Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-04-03
about Republicans and the Cincinnati
Movement.
Correspondence of the Cincinnati Gazette
WASHINGTON. March 81


WASHINGTON, March 81.
The recent furry here over the question
whether certain web known republicans are or
are not in favor of the Cincinnati convention
has served to make one or two points pretty
plain.
While there are very considerable number
of republicans in full standing who do not de-
sire the denomination of General Grant, they
will support him earnestly if he is again chosen
as the candidate. 1t would probably not be an
eXaggeration to designate this class as a very
large one. 1t numbers many men whose claim
to high standing in the party can NOT be queS-
toned. But none have cared to assume the re-
sponsibility OF open opposition, lest they should
be regarded as giving aid to the common enemy.
And so they have conented themselves for the
most part in cOnining their real opinions to
their private conversations, till at length the
opposition to Grant inside the party having
failed to cryStaliZe, they look upon his renOm-
inatOn at Philadelphia as certain, and their
mind is made up TO support the party rather
than risk the incoming OF democratic iOOd
through any movement made in the name oil re-
form.
If, when Senator Upton visited Cincinnati, iu-
stead of naming prominent republicans whom
he supposed 10 be in sympathy with the liberal
movement he had named those here who do not
really desire Grants denomination, he could
have paraded long and influential list and one
that would not have met with as prompt a de-
Hldi as tllu LUt slOlJ IOli he presented. t1ut
when he began to pick out republicans who were
about to leave the party because Grant was to
be nominated by it, he was treading on very diff
ferent ground.
The fact is that just at present there is very
well defined feeling of disgust against the lead
erS OF the Cincinnati movement, whoever they
may be, on the part OF those republicans who do
| not desire the nomination of Grant These lat
| ter see the regular convention just at hand, and
| as yet the Cincinnati movement wholly unorgan-
| lied, or worse, in utter confusion. They see no
| head, no directing forces, no signs of the work
| ing of men who by the character of their work
| proclaim themselves fitted for controlling ma
| tional affairs. For fully two months now they
| have been promised that in due time important
| Developments would be made; that new call
| signed by thousands in all parts of the country
| would soon see the light, and by the weight Of
| these names alone would, in fact trans er the
republican party from Philadelphia to Cincin-
| natl; that the movement would be purely repub-
| hcan, and the nominees men in full standing
with the party. But instead of this, delegations
are announced in various parts Of the south and
west that of themselves would kill any respect.
| able political movement, and those who are
| questioned about il here reply, that in a great
| national movement designed TO rescue the coun-
try IN its day OF peril no assistance must be re-
fused, but on the contrary the aid of all dsaffect
| ed elements must be actively invoked.
This promise to the republican ear has
.
which was fixing itself on Cincinnati This ee-
ment had just begun to think that if the liberal
| republicans would decide to be very cOnserva-
| tive, and make such nominations as GOOD demo
Gratis could support and feel that they were really
democrats still, after all, upon the principle that
halt loaf was better than no bread, it would
be wiser to lie low, Just for once, in expectation
OF partial meal at next years political feast.
Now these democrats say that if the great re-
form at Cincinnati is to be purely republican, it
is movement in which they cannot engage.
Besides, if there are two republican tickets the
chance will he excellent for the success of the
democracy unaoyed, and so the best play will
be to wait till the republican family has formal
ly parted company, and then come upon the
scene with the regular democratic candidates.
And so it has come to pass that the large num-
| Der OF republicans who were looking to the
| Cincinnati movement for some practical aid in
| bringing about change III nomination are now
| ready to turn upon that movement angrily and
| denounce its leaders for having let the opportu
| nifty Of defeating Grant 90 by. And this denun-
citation is not by any means of a mild kind. 1t
| assumes that the country was ripe fer reform,
and that fitting and altogether favorable op-
! portunity TO inaueurate it was presented, but
| that Instead of earnest practical work toward
| that end which should command the respect of
| the country, there has been only a wide exhibit
| ton OF confused opposition, which has expended
Itself in talk rather than work for effective Or
| ganlzatiOn. And so it has always come about
| that there are not so many passive democrats
as there were, and those who first proposed in
| certain contingencies to remain quiet are Won
dering whether they have been made the victims
| of misplaced confidence.
From all of which it will appear that Just
| now the Cincinnati movement is at low ebb
| HID0nU nntIfiriDng a ON