Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-03-30

Z my y p1dl1Olm 10 Shll1iY tGG MuOlt
: party. The last State Convention Of
the Virginia Conservatives, and that
also Of the Maryland Democracy, one
G held in October and the other still
( later, adjourned without agreeing to
: any platform, except opposition to
Radicalism. Thereguiar Republican
t party avows no definite issue but the
perpetuation of its power in the hands
. of those who hold it now. On the
other hand, the Missouri Liberal Re-
publican resolutions while they enun-
ciate principles which a ~..conspieu-
GUS Senator LMr. Trumbull] a short
time since publicly and In emphatic
terms approved, are even Democratic
{ enough to meet the Endorsement of
( the editor Mr.. Alexander II. Steph-
, ems Of the Atlanta Sun.
: WHAT THE passive POLICY HAS
Il DONE.
: The mere suggestion Of the Passive
Policy hiss already placed the admin
istration party on the defensive. The
Radical papers-which all assail the
movement, and parade with great
JUNCTION any Democratic opposition to
~it-scarcely conceal their alarm, while
the effect upon Congress and the Ex-
ecutive has been the modification, for
the time being, and during the PEN
dency of the election, of the policy
which has hitherto been pursued.
Lately martial law has not been de-
clared in any State, though the Radi-
Gals assert the condition of the South
is as bad a it has ever been, and in
the presence of a really dangerous
and critical condition of affairs at
New Orleans, the President declined
to interfere, though in the same city,
a few months before, his officials re-
sorted to military force to prevent the
assemblage Of a political convention,
supposed to be hostile to the Presi-
dents friends. The Passive Policy
has already in Congress turned the
batteries of the majority from the
Democrats to the insurgent Rspub-
leans, and from Democratic alb
stinence from political debate have
resulted the investigations into
the New York customhOuse frauds.
into the situation in Louisiana, into
the sales OF arms for the defeat of the
Germans to agents of the French Gov
eminent, with others promised, as
also those great debates in which the
1 ~ anu TX LALAACAklaI LHCDAUlLG
can Senators have arrayed them
selves, still inside the Republican
party, against the plans and schemes
Of the majority. The same Demo
cratic abstention in the Illinois Leg
islature developed the protest by Gov
ernor Palmer in the interest Of State
rights, against Federal military inter-
ference in the domestic concerns of
that State-a position in which he has
been sustained by a Republican Leg
islature.
PROGRESS OF THE MOVEMENT.
It was in the direction to which the
Passive Policy points that Horatio
Seymour, Samuel J. Tilden, and
Charles O'Conor Joined their forces
with reform Republicans in the last
New York State election, and il was
by independence on the part Of Demo-
Gratis there that Franz Siegel was
elected register. MI. O'Conor gave
this advice:
"In districts where the Republican
party has a decided majority, If a
questionable candidate belonging to
that party should be put in nOmina-
ton, the honest Democrats of the dis
trict should decline to nominate any
one; and, acting as a balance Of
power, they should tender their I'M
divided support to any honest Repub-
lican candidate. These same views
should be applied and acted on con-
versely in Districts clearly Democrat
tc. Thus, when a candidate of doabt-
ful character wa presented, he would
generally find a respectable opponent
supported by sll good men in the dis
trict, without regard to any variance
in their political sentiments"
In the late Ohio Senatorial election
it was within the power Of the Demo-
Gratis to have elected ex-Secretary Cox,
a Liberal Republican, by the early
adoption Of the passive policy, the
Cincinnati Enquirer being responsible
for the declaration that a sufficient
number Of Republican votes could
been secured to defeat Sherman, |,
and the movement was actually in
progress to elect Cox by changes Of
Democratic votes cast for q Democrat,
when 1t was stopped by an alleged
Iyrannous decision by the presiding
officer OF the joint legislative session. ]
The passive movement, at first re-
eeived with misgivings, if not with
-1dlcule, has steadily gained friends,
md 1t Is confidently asserted that at
his moment fully tWO-thirds of the
Democrats in the land look to it as
the only hope OF preserving
ne Constitution and rescuing the
country. The Democratic Central
of Missouri, embracing
Iueh we'll known names as those Of
General James Shields and Hon. John
Phelps, unanimously recommend
{ to the Democracy, and this counsel
been Endorsed by nearly all the
Democratic members Of the General :
Assembly. The Illinois Democratic l
Committee has also, though
adopted the policy with
u~bstantial unanimity, and one of the
rusted leaders of the Democracy in
he House of Representatives, at
,pringfeld, not long since, declared
! the true policy, in which he is
acked by almost the whole Demo-
party Of Illinois. A like atti-
1de has been taken by the Nevada
democracy. All the leading Demo- =,
rats in the West, together with nearly
II the leading journals, are now ac- .
Iyely urging the adoption of this
oiicy. This is true also Of the South
nd Of other sections. -
DUTY OF DEMOCRATIC LEADERS. =
The duty of the Democratic leaders.
he trusted opponents and representa-.
OF Democratic principles and "
Olicles, is, not to guide their friends
Id followers into ''last bitches" or
le field OF "inevitsble yet honorable
but to point out the Wsy to
continued disaster. There has nj
quite enough of ''dying with face y
the foe." Ultimately the best dis
troops will come to distrust
10 ability OF the general who, falling
inspire courage and turn the tide Of
isf0rtune, always leads them to de-
at, and he will protest to no purpose z
'out preserving the organi.
ton" who launches his le9ions
ION invincible batteries, knowing
. charge must be resultless, except
the defamation ofthe storming par "
/. II is a matter of congratulation and
tde that, as a general thing, the
lsted leaders OF the Democracy
We acted well their parts in the M
esent emergency, sinking their per- M
nal ambition. In the latter part of
arch OF any other Presidential year,
Democratic journals would be
ed with discussions as to the most =
Democratic candidate. -
W, the name of a Democrat Is
4rcely breathed in this connection.
g Philadelphia Convention being
eady packed for Grant, the eyes Of IN
nation turn to the Cincinnati Con-.
alton for the sign of d~eliverance.
MISSOURIAN.
'AsHINGToS, March 20, 1872. !
pm
We Want MANUFACTURING