, 1872-02-22
9olitieal.
Politics..

which we make the following extracts
If De Tocqueville were travelling her
now, he would he struck with the chang
es which time has produced. Imagin
him in New York, fairly passed through
the clutches Of Mr.. Thomas Murphy o
his successor, and beginning to occup,
himself with the observation of the feat
ures of society. If he entered the court
he would find justice administered b,
Barnard and Cardozo if he inquired in
to the character of the Legislature, b.
would find that for years its member
had been bought and sold like sheep i,
the market. II he asked an explanation
of the charges of fraud and robbery fill
ing the air, he would be told that tn,
absorbing occupation of the inhabitants
Of the principal city of America was thu
recovery Of public funds, stolen from
them by men whom they had, year aftei
year, elected by overwhelming MAORI
ties to govern them. If he went te
Pennsylvania, he would find the Penn
sylvania Railroad, stretching, like one
Of the old crown grants, from ocean te
ocean buying legislatures. intimidatine
courts and gradually establishing des.
potism of wealth on pretence of minis
tering to public necessity. In the
South he would find open plunder the
order of the day, and organized violence
only suppressed by the Intervention Of
the military arm. In the adjacent islands
he would learn that the United States
fleet is carrying on war with a nation
with which the United States are at
peace. In New England the career of
General Butler would explain to him the
present condition of the New England
town. In Illinois and Indiana he would
learn something of the American system
of divorce. In all these matters he
would find, also, singular unanimity +;
no one would question the facts. Some
people would laugh at them; some would
bewail them all would admit them. If
De Tocqaevllle were living he would al
low that forty years may make great
changes even in Utopia.
1t is, perhaps, hardly necessary for US
TO say that we do not intend to weary
our readers with u, plan politics. The
day for that has gone hv. Our ances-
.ors discovered Utopia. lived in it, made
themselves happy in it, and finally de-
parted their Utopian life. We have sue
,eeded to the inheritance. What the
inheritance will finally prove may be a
matter of dispute, but at all events, it is
that it is not what it was in
heir day. We have already seen what
it is, in some regards, and we may pro-
itably glance at other aspects of it. In
he first place, an auspicious event,
which has been often predicted during
;he past ten years, has at last taken place.
The death of the Democratic party is an
the most reliable authorities
ire agreed that the unterrifed Democra-
" is no more. The question which now
lgitates those who lately called them
,,1x,oe nop,oorofc 10 ~botbo, %bo1 will
make a Democratic nomination for the
next Presidential election and be beat
IN, or will help to elect some Republi-
IAN. This alternative shows more plain
y than anything else could the present
condition of the party. Its 'passive fu-
;ure" need not be discussed. 1t has no
'uture before it. It is dead, having in
is last delirium dreamed of Mr. Thomas
Scott, of the Pennsylvania Railroad, as
. candidate for the Presidency.
On the other hand, what is the posi-
ion of the Republican party? The fall
elections were generally expected to
strengthen the ranks of the Democracy.
They have, on the contrary, proved a
triumph for the Republicans.
Their immediate effect seems to be to
'ender certain the denomination and re-
election of General Grant. There are,
t is true, good many influential jour
,als and good many influential men
# his own party who are now opposed
o him. Neither the Cincinnati Com
nercial, nor the Chicago Tribune, nor
he Springfield Republican, nor the New
York Tribune would be displeased if
1eneral Grant failed in securing a re-
There are many reasons,
90, why General Grants continuance
n office would be regretted by other
,eople. As rule, military men are
lot the stuff to make good statesmen
or an unmilitary and commercial soci-
ty. For the most part they entertain
professional contempt for law, even
ghen they avow their loyalty to it. Of
his popularity General Grants admin
stration has given at least one signal il
ustrstion. Declaring himself firmly op-
,osed to intervention in the affairs of
oreign nations, he has for some time
,ast maintained protectorate Of San
domingo, which is in reality an illegal
var against Hayti, carried on in the teeth
f distinct provision Of the Constitu-
ion. Again, General Grant seems ig=
Iorant Of the elementary principles Of