The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-11-24
PRESIDENTIAL PROSPECTS.
The Drin of Public Opinion.

IWllblGhl pulIp buSbA NuCa1 VILE hAll tllS
other lOses-One goes up and the Othel
down. But the political situatiOni In AmeTi
ca seems 10 forecast the simultRneOu!
downfall oil the Democratic and RGpubli
can parties, The signs Of the times poin
to new political Organization which shall
marshal into It's Victorious phalanX the
better elements Of both the existing par.
ties. Nor Is there lack of evidence thai
this great result may be so speedily &C
COmplished as to dictate the fate Of nexl
years presidential election.
The lavorite pastime Of Napoleon at st.
Helena was 10 convince himself how he
might have won the battle at Waterloo.
In like manner, the leading intelleCts Of
the Democratic party now sec that II in
stead of having nominated Horatio Sey-
mOur three years ago, they had taken
Chief Justice Chase, they would have como
out Of the battle not with defeat but vic
tory. We are not complete master Of the
philosophy ofwhat might have been, "
but we have steadfastly believed that
Chief Justice Chase, as standard. bearer Of
tho Democratic nomination, would have
beaten General Grant. .l.t. 80
And it Is just as easy to beat President
Grant In 1879 as Il would have been In
1868. But, the Democratic party cannot
do ii by nominating d Democrat That
plan tried then, and failed. Tried again,
il will fall again. But II the Democratic
party should nominate some such states
man as Charles sumner, and put under
his feet some such platform as Sthe new
departure" II would sweep the field
next fall. We do not say that the Demo.
cratic party tOM do this. Dutil they WOukl
do this, American history would close
President Grants enthusiastically one
term. Hl.
We have said that the two great parties
appear u lie going into decline together,
and now COniblnation 10 destined N arise
out Of the twain. II anybody thinks that
the recent victory over Tammany Hall
seems 10 give promise Of Republican as.
CCndAncy, we answer that no honest Re.
publican claims that this VictoTy-WhiCh
Charles 0'UonnOr, Samuel J. Tflden, HO-
ratio Seymour, and other leading Demo-
Gratis helped the Republicans to VIM
was in any just sense Republican tri.
umph. 1t was the peoples verdict against
frauds and their perpetrators; and their
Judgment would have been rendered
with equal anger and fro had the four
chiefs OF Tammany been Republicans
instead OF Democrats. And as the better
class Of Democrats have combined with
tho better class Of Republicans with such
fine effect in single city and State, the
question naturally occurs 10 them, why
can they not as readily and advantageous.
ly combine in the next Presidential con-
teSt2 All the Democratic and half the
Republican party would prefer new ma.
tOnal administration next year, rather
than repetition OF tho old. They can
accomplish their desire by unity OF CT.
fort. What Is a possible plant
The opening Of Congress will find
large number Of leading statesmen OF both
parties within eonsultatiOn.reach Of one
another in Washington. Let this number
be augmented by the presence OF some
other lCadcrs-for instance, governors,
editors, and prominent citizens. Let q
free conference be held-friendly and con-
slcrato II such men rs Charles Sumner,
Carl SChurz, and Lyman Trumbull cannot
combine with such Democrats as arc zeal.
Olsly in favor Of "tho new depatture,"
then we have mistaken the temper Of
these statesmen. AS 10 q, nomination to
confront Grants, Horace Greeley's name
Is the best one that we know OF to rally
around. Never since we invented" him
have we had occasion to feel other than
pleased with our success In introducing
this invention" TO the favorable notice OF
the world. II Horace Greeley had been
son Of ours, we would have brought
him up to pay little more respect for the
rights of his sisters. But with all his
faults, we love him still. And his nomi-
nation by joint convention Of Republi-
cans and Democrats would put happy
end to all President Grants ambitious
hopes of continuance In the great office
in which he has done nothing but oil and
smoke.
There nre two kinds Of Grant nen who
will soon desert the Presidents failing
fortunes; one Is the Schuyler ColIax type,
who never do brave act In politics, and
who make heightened expedienCy the
supreme rule OF political action; and tho
other the Gen. Butler type, who bear n
long time with an abuse like slavery, or
an incompetent President-And who then
awake, arise, and work like giants, with
the sai but heroic recollection that they
have been losing precious time, and must
do something to redeem themselves. Gen.
Butler and Schuyler Colfax have 70.
Ceived too much kindness from the Amer.
lean people to make 1t other than ingrAti.
tude in these two men TO join their Oppo.
site temperaments into united wish to
saddle this nation four years more with o
Presidency which has been nothing more
than calm and harmless blunder--a Sc.
rene and unmemorable mediOcrlty-irom
the beginning till now. The party Of re-
form wants Mr.. Colfax and Gen. Butler
and II wants them now. And the same
too, OF Speaker Blaine.
THE SHAPE OF THR OPPOSITION.
From the Cincinnati Commercial.
The opposition TO the present Admins
tratiOn Is lragmentary and inCoherent. II
includes an old party broken down by the
weight Of It's own sins and inhrmities, and
fragments Of the Republican organization
drifting about in the. sea Of politics like
the floating islands which travellers report
TO have seen in Lropic waters, with . mo
ton 80 uncertain that II is impossible tc
say whether the detachment iftn the
main land is final or temporary.
There has never been time since the
war when there was 30 much political
drtllingas now, with no apparent tenden
cy in any one direction. The winds o.
opposition blow from all points, and w
hear the sound thereof, but there is nj
steady, strong gale, no setting Of the cur
rent toward any quarter It's apparent
yNhelplGss, aimless floating about o.
insular individualisms, which no sOonei
approach than they repel each other. !
There be common antagonism to the Ad