The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-05-24

apostle of our own ,faithP For my part
| acknowledge no theology in politics |
which would deny to Greeley seat In |
the synagogue of Democracy, because
he Is not II "Life Long Democratic To
me IL is most animating and inspiring
spectacle-this last "new departure" at
Cincinnati-to see the friends of Mr..
Greeley acknowledging the failure of
the work of their own hands and pre-
pairing pilgrimage in search of other
gods than Grant!
/ prefer, even at the cost of Mr.. Gree
ley's nomination at Baltimore, to put
the autagonisms of the Radical party
in the most favorable attitude for its
destruction-to set UP Greeley against
Grant and fight it out on that line all
summer.
1t may turn out that all the politi-
clans this side of Tophet can't stop the
impetus of the Greeley movement, and
there are those who believe that Gree.
ley will draw off as many (if not more)
votes from the Democratic ticket,
should that be made without him-as
from the Radical ticket to be put up at
Philadelphia. Without Greeley, and
with Greeley in the field, verify be-
lieve the Democratic party in the next
campaign will be essentially weakened
by the want of many moderate men,
who see, between ultra Democracy and
pure Radicalism, middle path, where
the Cincinnati movement points the
way The very inertness, the bigotry
and political dullness of the Democratic
leaders, in refusing every opportunity
of success, will disgust many followers,
and depress and discourage many of
those who have clung to the party in
the hope that some spirit might ami
mate it, or some event transpire where
by, by regaining power 1t might invest
with usefulness the doctrines the party
processes to espouse.
Now suppose you put Greeley in
nomination at Baltimore, will you do
more than endorse the platform upon
which he stands? Suppose you don't
nominate him, can you fail to say over
again for your man what has already
been said for Greeley at Cincinnati :?
| Can you go farther, or say more? What
man can you put in the field who will
| bring to your cause as many votes :?
But suppose you take another man, are
| not your forces and those of the Liberal
RefOrmers while moving upon the same
stronghold, but without concentration,
liable to be beaten in detail? Suppose
you join forces for this fight, have you
destroyed the identity Of the Demo
cratic party by embracing a powerful
ally and giving him command he has
obtained, at a fair price-even the price
of victory? Have you lost strength,
when your own action has contributed
in such an important measure, to win
the day? Here is strength offered to
you coming from the enemy-an addi-
| nfc fuy g.,
strengthens you, it weakens him. From
what other quarter will you expect such
reinforcement? "Yes, but" whispers
the dubious politician, "the spoils, to
whom shall they belong?" In the first
place, the spoils do not belong to the
rank and file of the voting population,
and the rank and file understand all
| about that. Therefore the rank and file
will be neither encouraged nor cast
down by the good or ill prospect of
spoils, but excited, rather, by the hope
Of victory. In the second place, if the
doctrines you profess are true and hon
est, we shall have less to distribute than
| usual, when the civil service is made to
depend, in a large measure, not upon
party essentially, hut upon honesty, ca
pacity and competitive examinations.
The very evil we are fighting to put
| down is the fearful domination of party
power, the selfish prostitution of public
patronage, which we say and believe is
threatening the very existence of good
government and civil liberty in this
country. We propose to regulate the
| thing differently hereafter, to break
down monopoly in public offices, to de-
stroy the domestic tyranny of politics
il possible, and make the huge machin-
cry of government self-regulating, and
as far as may be, conducted not in the
interest of professional politicians but
for the general good. Greeley's elec-
tion by party, not by tradition identi-
fed with him, would be most fortu-
nate circumstance for the accomplish
ment of such reforms as are needed in
the civil service. But respecting his
liberality in the dispensation of public
patronage, have few fears-fewer than
should have in the instance Of any
other man in the whole country. From
q distant diagnosis of Mr.. Greeley's
character, fancy he will carry into the
White House kindly and generous spi-
rit towards those who, laying aside all
prejudice and ignoring past animosities
reposed, in such crisis, the supreme
confidence of so great trust in him. l
have so profound feeling that Mr..
thing and signalize. his accession as the
master spirit of new era of good feel.
ing, that can imagine even the COM
plexion of his cabinet: Secretary of
State, Charles Francis Adams; Treasu-
ry, S. j. Tilden, or w. s. Groesbeck /;
Attorney General, Lyman Trumbull;
Secretary of War, Geo. B. Mcclellan
| and so on. l can not help thinking
something like this Is to be expected in
Mr.. Greeley's privy council. do not
fancy that the man who bailed JEFF Da-
Wis just to show his good will and kind
ness toward a vanquished foe mot as
Mr.. Voorhees, said the other day, be-
cause he thought nobody else had the
money to do it but himself u can not
believe Greeley would take the Office of
Chief Magistrate at the hands of the
Democratic party and forget from
whence it came-that he would hud-
die together a few boon companions
and "life long" wings or radicals, and
farm out the whole field of ppN'c pat.
ronage to them. AS far as he. from,
Mr.. Greeley'5 peculiar adhereh 8 10 not
constitute a body sufficiently ,,rOpor-
toned in numbers to the democratic
party to warrant the suppOSitiou of his
special exclusiveness in this particular.
Besides, / believe the Sage of Chappa-
qua would consider his political mission
on earth very happily concluded if it
were crowned at length, after so many
years of contention, bya peaceful recon-
ciliation in such cause with his "life
long, opponents. l can not conceive of
a more enchanting picture than such
state OF things presents-a condition of
affairs more appropriate and expressive
of that sincere and earnest effort for Re.
form which has broken the bounds of
party and assumed proportions that
threaten to utterly overwhelm Grants
scheme for retaining the emoluments of
the Presidential Office for four years
more.
If the democratic party was sure to
win without Greeley l could see some
sense in spurning his nomination at
Baltimore. But when you come to esti.
mate the solitary strength. of the par
ty against Grant, his Treasury and his
Post Offices, you will fiud very made
quate showing IN the electoral vote.
Now look at Greeley's chances with the
Democratic nomination: Alabama 8,
California 6, Connecticut 6, Florida g.