The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-04-10

night has much greater political significance
than the mass Of people may imagine. Though
the meeting was worked up apparently by
few Office holders from Indiana to give Senator
Morton an opportunity to ventilate his ideas
outside the Senate Chamber, 1t was, evidently,
carefully prepared by and with the advice and
consent Of General Grant and his friends as
an important political movement The Presi-
dent Vice President Colfax, the inevitable
Colonel Forney, the Indiana members Of Con-
gress and others were there to assist. All
was quietly arranged, and General Grant
seemed to have dropped in at the National
Hotel to visit Senator Morton just
In the nick of time; but the initiated
understood why he was there. and the Marine
Band had their instruments ready tuned and
music books open to play "Hail to the Chief"
the moment he showed his face on the hotel
balcony. As the old saying goes, ''Great
oaks from little acorns grow !" and so this ap-
parently improvised oface-holders' meeting, at
which the President of the United States as
sisted, must be regarded as q sort Of pre-
liminary convention to nominate General
Grant for the Presidential race Of 1872 and to
lay down platform for the party.
This meeting furnishes curious chapter to
the political history of the country. Consider
ing that more than year must elapse before
the regular Presidential nominating conven-
| ton will be held the President and his friends
! have taken time by the forelock in thus at
tempting to forcstalI the action of that body
i ~ L. 80 - - Ma -
| curious circumstance connected with this
| affair was that the President was on
| the spot to hear his nomination and
| the extraordinary laudation that accom-
panied it. From the presence Of Vice
President Colfax, also, there is reason to be-
lieve that he too is on the slate for 1872, and
! that the ticket is to be the same as in 1868.
This seems the more probable, as the move
| ment is Western and an Indiana one, par
| ticularly when we consider that Senator Nor
| ton-who was the prominent figure in it-and
| Colfax had been rivals and not on very
friendly terms previously. We suppose, there
fore, that these political chiefs have agreed to
bury the Ratchet, in view of the troubles in
the republican camp, and to harmonize the
party. Their action, the appearance of the
President at the meeting and the whole pro-
ceedings are intended as warning, no doubt,
to all other republican aspirants to stand back
and not to think of getting on the track for
1872. True, it is something unusual fcr caa-
didates to nominate themselves or to assist
directly in doing 80, especially SO long
In advance, but the exigencies of the
party and the times may Justify that
now. Generally prominent candidates
for the Presidency and Vice Presidency
have kept away from the nominating conven-
tons, leaving their friends to do the work for
Them but,there is no law against men attend
ing to their own business or interests. Extra
ordinary circumstances make exceptions to
general rules, and even personal modesty has
to give way when great public matters are in
question.
| The platform laid down at the Washin ,ton
initiatory convention is not very comprehend
sive, and, perhaps, is all the better for that.
1t endorses In the strongest terms the
administration of General Grant and eulogizes
Vice President Colfax for his distinguished
services in language that probably brought
blush of modesty to his cheeks. The other
resolutions, proclaiming the praises Of SEN
ator Morton, his colleague Senator Pratt, all
the representatives in Congress from Indiana
and every Indiana republican, were thrown
in for little diversion and mutual gratifica-
ton. Indeed, there never were a body
of men got together who tickled each
~kl. C~1f:1
through the mutual admiration bust
ness with more gusto. But as we said
all this was thrown in, the real purpose being
| to endorse the President and Vice President
and to put them fairly on the track for 1872.
or course the republican party, its purity, SER
extravagantly praised. The necessity of
unity and fidelity of the party was urged, and
determination was expressed to repel all
assaults upon the party, "whether from
internal foes or political adversaries." No one
can fail to understand the motive for this
expression of ''internal foes" The gist and
motive Of the whole proceedings of the meet
ing lie in these two words. They mean all
| opponents Of the administration and its Presi-
Dental programme. They were intended to
hit, no doubt, Sumner, Schurz Fenton and
host of other republican leaders who have
dared to show ambition or independence. As
to other matters the resolutions are silent.
But Senator Morton and Colfax, particularly
the former, supplied all that was needed on
political issues. The speeches Of these gen.
tlemen make up the platform of principles or
issues upon which the administration party
intend to 20 before the public.
There is one thing, however, that is not
mentioned-no, not even alluded to either In
the resolutions or speeches-and that is the