The New York herald., 1871-10-14

the New Departure fer the Dssscracy.
The democratic managing politicians are
soreIy discouraged "a Es!sEsaqs e !hs PEssj
dental succession. Siooe the April Connecti-
cut election, which drove them to their 'snew
departure" they have suffered many heavy
misfortunes, growing worse and worse, to the
September elections in Maine and California,
and thence to the recent October elections
In Pennsylvanis and Ohio. They were some
what demoralised by the bitter prescription Of
the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments; they
were seriously damaged by the question OF
civil rights involved In the July Orange pro-
cessiou, and by the bloody riot attending 1t;
but Tammany is the Jonah on board that has
thrown the whole crew into CONSERVATION and
confusion, causing the party ship to drift on
her beam ends among the breakers. In this
lamentable condition It may well be asked.
Where is the man and what Is the course
whereby the party may be saved and brought
into hopeful condition and position for the
great and momentous battle Of 1879?
But who can answer this question: We do
not know. We do know, however, that some
thing must be done to put the democracy on
another ''new departure" for are they not
drifting to the fate of the old federal party and
the old whig partyp In March last, after the
New Hampshire election, democratic Presi-
dental stock suddenly ran up almos. to par,
and democratic candidates for the White
House were trotted out on all sides-Hoffman
in New York, English in Connecticut, Han
cock in Pennsylvania, Pendleton in Ohio,
Hendricks in Indiana, Gratz Brown in Mis-
souri,, and so on, all competing for the inside
track. Had not JEFF Davis trotted himself
out In Alabama at the same time as the great
Eclipse Of the Southern confederacy the fun
might have lasted all summer but the ap-
partition Of JEFF spoiled the sport at once. and
one by one the democratic racers were with
drawn into the background until only Hon
bricks, Hancock and Chief Justice Chase were
visible to the naked eye. We did think for
while that we had secured the very man Of
all men for the democrats In General Sher-
man; but his letter from the ''Comanche
Reservation" came upon us like wet blanket
and we were all at sea again.
Now, what is the democratic situation?
Connecticut has laid out English, Pennsyl-
vania has fanked Hancock, Ohio has swamped
Pendleton, and Tammany has disgusted and
Holman, Hendricks, Gratz
Brown and all the rest. In this emergency it
is rumored that Hendricks and other leaders
Of the party have been putting their heads
together upon the proposition of new depar-
iure, not as the democratic party, but as
the Constitutional Union party, or some
thing Of that sort with Judge Davis, of |
the United Yates Supreme Court, |
as their standard bearer. The idea is |
that Judge Davis will draw to this new move
mcnt large body of the conservative republic
cans, and that with these accessions aud the
floating vote of the country the democrats may
prove more than . match for General Grant
as the radical republican candidate. Now,
there may be something in this reported move
ment; but if it is really under discussion
among the democratic leaders it means that
they are considering the expediency of dis
banding the old party and of organizing new
one out and out, even for the Presidential
campaign of next autumn.
And why not? Has not this present demo-
cratic party since 1860, as the anti-war or
peace party, gone through the same experience
as that of the old federal peace party from
1912 to 1920? Itbas. Secondly-Do what you
may as the democratic party, viii not the
odium of Tammany Hall stick to the party and
keep it down for years to come from Maine to
roy.f hot
then, is left to the democracy than the aban-
donment Of their present organization, name,
ear marks, trade marks and all, and the organi-
zation Of q new partys They can do nothing
better than this. for, with Q new name and upon
a new platform, liberal enough and broad
rials of the country, conservative republicans,
radical republicans, free trade republicans,
labor reformers, women's rights women and
men and the Southern blacks, en- masse, they
may sweep the country. Thus all the political
elements opposed to General Grant may be
consolidated, and thus the opposition will be
enabled to fight him and his party on equal
ground, completely relieved of all the doings
Of the democratic party during the war and
since the war and from all the doings of Tam
many Hall. A new party, thus as completely
detached from the democratic peace party of
the war and from Tammany as the republican
party, is, in short, the true game Of the demo-
cratic leaders.
By this movement the republican camp may
be fearfuly cut up even in 1872. Sumner
and his devoted followers Greeley, Fenton
and all their host Of disappointed Office
seekers; Trumbull aud Logan, Of Illinois, and
their disciples Gratz Brown and Carl
Schurz, in Missouri, and their retainers, and
all the legion Of disaffected republicans who
have drawn blanks in General Grants lottery