New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-10-03
Massachusetts.



Massachusetts i'll now thoroughly understood,
since the members Of that faction have held
q convention, and demonstrated who their
res pcSentative men are, and shown now
sparsely they are distributed i'll their ranks.
When Mr.. Sumner and Gen. Banks formally
renounced their allegiance TO the Republican
party, and the first news of a supposed Dem
ocratic victory in North Carolina came to
hand, the Republicans of Massachusetts were
in peculiar frame of mind. Men wanted
to know in all sections what was coming
next. The Saturday Of that week was
memorable one in political circles, ana in all
political clubs il was known as the &" blue
Saturday. But how the clouds were lifted
on the following Monday, when came the
glorious news Of Republican victory, all
now know. Men who had been inclined 10
believe that there might possibly be a = tidal
waVe' of greater less magnitude, saw
clearly nlud-puddle of the smallest type,
and also that the waters had simply been
stirred as in the past by the Democracy.
From that day to this. the Republican party
in the Old Bay State have been as united, As
firm, and as strong as it ever has been in the
past Within few years there has been
third party in the GubernatOral field on the
labor platform, and twice or more fourth
on the temperance question; and although
both have pOlled a considerable vote, neither
has been able to make any very strong im-
preston on the general result, and the Re-
publican party has invariably been strong
enough to furnish them with file leaders 70
work their machinery without in the least
weakening their own strong columns.
GEN. BANKs' FOLLOWING.
The tai! to Gen. Banks kite is a very
small one. AS charitable politicians phrase
it, Gen. Banks has been title 'faded,' Of
late years, but he never stood better i'll his
party and district than he lid when he told
the Lynn Republicans that his arguments
must be on the other side Of the question.
He would undoubtedly have been renomi-
mated and reelected in that district, but
Low, as a Democrat, lie can hardly be re-
turned. What induced him to join the Gree
ley movement Of course he knows better than
anybody else, and it might be considered I'M
fair 10 impute to him other than impulses of
the Hottest patriotism. That is the phrase
Democrats employ in describing this partiCu-
lar conversion, but the Republicans in his
district take different view Of the matter.
II we take the General on his speeches and
letters, of course we may he allowed to state
simply to what some of his old political
friends ascribe the change. One reason they
give is that the Administration did not show
enough attention to him, and that he thought
Gen. Butler had altogether too much intiu-
ence at court, and that he upset some of his
plans in his district. Another is that he
would have made an excellent Minister to
France, where he would probably be sent if
Mr.. Greeley had any chance of an election.
1t will be remembered that his letter came
out when North Carolina was supposed to
have fell the force Of the great tidal wave rs
shown in the Democratic CD majorities, and
there are many people who express their
private opinion very publicly that he would
| have remained within the fold if it had been
| a week later, and the true returns from
| North Carolina had arrived. Whether this
| be true or not the die is cast, and Gen.
Banks has Joined the Democracy, or as he
puts it, he trains with little party, whose
position reminds him (but very few other
people, Of the carly history of the aGti-s 10
very party. He does not talk very stoutly of
tidal waves, or of success, except in very
vague, ultimate sort of fashion, and such
a shrewd observer as he is must necessarily
have hard work to come within thousand
miles Of predicting Grceley's election. And
SO he talks of party which is to bring in all
sections and all classes Of the people to its
| support at some distant day, such as the
Democratic party never can do. When we
| in Massachusetts hear that a prominent Re-
publican in Ohio or Illinois has declared 70.
Greeley, we naturally suppose that the party
in that State is somewhat demoraliZed anC
when Ohio or Illinois men hear that Sumner
or Banks has gone the same way, they
naturally suppose our foundations arr
shaken; but the reverse is true of our cOnd
ton, and doubtless is of theirs. Mr.. sum
ner's Republican followers are more numer
Gus than those of Gen. Banks-''if numer.
ous' can possibly be used in this connection
but each practically stands alone, with very
little save partially divided Democracy be
hind. In years gone by in political contests
1 have heard it remarked that many Demo
Gratis would vote for the State or natiOna
Republican nominees, but when they went t.
the polls they voted as usual on the other
side. And generally the statement has
amounted to Just that. But now Democrats
have publicly renOunced the Cincinnati and
Baltimore nominations, and come out square
" for Grant, and there is no mistake in the
matter. In one or two instances they have
spoken on the stump, and been Kissed BY
| their old associates, and so FAR as ANYBODY
can ascertain by straws, there are Just abou:
as many Democrats who will vote for Grant
Or not at all, as there are Republicans WHO
Will vote for Greeley.
Whether Gen. Banks will run or not in the
new Fifth District does not appear to be def
nitcly known. Mr.. Gooch, who was hi.
! predecessor, ana Is very popular IN the dis
trict, is the Republican nominee. The fight
in this State will undoubtedly be in that lis
trict, but Mr.. Gooch's election is certain
Judging from the condition of the party ant
the reports from all parts Of the district
THE LIBERAL PROSPECTS.
The Liberal prospects are about as prom
ising as those OF the Democratic party have
been at any time these ten years back We
hear now and then of thirty-five Thousand
Liberal Republican votes in Massachusetts
You might as well look for thirty-iive thous
and apples on crab-applc tree. If they
poll ten thousand their leaders will be agree
ably disappointed, and if they poll six they
will do full IS well as any sane politician eX
poets Of them. Mr.. Bird, of Walpole, i;
their strongest man and best organizer. Hs
lacks in this fight the troops which have beer
with him heretofore, and he is in much the
same condition Grant would have been if he
had been obliged to face Lees army with six
or seven hundred of our invalid corps at his
back. There could in that case have been
but one result, and that would have been
complete defeat. AS for the Liberal Con.
venton it was enthusiastic, to be sure but
It's enthusiasm reminded an on-looker most
forciblv of the boy who was accustomed 10
| whi5tling to keep his courage up when he