The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-10-26
THE STORY OE CINCINNATI,
From Harper's Weekly.

iho sPeeoh VI hT. SHafloS FRANCIS
Adams, Jr., at Quincy, is interesting and
valuable as the view Of an original and
sincere "Cincinnati man." Indeed. Mr..
Adams says that he drew the original reso-
luton which finally, although in another
form, assembled the Cincinnati Convention
in May. The story is very simple and very
instructive. A certain number of gentle
men, some of them editors of conspicuous
journals, among which were the New York
ECening Post and Nation, the Springfield
Republican, the Chicago Tribune, the Gin
cinnati Commercial, and the st. Louis DEM
oorat, were of opinion that the Republican
Administration had fallen under the absolute
control of dishonest politicians, and that
the administration of General Grant was
of ga low tone" They considered the
issues of the last fifteen years finally set
tied, and thought that decentralization,
civil service reform, and free trade were
not really the paramount questions. They
further believed that large numbers of
Republicans and Democrats were of the
same opinion, and that they would gladly
withdraw from their party organizations
and form new party. This was the con-
viction Of Mr.. Schurz year ago, and he
declared at Nashville that the time had
come to form such party.
We think that we understood this view
at that time as we do now. 1t was held
by some honest and patriotic men with
whom many of the best Republicans had
been in the habit of the closest sympathy.
But the leaders of the movement all seem
to us habitually to disregard the force of
feeling, or of what we may call the power
of Imagination, on politics, which is never
so active and influential as after such
civil cOnvulsion as we have seen. To de-
ride this element, or to disregard it, is to
make a fatal mistake. Politics is an art
quite as much as a science, and he who
would truly serve the State must not for
get it. The failure to perceive this led to
another blunder. This was huge mis-
calculation of the extent, the force, and
the character of Republican dissatisfaction.
The Republican party is largely composed
of those who do not hesitate to grumble
and criticise their own party action, but
who know the necessity of party admins
tration under our system, and therefore
consider the practical question to be gen.
orally a simple alternative, as it is now.
And once more, all these gentlemen made
the further immense mistake of supposing
that on the eve of Presidential election,
when there were two great. historic, fully
organized parties, they could be destroyed
by the improvisation of third party.
Nevertheless, holding the views that we
have described, the gentlemen called the
Cincinnati Convention. That they were,
however, afraid to trust the logic of their
position was evident from the fact that
they excluded Democrats. The movement
thus became an attempt to supersede the
regular organization of the Republican
party. 1t was said that they meant only
to warn the Philadelphia Convention. But
evidently if Cincinnati had been able to
dictate the Philadelphia action, it would
have shown that it was the master of the
party. Mr.. Adams sympathized with the
convention. but did not personally attend
it, because his father had been prominent
ly named as candidate. His sincere as
sociates were all there; and Mr.. Bird, of
Massachusetts, was there, a bitter foe of
the elder Mr.. Adams. The speech of Mr..
Schurz the platform, the hope Of the bet
ter men in the convention. all pointed to
the nomination of Mr.. Adams. But Mr..
Bird and four or five of his associates voted
steadily against him, so that his own State
was not unanimous for him. This fact
was the hope of the bummers and buccan-
GERS who had come to capture the conven-
ton; and at the proper moment, under the
of Gratz Brown and General
Blair, they raised their yell, and shouted
so steadily and vociferously that the Sonth-
ern States, surprising the tide had turned,
and anxious only for success hastily "tum-
bled i'm one after another, and thus Horace
Greeley was nominated as the candidate of
.'reform," and the rump of the Tammany
Ring was the first to salute him.
The nomination of Mr. Greeley was the
proof that the sincere effort Of the conven-
ton had failed. 1t has been asked what
mattered who was the candidate, since the
platform was prepared, and those interest
ed were present? The answer is evident.
The character of the candidate was the
evidence of the sincerity of the movement.
The nomination of Mr.. Adams would have
shown that the convention was controlled
by its honest authors. The nomination of
Mr.. Greeley showed that it had been cap
tured. The honest members We're Oppos-
ed to Capitalization, protection, and the
spoils system. Mr.. Greeley is the apostle
of protection, the advocate of what is called
GENERALIZATION. The movement which had
produced the convention, and the instant
it adjourned everybody knew that the sole
chance of success of its action depended
upon the support of the Democratic party.
ms again, reVeale1 ,le scoPe anu lehu en-
cy OF the ACTON WHEN lia,t oaPtuleu sno
coh'eh.ion' ~! "o VIZ, On oous
even OF those oriSiI"i Sihcinnali men Milo
still advocate MI. ufeeley eiec'ioh.thae
the Democratic party Is " parry vi reform
when that party III us regular coii'eh'loh,
adopted linclnna'', tne cholce Decame
what " mas SInce lelilaIiieo-. onolce pe,
tween the oid Deihocra'ic oiSaIiZalioh anu
the hepuDhcah party ana lhevltaply !he
CINCINNATI men VINO SUN ciihs 10 the I'M
posture are opilSeo 10 say tllat Iie Deln-
ecratlc party Is coh'erleo' aI when assef-
ton the Democrats roar , WIN ueri S.
MIR. Adams ana not oeiieVe inc Democl,,
ic party to be one Oh REFORM or ne would
have supported III anu woulu no' nave iav-
ored the C'ncinnati movement. ne evil
dentiy does not lllhk tiiaI ~ n'S oeoomo
such party oy nominating MI. "ieeley.
10 hlm ana the sincere olhciillia1i men inc
platform was lmpoi tah' only as tne mani an
festo OF those VINO were oeiiiIu II. nc
nomination ol MI. uleeiGs sno"eu .il.II
gehtleheh iike "eua'oi ren1on, J penei"i
j. Socnr'he' Eoi' AieA"n 'i.:l: ~ Hlooiu.e'
anu oohei MS,l-Nno"h Pci'''Si'"'' "''o oo
Nv, NJ. did ho 500 onv nrnmise Of ,sf,rn, Of