Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1871-12-28
The Futue Of the Republican Party.

The Atlantic Monthly after taking a |
retrospective view of American politics |
fogty years ago compares with our con-
dition thct the state of things at the !
present tine and makes some obscrya-
tons concerning the future of parties
by which one of Senator Conking's |
organs in New York is 50 much offend |
Ell that ii hcads the Atlantic out of the |
party and threatens it with n loss of |
subscriptions. The Atlantic says:
II De Focquevillc were travelling
here now. ic would be struck with the
changes which time has pro luced.
Imagine him in New York, fairly pass
ed through the clutches of the public
servants % Mr.. Thomas Murphy or hi,
successor, and beginning to occupy
himself With the observation Of the
features Of society. IL he entered the
courts he would find justice admins
tered by Barnard aud Cardozo; if he
inquired into the character of the Lcgis-
lature. h. would find that for years its
members had been bought and sold ike
sheep in the market II he asked an
explanation of the charges of fraud aud
robbery filing the air, he would be told
that the absorbing occupation OF the
inhabitants of the principal city of
America was the recovery Of public
f,pll Sf fra.,, !,
they had year after year elected 10y
overwhelming majprltie- 10 govern
them. II he went 10 Pcnnsy lvanla. he
would find the Pennsylvania Railroad.
stretching, like one Of the oil crown
grants. tIom ocean to ocean; buy ing
legislatures, intimida,ing courts. aud
gradually establishing dcsppl.sm Of
wealth on pretencr Of minIsteFing to
publc necessity. Ia the South nc wou.d
hni open plumber The order OF the day,
aud organized violence only suppressed
hy the Intervention Of the military arm.
In the all AGENT island, he would learn
that the United States feet is carryin.
On war with a nation with which the
En- and the career of General Butler
would explain to him Che present con
ditIon of the New England town Ia
Illinois and Indiana, he would learn
something Of the American system OF
divorce. In all these matters hc would
h1d, also, singular unanimIty no
one would question the facts Some
people would laugh al them some
would hcwail them; all would admit
them.
Il DE Tocqueville were living he
would allow that forty years may make
great changes even IN Utopia. Our
ancestors discovered Utopia, lived in
it, mad, themselves happy IN it, and
HWY setr''e', s" ''ts;' ~ .ie eP,.s .'iS
What the inheritance will prove may
he matter OF dispute. but 1t all
events. it j. admitted that IL is not
what it was in their day. We have
already seen what 1t Is, IN some rc-
CARDS, and We may protitably glance at
other aspects OF II.
" 4ishN - ppT4ttoA VI AAit hEiiub4A-
can party. The fall election, were
generally expected TO ,treng hen the
ranks OF the d. mocracv. TAcy have,
Oh the contrary. proved q complete
triumph for the Republicans. Their
immediate effect seems To b" u render
certain the denomination aud reelection
of General Grant. Thee are. II IS
true, a good many influential journals
and good many influential men Of his
own party are now opposed To him.
Neither the Cincinnati CJmm .rcili, njr
the Chicago Tribune, nor the Springfield
Republican, nor the New York Tricune
would be dspleased if General Grant
failed in securing "A denomination. There
are many reasons too, why General
Grants continuance in office would he
regretted by o,her people. As rule,
military men are not the stuff to make
good statesmen for an unmilitary and
commercial society. For the most part
they entertain . professional contempt
for law, even when they a,ow their
loyalty TO it. OF this pecuiiarity Cen
eIal Grants administration has given
AZ least one signal illustration. De-
claring himself firmly opposed to inter-
yentlon in the affairs OF foreign nations,
he has for some time past maintained 4
protectorate OF San Domingo, which
is in reality an Illegal war against
Hayti, carried on in the teeth OF u dis
tlnct provision Of the Constitution.
Again, General Grant seems ignorant
OF the elementary principles Of econom-
ical science TO the extreme of be-
lieving that the chief source of the
wealth Of this country is 10 be found
in the mines Of California. His system
appointments has been unintelligible.
Appointments such as Mr.. Murphy's
and Consul General Butler, are posi-
bic, we see, because commissions have
been issued to them; but how the same
man who appointed Mr.. Murphy and
Consul-General Butler should also have
appointed Mr.. Fish and Judge Hoar is
inexplicable. Besides all this, he has
shown singular want of delicacy, to
say the least, in receiving innummer-
able presents, and indirectly protiting
himself out of government contracts.
To own stock in q commercial enter
prise is one thing, but to own stock in
corporation which is daily making
valuable contracts with the depart
ments at Washington is, for the Presi-
dent of the United States, quite an
other. We do not iInpugn his honesty
He is no doubt innocent of all shares
in the management of the ''adminis-
tration quarry" but such scandal
ought not to be possible.
Nevertheless, he is a better candi-
date than any who is likely to come in
to the field between now and June.
His administration has on the whole
been, from the popular point of view, a
success. He has maintained, if not
order, at least stagnation in the south.
He has, no matter how, reduced the
debt. He has hOnorably settled the