Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-11-15

pLcU-. a c HctuTllS, dS IElcy are received,
only record low overwhelming is the Lib
'eral defeat. 1t is without pan allel And
how strange!
Four years ago, when the country had
very re. emily emerged from a greaS civil
war; when the prcjudices and passions of
the strift: we've ranking in the hearts of
the people, and is wounds were still bleed
ing, the political party claiming to repre-
sent the coIqucrOIS, put forward the great
hero Cf the " ar rs their Presidential candi-
date.
On the other hand, the Democratic party
went into the contest under the charge OF
opposition to the war; saddled certainly
with tie synpatlies ofthe defeated "rebels' :;
in violent opposition - the reconstruction
measures" Of Congress; AMI under lead
er, who, if he had not been peace Demo
crat, had, as Governor OF New York,
tEwartcd some of the tyrannical measures
of the Federal Administration. And, too
the candidate !or Vice President, upon the
eve of his nomination, had declared his
will t. oppose, with arms if necessary, the
Radical encroaclments upon the rights Of
the States and tAe liberties Of the people.
Under all these fortoiitous circumstances,
and with the absolute certainty that their
cause was hopeless, the Democratic party
was defeated only three hundred thousand,
in a total of more than five and half mil
Ions of votes.
h0un alorcnH Cinoo fIo1
prcjudices and passions Of the war should
E0te assuaged, its wounds shOu!t, Je heal
ed. 1t is time that the "peace" angel of
the conquering general should, at least,
slow the tips Of her White wings. The
hero soldier had dwindled down to an ordi-
nary, commonplace, gift-takirg, horse
racing President, and his infirmities of ap-
petite and taste showed him to be ''no
better than lie ought to be-" Puritanic
New England, which Lad fallen down in
Nicksburg and AppomattoX, had turned,
shudGering, from the hdJi'ue of the tip
ping shops and race course of Long
Branch. His party and the country re-
coenizcd in the successful soldier the
unsuccessful civilian. Under these circun-
stances General Grant was renominated
Tor the Presi ency.
On the other hand, the Democratic par
ty had accepted the situation.' Its plat
form recognized the "rccons truction acts"
as the law ct the land. Nay, more, it
showed its faith by its works. Uniting
with the foremost leaders of the Republi-
can party, who had been driven from its
ranks by its disregard of the Constitution
upon the liberties Of the people, the Dem
ocratic party pronounced in favor of life
long opponent, for many years the most
able leader Of his party.
With Horace Greeley for President, the
allied forces of the Democracy and the
Reform Republicans went into the late
contest with Reconciliation and Purifica-
tion as the battle cry. And behold the
result.
Defeat! Rout! Disaster! Not hotly
contested. Not 10y three hundred thousand
voles. Six, seven, eight hundred thou
sand, probably million Of votes is the
drcary record which the telegraph and
mails are daily scoring in our columns.
And why?
Can it be said that Greeley, and Summer
a al Trumbull, and Curtin, and Schlrz
aud Banks, and Palmer, and thousand
other Republican leaders, embracing most
of the brain and character of the party, are
merely political sOre-hcads, without caUst
! for their quarrel with, and their separation
! fiOm, their party? Can it be that thei
grave apprehcnsiOns for the safety Of The
| country are naught but the idle echoes o
! disappointed ambitious Men DO not ordi
narily sacrifice positions in the United State
! Senate do not abandon For leign Mis-
! siOns; do not retire from GubcrnatO1ia
chairs, for the sake of silly and profitles
quarrel with their President and party.
Or can it be that these men do really ap
plehend danger? do see tendency in thei
party to uproot and destroy the foundation
Of civil governm m9nt? And if so, why sucl
a paltry following? Yesterday the mos
careless exp ession of Sumner and Bank
was the accepted doctrine of the rulin
party in Massachusetts. y Yesterday Cul
tins name was the synonym of patriot
ism and popularity i'll Pennsylvania. Yes
terday the hundreds Of thousands Of SO
diers from Illinois, who followed Palmer t
victory, placed him triumphantly in til
Chair of State. To-day their influence
gone, their voices unheard their warning
disregarded and derided. And why?
Is political Republicnnism more populs
row than four years ago? Has Presidel
Grant achieved victories more renoWne
than did General Grant?
, The Northern people want peace, {
f they declare. And just here was the fat
mistake made by the Liberals. They
not want any % shaking of hands across tt
{ bloody chasm' with "rebels" They wal
| restoration indeed, but not recorcliato
: Restoration pays taxes, produces revenue
t restores commerce. Reconciliation is
J. barren, Improbable sentiment, and wi
a whipped " rebels" it is too trying for 10y
nerves.
The dog-kennel, the horse-stablc, t
: e-course, the tipplng-shopS, have Il
u been regarded by the pious Moth,
S altogether suitable resorts for the "he
d of the nation," nor has cigar smoking a
II whiskey-drinking been thought to be
:, chief aim of the President. But tn
!, amnesty tG the South, reconciliation vi
d "rebels," bloody spectels of a new