New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-11-14
The Nations Edicts.

We have gained the VICTORIAN over
whelming and most glorious victOry-and
now We ask what it means. Such CAM
paign as this decides some things !; for there
has been a thorough canvass, and the people
(Which are very sensible peOple) have de-
liberately expressed Judgment which are its
edcts. Such majority as this, which sweeps
every Northern State, without exception,
even including New York, New Jersey, and
Oregon, which four years ago went for Sey-
mour; and even Southern States which we
had quite despaired of~-such majority is
not to be trihed with. We cannot count it
up now, for as we write the returns have just
begun to come in; but we understand what
il means.
When the Independent put General Grant
in nomination for reelection, nearly a year
and half ago, the measure seemed almost
rash. But we had studied General Grant,
and thought we knew him; and we knew
what had been the solid merits of his admin
istration. His shrewd sense, his honesty,
and, above all, the sound policy of his admin
istration made us tender to overlook some
mistakes of his own or of his advisers; and
every day since June l, 1871, has enhanced
our confidence in the wisdom of our act.
The people have seen Grant as we have seen
him, and in electing him havespublshed some
Those edicts are three-touching the three
questions Of future policy which have been
before the American people:
l. The American people decree that the
rights of the enfranchised negroes must and
shall be preserved. This battle we have
fought through with the sword, never for an
instant shrinking under the darkest dis
couragement. Now that the slaves are free
and enfranchised, we will not allow ourselves
to be cajOled into sleep while maintaining
their rights. The people do not believe
that the Democratic party is honest in its
professions. 1t remembers that the sO-called
New Departure was inauguratcd by Vallan-
digham, the rankest COpperheadin the North,
and avowedly from no principle whatever
beyond the seven principles of the loaves
and the fishes. 1t has seen the Democratic
party uttering lie at Baltimore, in pretend
ing to accept the amendments, though never
acting that lie in one Southern State. Could
Republicans have believed in their honesty,
they would have thanked God and clasped
hands with Democrats. But they have seen
the Georgia election; they know that the
South is ready to disfranchise the blacks, if
possible and they arc bound to protect them
till they are able to protect themselves.
There has been miserable misgovernment in
some Southern States, under Republican
rule. We know that; but it is an incident
which cannot be helped. The remedy is as
local as the evil. The only cure is educa-
ton. If the negroes are ignorant and easily
duped, then give them schools, teach them to
think for themselves. Meanwhile, they must
be protected in their right to act unwisely.
The people have seen with indignation their
old and trusted leader, the Tribune, utterly
msrepresenting the Southern sentiment, and
endeavoring to throw discrcdit upon the laws
which enforce the amendments. The national
edict is that the fourteenth and fifteenth
| amendments shall be a buckler and lash.
2. The American people decree that Pres
ident Grants plan Of civil service shall be
fairly tried. Will politicians please take no.
| tice of this emphatic edict? The politicians
do not believe in it. ColNress does not
| believe in it. But Grant believes in it :;
and, therefore, the people believe in
him. And the people are stronger than
Congress and the politicians, and we warn
members of Congress that, if they sellishly
shrink from giving up their spoils and refuse
| to support the President by appropriate legs-
| lation, they shall have no mercy from us or
from the people. No issue has been more
distinct than this. Grants position was
well known, and so was Greeley's, nOtwith-
standing his evasions. The people knew that
Mr.. Greeley quarreled with Grant for no other
reason than because he was not consulted in
reference to minor political appointments.
1t was an empty quarrel about spoils. 1t
| disguised the President and taught him q
better way; but it taught Horace Greeley
nothing but revenge. Carl Schurz asked
him categorically if he was in favor of civil
service reform and his only answer was that
the one-term principle would secure that-a
falsehood which the slightest consideration
| of Presidential history might correct. Hav-
ing refused to commit himself to Mr.. Schurz,
he readily committed himself by speech and
letter to the Democrats, in so many words,
promising them their share of offices in case
of his election. The people knew that his
election would bury this reform out of sight.
Therefore have they given this edict.
8. The American people decree also that
tho President shall be sustained in his hui
name and Christian Indian policy. Hitherto
the Indians have been shamefully treated by
our Government. We have made treaties
and failed to keep them. We have paid for
the best supplies and sent them the worst.
We have robbed them and murdered them,
and sold their captive children as slaves, and
then been astOnished that they should fight.
/ We have suffered the consequences. The
Sioux war of 1865 withdrew eight thousand
soldiers from the suppression OF the rebel
lion, and cost us over million dollars and
the lives oftwenty white men for every Indian
killed. Now, not over five thousand Indians
are hostile, and they have begun to learn
that the pledges of the United States were
not made to be broken. This has been
Grants own work, his pet measure-a meas
ure which every Greeley paper has ridiculed
and threatened to overthrow. But the Amer
lean people indorse it and decree its con-
; tinuance.
These, we say, have been the main issues,
and on these the contest has turned. The
attempts to divert attention to minor topics
have utterly failed, proving how sensible are