The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-05-04
Cincinnati Convention.

Cincinnati Convention.
The greatest sensation of the country
for the last fortnight has been the Gin
cinnati Convention. Whatever else it
may bring forth, 1t has clearly developed
the total distrust in the leaders of the
Democratic party to go before the country
on the merits of that party, and this con.
cession is the virtual abandonment of it as
national organization. Before the cam
paign is organized they have said that they
have no hope of success in straight out
contest with the Republican party in the
next Presidential election. That old slave
holding party is essentially dead at last
Its death struggles have been violent and it
has presented sublime sight, gasping out
its death between spasmodic struggles
Its leading politicians and newspapers had
for some weeks fixed thereyes on the Cincin-
natl movement, and day by day grew
more interested in it. From wishing i,
weakening the Republican party, they
became at last deeply interested in it as al
element of absorption for the old Demo
cratic party, combination in which that
party could sink both name and principles
and become identified as new creation
From speaking favorably of prominent
moving spirits among the Reformers
they have finally proclaimed that the DEM
ocratic party was willing to endorse
Republican candidate who had not de
nounced the rebels too severely, and Adams,
Davis, Trumbull, Greeley, Curtain, Gratz
Brown, in fact almost any one whom the
Cincinnati folks might see fit to annouce
as their standard-bearer, would be endorsed
by ratification convention which would
constitute the funeral ceremony of the party
of effete IDEAS which has been on its death.
bed since 1861. The intelligent, thinking
men of that party have foreseen that some
thing of this kind must eventually take
place; but how to bring it about was the
difficult problem. The " Revenue Reform
ers" seem to have furnished the means OF
escape from the corpse of Democracy and
the leaders can scarce conceal their eager
ness to shake it off. When they intimate
willingness to support such Republicans
rs Horace Greeley, Curtin and others OF
that stripe, their anxiety to escape from
the dead principles of Democracy becomes
manifest.
The leaders and men of intelligence Of
the party need no argument or subterfuges
to induce them to act promptly with this
new arrangement, bat the difficulty is will
that great mass of ignorance and prejudice
which have been the infantry of the party
in all its campaigns. They cannot swallow
Greeley, or Trumbull, or Curtin without
sugar-coating. In fact, large number of
them prefer to take Grant and accept
Republicanism pure and simple, to being
cheated into the Republican party through
this Cincinnati movement-for what is it
after all but portion of the leaders of the
Republican party, dissatisfied with playing
second-tiddle and have taken this mode to
gain the ascendency in their own party.
The Free Traders have mainly contribut-
ed to organizing the Cincinnati opposition
to Grant, in hope of getting the advantage
of the protective tariff men. Grant is
abused by the new party, but beyond sheer
abuse aud fault-finding, there is no leading
measure of his administrator that the
"Reformers condemn. Their chief COM
plant is that some corrupt men and some
inefficient men have obtained Office under
him,-things that will happen under any
administration, and which have happened
under all. There have been more investi-
eating committees under Grants admins.
tration than under all other former admin
istrations combined. Those Investigations
have resulted in finding out some thieves
and irregularities, which the same means
will discover under any administration and
whom Grant was as ready to bring to JUS
tice as those who instigated the investig,,-
ton. Not a single dereliction from the
principles of the Republican party has
ever been urged by one of these reform
ers" against the President, while his
record as an honest, economical and capa-
bic executive challenges comparison with
any administration under the Government.
The country knows that the "Revenue
Reform" party can make no show in the
next Presidential contest without the aid
Of the whole Democratic party. When
that party is brought square up to the issue
of voting for one Of two Republican can
didates, hew many will choose to vote for
Grant in preference to a candidate chosen
by men who claim to be Grants peers in
Republicanism?