New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-10-17
Political FelO DE Sc.

Political FelO he Sc.
When battle has been won, glance at
the enemy's camp is always interesting, and
though we arc not admitted to the intimacy
of our opponents, it does not require much
derivation to picture to ourselves the dis
couragcraent which must prevail among the
Liberal leaders, since the recent elections
the fourth act in the national drama-have
practically settled the question in respect to
the final result. So decisive is the blow they
have received, that We can well afford to look
at them, not only without sneers, but with
sincere regret, that men with ample powers
to exercise most beneficial influence, should
wantonly and crlminalTy have put an end to
their usefulness by committing political sui
eide. ..s.. ..... .-H..s.s- ..,f
By this time, all the men who engaged in
the attempt of running the Republican party,
must necessarily realize at least the folly Ct
their course. All of them have destroyed
their chances of political success, as far as
the present and the next future are con-
cerned; yet, many of them will so far re-
cover as to be able to appear again on the
public stage. Some will manage to crawl
back among the friends whom they deserted,
while others will Join their affinities in the
Democratic party, where they will rank with
men like the Doolittles, Blairs, Cochranes.
and others, who never were suspected of
carving the troublesome incumbrance of
convictions and principles. There are two
men, however, whose shipwreck is so COM
plete that escape from the doom which they
have brought upon themselves seems utterly
impossible, namely, Horace Greeley and Carl
Schurz.
If it were merely question of victory or
defeat, their fate would be comparatively
easy. Defeat in itself is nothing, provided it
is met with in honorable warfare, while fight
ing at the head or in the ranks of the party
= with which man had previously been identi-
fed. A Democratic victory IN November
would certainly be a terrible blow to Re-
publicanism, productive of immense, meal
culable evil to the whole nation; yet all the
men who are now foremost in the struggle
would come out none the less honorably and
honored, nor would the defeat at all interfere
with their future activity. They would con-
tinue their labors for the cause as the leaders
of powerful party; their political honor
you'd remain intact, and in the next CAM
paign they would be in the field again, UNI
Haunted and energetic, with fair chance OF
winning back the lost ground. Greeley and
Schurz, on the contrary, stand completely
isolated, outside of all party ties, literally
seated between two chairs. Both Of them
occupied highly enviable positions; the one
as chief editor of one of the most influential
papers, was one Of the great powers in the
country, while the other had risen to the
Highest honor that he could possibly reach,
and it seems as if it would have needed but a
moderate average degree Of sagacity and vir-
tue to maintain themselves on their height !;
' yet both fell, Greeley under the influence of
the chronic brain disease, which led him TO
imagine that he could be elected to an Office
for which he is obviously unfit; Schurz actu-
ated by the ambitious desire Of becoming the
founder of new party. Both are victims of
an enormous infatuation, which blinded them
completely in respect to their own import
ance and power, while on the other side they
moderated the sound sense and judgment Of
the people. Horace Greeley labored under
the delusion that with the help of the Tri-
L,ne, he could lead them wherever he pleased,
and Schurz thought himself all but Almighty
among the Germans. They staked a certain
past and present for an uncertain future, and
the game is irretrievably lost. Return to
the Republican party is manifestly impossi-
bic. Ifthey were merely deserters, they might
hope to rcjoin it through back-door, but by
attempting to Stay and stab it treachcrously
from behind, while still protesting to adhere
10 it, they have made reconciliation impossi-
ble 1t is true, there is the Democratic party,
whose arms are, like those of the church,
generally open to all, and which is by no
means exacting in respect to references about
previous good behavior. 1t does not hesitate
to send once in while a prize-fghter or de-
Esulter to Congress, nor does it make any
unnecessary noise about political murder, yet
unexceptiOnable as Messrs. Greeley and
Schurz may be as far as private character Is
concerned, it seems more than questionable if
they would meet with cordial reception.
The Democrats never took pains to conceal
their dislike of Horace Greeley; they even
admitted that they took him up only because
Fhey had been led to believe that with him as
figure head, they might once more obtain
ehtrol of the National Government. With
Them it was a mere experiment, and its utter
allure must be the more CALLING TO them, be-
,ause in order to bring about the fusion, they
pad TO surrender part of their favorite party
Doctrines, and virtually to confess their
weakness and their inability to elect a candi-
late Of their own party. 1t is therefore
uite natural and probable that now enraged