New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-09-05
our Predictions INDICATED b.,
Events.

When, nearly two years ago, few men
deserted the Republican party and set out
On the task Of forming new party, they
pretended to be prompted by the highest ant
noblest motives. Republicanism, it was as
serted, had fulfilled its mission it had out
lived itself; new issues had arisen, and grea
reformatory measures were needed, which
the Republican party opposed. 1t had be
come corrupt and rotten tothe very core-we
were toldwith IN enormous display of virtuous
Indignation, that it had become so chief,
through the demoralizing influence of Gen.
Grant, and had to go down to make room fol
new party and new men.
We then, simultaneously with other Re-
publican organs, pointed out the hollowness
of their pretenses, setting forth how the al
legged great reforms which were so vehe
mently demanded, far from being new issues,
conceded entirely with the tendencies of the
Republican party; that, consequently, they
would be carried out better inside than out
side of the party, and, if not adopted earlier.
were certain to be made planks in the next
platform. We demonstrated that the whole
movement, instead of being progressive, bore
rather a retrogressive character, and that
the men who had assumed the part of leaders
were of a material far different from that
out of which great reformers are made; that
far from being possessed of that youthful
enthusiasm, heroism and virtue that are
ready to sacrifice all personal considerations
and interest for the success of great cause
and carry conviction into the minds of the
people they were not even honest fanat-
les, but shrewd politicians, we'll acquainted
with all the ways and means by which poll
tics are made TO promote private interest,
and whose recent refomatory zeal could
easily be traced back to the disappointment
caused by the failure to obtain at the hands
of the Republican Administration such SUBJ
stantial recognition of their merits as they
deemed due to them.
Meanwhile the noise was kept up; never
before had there been such terrible ado
made about purity, honesty, and virtue. 1t
was like the beating Of a gong, just as noisy,
and also quite as hollow, and the eminently
reformatory, progressive, and republican
character of the movement since christened
Liberal Republicanism, was still insisted
upon. particularly by Messrs. Schurz and
Trumbull with degree of ostentation which
alone would have been sufficient to awaken
doubts about the sincerity of their profess
sions.
The course Of events has fully indicated
all our views and predictions. Amnesty,
the original dodge Of the boilers, has been
granted by Republican Congress civil SER
vice reform is one of the planks of our plat
form, and the accession of the worst elements,
the most disreputable characters of the
Democracy to the Liberal party, as we'll as
the desertion of the largest part of the better
men, who had first Joined it in good faith,
have destroyed the last prestige of that
pompous show Of virtue. Under the pres
sure of that army of united Liberals and
Democrats, worthy of Fallstaf's recruits, the
leaders themselves have been compelled to
give up the pretense of reform and progress,
and virtually to conccde that their race, after
all, is one for the spoils. Even their organs,
mouth-pieces, and speaking trumpets, the
Tribune included, have thus far thrown of
the disguise, and properly call themselves
Conservatives" the meanest word of the
English language, according to Henry Will
sons singularly striking definition, and, we
add, of all languages.