New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-12-28
What Have 4 Done that the
Wicked Praise Me %

This should be the anxious, prayerfal in
quiry, morning, noon, aud night, of those disap-
appointed Senators and editors who have recent
ly been so bitter and unremtting in their attacks
upon President GRANT and the Administration
and yet who proclaim their purpose to adhere
to the Republican party in good faith. If they
are honest in these noisy professions, the use the
Copperbead and rebel papers are making OF
their speeches and editorials must cause them
to hesitate in their mad career of vituperation
and abuse and suggest to them the question
that heads this article. 1t will force upon
| them the most rigid determination Judge
TRUMBULL, Gen. SEIZURE, Gov PENToN, Mr..
PATTERSON, and even Senator Triton, possess
| enough common sense and have had political
experience sufficient to know that their speeches
assailing the administration of President
GRANT, as well as the President himself, are
only seized upon, adopted, and circulated is
campaign documents by the rebel Democracy
because they believe them the most damaging
material they can use against the Republican
party.
rnougn the Democracy hate Gen. GRANT
with an ungOvernable hatred for the terrible
blows he dealt them at Fort Donelson, Vick.-
burg, Petersburg Appomattox, and on an hun
dred other victorious fields and above all. for
his fidelity to his principles and his country
since his election TO the Presidency he is com
paratively of little consequence to them. They
are Influenced by more important considera-
tlons in the relentless warfare they are waging
ostensibly against him. If Gen. SHERIDAN, Gen.
Thomas, (were he alive,) Gen. WILSON, or even
Gen. SHERMAN we're iii the Presidential chair
they would assail him quite as Indignantly as
Gen. GRANT. 1t is the Republican party and
not President GRANT whose ruin they are labor
ing so intently to accomplish. The sympathy
they have found in the abuse of him amongst
protested Republicans has encouraged Thorn to
hope that such course is the surest way to
injure the party in power. They shut their
eyes to past experience and foolishly ffatter
themselves that because few men in high
places and few influential editors have,
through personal disappointments, arYayed
themselves against the Administration, there
is springipg mp in the Republican party d.
vision that will ultimately destroy it.
1t is for this reason that the Copperhead and
rebel press of the country greedily republshed
the speeches Of SEIZURE. TRuMBULL, PATTERSON.
FENToN, and Upton, and the editorials OF the
New York and Chicago Trtbunes, and other
sorehead papers, against the Administration.
If these papers supposed that the speeches and
editorials to which We refer, claiming to be
prompted solely by a desire to benefit the Re-
publican party, had the slightest tendency in
this direction, they would shun them as his Sa-
tanic Majesty does holy water. If they be.
lieved there were any such corruptionu in the
Administration as is charged, and that these
assaults of Republican soreheads was designed,
or had the tendency, to reform alleged abuses,
not Copperhead paper 10 the Union would
have republished one of them, more than it
would an admission Of ku -Kluxism.
These are facts which all disafected Repub
licans who have not resolved to 70 over to the
enemy unless he may believe he can do the
Republican party greater injury by insisting
upon remaining in its ranks, will take seriously
to heart. In furnishing capital for our oppo.
nents they are as guilty of treachery to the
party, an fact, whatever they may profess, as
though they had deserted it, and far more mis-.
chievous. If SEIZURE or TRUMBULL or any of the
should declare tomorrow that thew
had resolved finally to sever their relations with
the Republican party, and henceforth to act
with the Democracy, they would not carry over
with them two voters each, who would not
have been against US anyhow. Their influence
with the party would cease as suddenly az their
connection. If such is their intenton-if they
do not intend to support in good faith the Re-
publican candidate for President, whoever he
may be, they are doing the Republican party
gross wrong and their reputation great damage
by remaining in its ranks, and continuing to
furnish our enemies with cudgels to beat out
our own brains, under the pretence of reforming
the party In doing SO they are furnishing the
most eAectual means of throwing the Govern.
ment again into the hands of the rebel Democ-
racy. We end, therefore, as we begun, by
appealing 20 all disaffected Republicans, in
Congress aud out, who have so won the affec-
tons and approval of Copperheads and rebels
by the abuse of President GRANT and his ad-
prayerfully to ask themselves the
question" What hare we done that the toseh-
ed praise US -