Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-05-02

Sizes everywhere OF alp the results OF the
great struggle-a forgetting of the things
| that are behind and reaching forward
to those that are before. Blessed will
be that day when there shall..be return
! of fraternal feeling and mutual good
| will-when the determination of the peo-
| pie shall be as cordial and complete as
the war was bitter and terrible!
We must all pray for that day. 1t
has not come yet. 1t will never come
except by a steady persistent Govern
ment of the nation, in the line which
shuts out all revival of the old issues,
and all possibility of revival; until, so
far as the legitimate and logical results
of the war are concerned, all, by what
sOever name called, shall become in fact
| Republicans. There must be no turn
ing to the right nor to the left by the
/ Old Guard, until the old conflict is all
gone.
This is the sentiment and will of the
people. The Democracy of Connect
cut and New Hampshire may put them
selves onperfectly acceptable platforms,
may present most excellent and popu-
lar candidates but victory is not with
them. The people do not believe in the
sincerity of such leadership in the
Democracy, nor in the conversion of the
rank and file. They know that the di-
vision between the Republican and
! Democratic parties was founded upon
absolutely irrecOncilable views Of the
nature of government and human rights.
There was great gulf between the i'll
dustries and theories, and life and con
science of these two parties. The two
sides were tested in the gage Of battle
The formal acquiescence in the defeat
does not eradicate the difference.
Simply saying by-gones shall be by
cones, does not make it so. That does
not take away the old partisan, obstruc-
| tive, Bourbon spirit. And when the
| Democratic party says so only in GER
| tain localities, and, even where it does
say so has it's sincerity somewhat
! doubted, who is audaciOus enough to
! think that to the keeping of that party,
with its bad history as bad as it can be,
! the people, whose memories are fresh
with the burdens and blood of the war,
will commit the precious interests of the
Republic?
The thing is not possible. The De-
mOcracy knows it is not possible. And
while do moi underrate the power Of
that party, its passion and wealth, its
able men and anxiety for control, be
lieve in my heart it has no hope, by it.
self, of getting possession of the govern
ment.
Where. then lies the danger, if any
there be? Right within the Republican
| lines. Outside of those lines. and bar
ring all aid from within, there is not an
enemy that can begin to stand up in the
coming Presidential struggle.
Why is there danger in that direction
and what is its extent? There are Re-
publicans, some of whom have been in
the very. front of the party in all its
grand career, who declare the present
administration so unsatisfactory in
many of its personal and practical fea-
lures. that they insist it shall not be con-
tinued through another term of four
years. These men have their followers
some who are conscientious, some who
are selfish, and some who are malC0ntentS
generally. Unwilling. to let the ques-
ton be decided by the representative
| Republicans to be assembled at Philadcl-
phia, and determined apparently in adj
vance, not to abide by its decision, they
seek to start new party, and for that pur
pose meet in Convention, at Cincinnati.
to-day. | am not one of those who
think they gather there to be satisfied
with emphatic declarations of complaints
against the Administration, and patrO-
tic acquisitions on the Philadelphia
Convention, in the hope and attempt to
exert a moral influence on it, and so lift
up its platforms and candidates. If
that was their purpose whatever views
might be entertained of the need Of tlI.
Convention, it would command respect
Everybody then might make a pilgrim
age to Cincinnati.
For who of us does not sympathiZe
with every movement, which, ia the line
of safety, seeks to lift up the politics of
the nation to the level of the wisest sense
and the best interests of the American
people? Who of us says it is not right
to inaugurate reforms in the party-not
right to seize every opportunity to rein
vigOratc it ? Who objects to honest
criticism of his party? For one, not |.
The Republican party needs it. Every
party has needed it, and every party Will
need it, And that member of the party
who claims it to be perfection, and is
reckless of the good name of those who
do not agree with him, may be honest,
but certainly is not wise.
But while we recognize the propricty
and the need of criticizing freely the
shortcomings of the party and its adj
ministratiOn. of stirring them up on
many points, of shicldingno officer from
the most rigid scrutiny. of inspiring the
whole party to an elevation and purif-
cation of policy, we insist all this should
be done kindly, and not destructivcly.
No party can be absolutely pure Per
fiction in this world is a dream There
will always be dissatistactiOns and gritv-
anccs, and some just causes of com
plant in every political organizations
But for these it is not to be disintcgratrd
and destroyed.
If the Republican party, with all the
legaCies left to it by the War-Of tXtrav-
agance, Of sectional and party prejudice,
Of abuse of authority and lawlcSSnrss.
with all the burdens laid on it of recon-
structiOn and debt, and foreign compli-
cations, has not come clear up to its
aims, is it therefore to 20 to the wall?
Are we, for instance, to give up the Re
publican party because unworthy men.
under its sacred name, have carpet-bag-
ged some of the State governments down
South and afflicted them with misrule
If shOddy-and that is what it is-did
not drive us ont of the party during the
war, shall it do so now, or shall we drive
it out? And if the standard of Civil
Service is not what we would wish it to
be; if Civil Service Rcform-the lifting
up of the offices of the country from
party to capacity slow: is that
reason for disbanding the party? Or is
it a reason that there is not unanimitv
as to the time when general amnesty
shall be proclaimed? Still more, shall
we be ready to let this party go, because
of differences of opinion as to who shall
fill its chief offices? Take anything and
everything charged upon the adminstra-
ton by the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of
personal power perversion of authority
lowness of tOne-if remedy is needed.
does it not lie right among the Republi-
cans themselves?
Does anybody for a moment doubt
the substantial wisdom and honesty of
this great party, sanctitied by so much
blood and co TOnas I