/ they feel truly, that the people of TIL
: country will support the Administratio
with enthusiasm and pride, as they see
/ represented everywhere by the most unel
y ceptionable men. Political manager
h know that they are always sure of "tl
I regulation vote" of the Disciplined an
V pachydematous gentlemen who suppo
c "the devil if he is the regular candidate
t 1t is those who will not support the devi
G however regularly nominated, that the
b must hold.
s. The President is much stronger in Il
popular confidence now than he was b
y fore Congress met and it is because Ii
G Message shows that he heartily favors ce
/, tain measures which the mere politician
|. oppose, and which are of kind that,
i adopted, would secure Republican ascel
d dency indefinitely The country is SUI
from the Message that the President
Y not so absolutely under tine control of ce
s tain cOunsels as was supposed. 1t is ca,
/, for any man TO sOphisticate himself vii
C theories of the necessity of yielding
1t the laws of the situation. The difficult
IS is in knowing what those laws are Or
o who is new to political life naturally su
y poses that there is some mystery, in polit
a cal management which only technical DC
n iticians comprehend. But honesty and S
@ gacity are the only necessary elements
% political strategy. Sagacity without no
o esty is sure to fail in politics as in eve
k other kind of activity. 1t is a truth whiC
II we believe the vacation will have ii
t. pressed more deeply upon the minds
. Senators and Representatives, and whic
carefully pondered, will enable them to c
tablish the party impregnably, and to I
elect General Crane with enthusiasm
Harper's Weekly.
=. In 1S4O the number of adult whites
~