The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-05-23
THE NOVEMBER CONTEST.
SKETCHES OF ALC0RN AND AMES
GREELEYS CAUSE AT BALTIMORE.
The Straight Democrats Fall
ing OF.
Forney F'eeblv Props
Grant.
THE sl,UMP IN TIE CAMPAIGN.
Confusion Of the Cincinnati Sc
lectrn n.
WASHINGTON. Nav 90. 1872.

scallawag-between Ames and Alcorn-thc former
Ben Buffers son-in-law and West Point Yankee
the latter an Old Mississippi planter OF blue blood
who was elected by the same republican Legisla-
ture which made Ames Senator.
CHARACTER or GENERAL AMEs
No men could be more ike and unlike. Ames has
all the New England ana military traditions;
Acorn all the Gulf State and democratic traditions.
Ames is young brave, COOL no very heavy weight in
things intellectual and purely an adventurer in
politics. lie knows and respects very little in the
State of Mississippi, as evinced by his willing vote
to federaze The state, usurp its Jurisprudence and
reinstate bayonet government. The potential hand
of Ben Butler, who had accepted him for son-n-
law, reached out from Washington and opened the
books Of the law to the mixed republican Legis.a-
ture. Ames had vigor enough to pull the military
strings, for he a very good commander. He
therefore came up to Washington directly through
the regular army, to the Senate the most explicit,
undoubted ana wonderful instance ever In our
time of the Darwnan link between the brass regu-
lation buttons and the conscrpt toga being disa
covered. West Point was made school for SenaS
tors the day Ames elected.
Amused with rich and elegant wife, and know
ing little OF political government. young Ames has
been merely youth sitting on the outer rim OF
the Senate, looking on, securing the Offices for his
set and voting with his party. Behind him. how.
ever, the solid element Of unhinching Bay State
courage, mental and physical, which wins respect
nowhere so much as in the South--tne courage
which has given Warmoth and others success.
Ames was a brave, roostery soldier, quitting West
Point for the battle field, like costing first taking
to the pond, making necessity ight ana an ac-
complishmen In other respects Senator Ames Is
the most perfect realization of the ADMINISTRATIONS
Idea OF party-mltary obedience, whatever the
clvila may say
CHARACTER or ALcoRS.
Alcorn was a rich planter, full OF slaves and cot
ton bales, whom JEFF Davis, IN one Of his unac-
countabe disliSes, disgraced soon after the rebel
lion began, by taking away the command which
Alcorn had raised for the Confederate army at his
own expense ana labor. 1t is good commentary
on people who do nothing but cry "Sorencadln
that this sorehead Alcorn was led by his Ill treat
ment to look with the cold analysis OF one Tilted,
but not demosazed, upon the whole interior per-
sonnet aud motive of the Confederacy. lie saw in
il now a very human movement, where politicians
pulled the strings and innocent people died or were
plundered. The Confederacy lost its fine pumage
to him, and with genuine boldness which oil
must admire Alcorn, resolved to begin to dis
suade the people from so much useless sacrifice. He
began In Mississippi a systematic resistance to the
war, implorlng the rebel people to make terms and
save their children from beggary. And to show
how cheap he esteemed the loss OF slaves merely TO
the loss Of estates life and political rights he gave
bis large number or negroes freedom without
murmur AMI went into the reconstruction party.
He Is one of the best exemplihcatons in the South
of the class OF men, native to the seeded States,
which tho republican party should have encouraged
and fostered. Instead OF carpet-baggery and the
Ku Klux, those States in such hands would have
been ruled ere now by statesmen not unequal to
those of the persisted era
Alcorn is the only respected straight republican
Senator from the South-Rohertson, OF South Caro-
lima, perhaps, excepted, who like Alcorn Is to the
manner born. Not that General Ames has forfeited
personal respect but the mode Of his election and
his halflegal surroundings, will never enttle him
that consideration which one receives who arises
out of the SOIL whatever be the temporary ferment
on the surface. Alcorn accedes to negro suffrage
but he has an invincible repugnance to the carpet
Dagger, and cannot understand how any selfre-
specting man will move into new State and use
the crude elements and loose forces prevailing there
to raise himself into the highest legislative office
in the land The carpet-baggers perceive this and,
men like Spencer-once an army suttler from Ne
braska-complainingly say
"AIcorn Is an arstocrat. He advocates our meas
nres, but he hates u.s."
"Despisesr would be better world And hence
the debate of to-day when Alcorn, unable longer to
conceal his contempt, attacked the new Ku Klux
legislation and Ames The latter replied with
,ome saucy vigor, putting very sophomore stress
mon the fact that ne had carved his way to the
Senate with his sword-which was literally true
although az Joshua Hill is said to have expressed
it. the sef.eulogy would be more precise ifit should
say, Boosted up into the Senate by the bayonets
Of my command"
Ames and Acorn are In years generation apart.
Alcorn Is stan man OF large means his fine wife
wears the richest diamonds In Capitoline society.
He Is opposed by the relentless intolerance Of many
Of the old rebels of Mississippi and probably finds
IL hard task to seek 10 help an ungrateul people,
who look not at the aims in the hand that offers,
but into the face OF the giyer and reply al eat not
with my enemy, though be a hungered'
WILL wAsHBURNE RESIGN
A rumor prevails here that, discontinued with
what he hears and reads at a distance, and appre-
hensve OF calamity unless he returns, the resgna-
ton OF E. b. washburne as Minister to Paris has
been for some time in the hands of his friends, who
are celebrating whether the time has not come TO
give 1t to the President.
THE FREE TRADERS FTzzLE.
In a fortnight another candidate will have been
born into the world to run the campaign OF 1872,
and that candidate will probably be the last one in
the field. A few OF the more conceted free traders
have been in Washington, seeking to make some
sort OF fusion with any obstreperous Germans TO
Charles Francis Adams senior or If possible to
have him named In Baltimore, but these get no
support and hardly like the probability OF being
made ridiculous. am told that stout free trader
warned Mr.. d. A. Wells few days ago that any In
reference on the part OF the free traders with the
Cincinnati candidacy would make free trade con-
te1nptlble for years in this country and no public
man would undertake to enter into political con-
yention with 1t again.
Ihere Is not one politician, one man. who under
STANDS the regimen AMI conduct Of political cam
paigns, the motives OF voters and sub-leaders and
the hahdiihg OIL great bodies OF people 70 achieve
political results, who entcrtains the remotcst
notion OF third candidate. Men IKE parro Goa.
win, Edward Atkinson, the Brinkerhoffs &C. never
could be politicians but are merely lyceum lee.