The New York herald., 1871-09-16

| PartIcs-N. ""' Next In the Cnopter o.
| Reconstruction
With the war Of 1871 upon the powerful
political organization Of Tammany Hall, the
future historian of the United States will turn
over new leaf in his record Of the ups, and
downs and transformations of our political
parties. In its local aspects the main ques-
tion brought bone to our fellow citizens from
this Tammany war is the important question
of a reconstruction of our city government,
whereby In its administration honesty may be
secured in all its departments and in all its
transactions. But in its general political
aspects this war upon Tammany adds another
to the numerous movements and elements
operating to displace both the great political
parties as they exis. to-day, and to bring
about reconstruction of both or two or three
new parties upon new issues, and one of them
as the next dominant party of the nation for
period of ten, fifteen or twenty years.
In general view in reference to our politi-
cal parties; they are in the transition state
which followed the second election OS2O) of
President Monroe. Under that administration
the old federal party, which had steadily been
growing ''small by degrees and beautifully
less, mainly in consequence of its opposition
to the war for "free trade and sailors rights"
| Of 1912, was dissolved, and the American
people, on general principles, became 'all
| republicans and all federalists" So now the
new departure" of the democracy in favor
Of ''the constitution as it now is," after oppos-
| ing the late war for the Union and the great
issues settled by this war, may be compared
to that surrender of the old federal party
under Monroe, which was followed first by the
dissolution of that party and next by a
scrub race QS24) for the Presidency, in
which there were four personal parties in the
field without any material differences upon
principles; and next, by crystaliization of
these crude elements into the democratic
party, founded under General Jackson QS2S),
and the whig party, whose embodiment and
| great apostle and expounder was Henry Clay
We say that this new departure" Of the
democracy may be compared with that sur
| render of the old federal party under Monroe
which involved its dissolution; but it must be
| remembered that this was after Monroes Sec
| ond election, 1920, which was an election
| almost without show of opposition through
| out the country. We do not suppose that Gen
eral Grant will be so triumphantly reelected;
but from ell the developments and indications
of the public sentiment of the day he will be
| triumphantly reelected, and then we may ex-
pect a fusion and confusion of our political
| parties resembling the state Of things which
followed the second election of Monroe, and
we may expect, too, from this confusion, in
1876, Presidential scrub race, which, like
that of 1924, will bring new party, upon
| new issues, into the possession Of the govern
ment, and a new and powerful opposition
party into existence, whatever the names of
these parties may be.
The republican party of this day, like the
old republican party of Jefferson, Madison and
Monroe, has fulfilled its appointed mission, in
carrying through to complete success the
revolutionary programme which called it into
| existence. Moreover, like the republican
party under Monroe, it is held together only by
| its national administration. The democratic
party of this day, like the old federal party
beaten from point to point, in every battle
upon the war of its time and upon the issues
Of the war, and coming at last to surrender
on its ''new departure" stands upon the
same platform with the republican
party, and so, upon the great ques-
tions which for seventeen years have
formed the dividing lines between these two
parties, African slavery, emancipation, negro
civil equality, negro suffrage the recognition
of the sovereignty Of the United States aud
the reputation of State sovereignty, the
| American people, with this new democratic
departure, it may be said, have become SUBJ
stantaly ''all republicans and all democrats"
Of course this condition Of things cannot
long exist 1t is that transition state in polit-
cal parties which leads to transformation and
| reconstruction. 1t is apparent, however, that
| with all the elements Of change and reconstruc-
tion 80 actively at work already on every side
| yes, it is morally certain that upon the saving
merits of General Grants administr att on-the
republican party will present strong front in
his reelection but after his reelection, the
work of dsintegration and reconstruction will
actively begin. In their squabbes for the sue
| cession the republican leaders will make short
work of their party, and Presidential scrub
race will, in our judgment, inevita-
| bly, be the result in 1876. But
will not the democratic party, purged
and purified by this war upon Tam
many, rise by the year 1876 if not sooner,
like giant refreshed with new wine? If there
were nothing stronger operating upon the
public mind than old party ideas and associa-
tions this might be the case, but between the
gigantic forces Of labor and capital upon
thousand sharp points Of conflict there is
which will shake their old political parties to
pieces and their political and social institu-
| tions to their foundations.