The New York herald., 1871-04-13

true, and would like to hear no more Of the
war; bat popular prejudioss. sympathies or
Ideas growing out of such . stupendous event
are not soon removed, and adroit politicians
know how to pander to these to serve their
own purpose. The republican party, which
rode into power and has held It
over ten years on tho war issues, has cum
ningly kept them alive. Whatever trouble
exists In the South to-day has been mainly
fomented by the radicals for political and
personal ends. The sjmirable letter Of the
republican Governor Of Mississippi J. L.
Alcorn. to the radical organ Of this city on
the pretended disorders In his State, and
abundance Of other reliable evidence, show,
beyond oil question, that the war issues, or
feelings arising out Of them, are kept alive
chiefly by Northern radical politicians. Much
as We deplore and condemn this, It ID fact
that must tell in the North and coming Presl-
dential election. General Grant, then, having
bsen the prominent figure in the war, and
representing more than any other the war
issue, he must be the radical candidate. Say
he is not q statesman-that he has none Of
the elements of statesman in him-still, by
bis military ability, In combination with favor
able circumstances, he conquered the rebel
lion and stands pre-eminently the representa-
tive man Of that conflict and closing event.
We conclude, therefore, that he will
be the radical candidate, and that
unless an extraordinary change takes
place 10 the political situation he will be
elected. The rivalry Of political chiefs, the
growing vast and varied interests Of the
country and public sentiment, will operate,
probably, to make his reelection, should he
be reelected, the last one of any President.
The time is past for two-term Presidents were
1t not for the remarkable state of political
affairs just now and the exceptional position
of General Grant
Fortunately for him and his party the demo-
Gratis are acting unwisely. Apart from the
war issues and what can be cunningly manu-
factured out of them by the republicans to
prejudice the public mind, there is no doubt
that the country is democratic at heart.
There is always q tendency to return to demo-
cratic policy, and this has been seen to some
extent in the elections of late; but the Union,
the cause for which the war was fought, and
the results Of the war, are dear to the mass of
the people. The amendments to the constitu-
tion, however, were carried, and the political
rights of the negroes are accepted by large
majority of the people as 6ual settlement.
Any intimation on the part Of democrats,
though it may be from few men only
who do not represent the mass of the party,
alarms the conservatives and throws those
who would otherwise 60 with the democrats
into the arms Of the radical republicans.
Where the public mind is so sensitive little
things are magnifed into great ones. The
imprudent speeches Of Frank Blair, the utter
ances Of JEFF Davis and other similar o!rcum-
stances prove damaging to the democratic
party, though that party, as body, is not re-
sponsible. Then, many of the old generation
of Southern fre-eaters and extreme State
rights theorists are still alive to embarrass
the democrats and to damage their prospects.
These men are like the old Bourbons-they
never forget and never learn anything. Ex-
perience u lost on them. This generation will
have to die out, probably, before the political
dogmas which the war virtually destroyed
win be forgotten in the South. 1t is to be
feared, indeed, that these old State
rights Southerners will continue to
damage the democratic party, will
enter the National Convention with their i'm
practicable ideas, and will undo the work
which many Of the more liberal Northern
democrats are doing. Nor has the democratic
party in the Northern States come up to the
expectations or the proper wants of the coun-
try. In the great State Of New York their
views ore narrowed down to local issues and
the spoils of Office. Through this and the
divisions and rivalries among themselves their
situation is becoming precarious. Evidence
Of this is seen In the condition OF affairs at
Albany just now, where party trading in poll
tics, troubles and the expulsion of one men,
ber threaten to stop important legislation. If
the democrats would succeed they must har-
monize, drop wornout and obnoxious issues,
both SOUTH and North, and inaugurate new.
comprehensive end progressive policy. With
out this they will not only fail in 1872, but
may never reach that land Of promise-she
control of the federal government and patron
age-from which they have been cut of for
the last ten years.
The Civil War in France.
It is worthy of notice that although the
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