, 1872-11-08

best tight that was IN us to attan these ends one
! year ago, and vel beleVe that ne have been fol.
ever since. and We are mo1ching under the same
colors to-day. The so-called '.Liberal" move.
ment impressed us at the outset as an intrigue
and we declined to enter into it, even under the
leadership Of eminent men whom We had long
trusted. It soon developed into a mammoth
conspiracy to betray the cause Of Reform, and
enthrone in its place the reactionary, the dis
loyal and the quixotic elements Of our politics,
and an We fought it with all the vigor Te possessed
We have no tears to shed at its death,
enu no ysat to over IT.
IN al its history merely gigantic confidence
game" The Cincinnati Convention, pretending
to be demonstration Of independent Republ:-
cans ID favor OF o new order OF things, was, it
ls now evident, designed by the wire -pullera to
organize coalition for the benefit Of the DEM
ocracy. Claiming to be movement for the re-
form Of abuses in the Republican party, it WAS
IN reality q movement to drive the Republican
party from power for the benefit Of its rival.
upon this superstructnre Of fal5e pretonces was
n raised suporstructure Of palpable fraud. The
Convention WAS captured BY tho adyenturers
and bankrupts Of our politics, and its nominee
uster1y 1alled to embody its prescribed princi-
pl9es' e Or n,;o psnr,a;onify its announced aims:
~ IL hepuohcan1sm would drain and not spill
champion OF Reform It must remedy the de-
tects that lnhere in the very system of our Civil
servlce, and it must make The Qualifications
to,chs.y' 81 hhon.eaty' intelligence, and fitness the
abate its fidelity to the great cause Of Eona1 naI
Rights, and it must adhere to the discreet and
conservative policy with which it has manaced
the National finances. It must guarantee econ
On 3my ~ enG pnoic expenditures, and honesty in
the friend Of class legislation, and must be tho
uncomPromlsing foe Of all abuses, even If its
own body seems to be the source of their para
site growth. Above all, it must seek it's leaders
and Ind It's representative men among it's ablest
and its purest membors-the Wilson's. Garfields
Hawleys, and that class Of statesmen. Ana 4
must not permit its organization to become the
mere weapon OF domineering politicians. an1 its
machinery simply an engine that shall be- used
to advance schemes Of purely personal aggran-
lies in the fact that the Camerons and the
Conklings and the Mortons', will regard
General Grants reelection as an indo1sement of
the peculiar regime which they have sought to
establish within the party, and will arrange d
reckless and defiant than ever. If they do take
this view and follow this course, they will reck-
on without their host. Thousands OF men yes-
terday repudiated the disgraceful Cncinnati-and-
baltimore bargain, who do not believe in the
entertained by the gentry ne have named. Gen
eral drant could not have been reelected save
By the votes Of this class Of his supporters, and
these " "Refo1m"-not "Liberal'1RepubIcans
to-day hold the balance Of power in the Nation
they are too sincere and honest in their attach
nent to 1t to participate in or tamely submit to
any policy that shall degrade its aims or peryert
its labors.
From. the st. Louis Republican {Deneocratic).
Horace Greeley is beaten, and the alliance
that was expected to overthrow the Republican
party, and which, but for one fatal and recog-
nizod mistake, would assrredly have accomplish
ed that work, has, for the moment, ,signally
failed. President Grant remains at the White
House for second term the Liberal revolt
against his person has been deci3ively crushed.
and its distinguished leaders made outlaws and
the Administration M party seems stronger than
more significantly and exclusively than any
similar victory ever belonged to President be-
fore, and there is little doubt that he will accept
it as such. We believe that great and griev-
GUS wrong has been done the country, not by
the the re-electlon OF President Grant, but BY
doubt that there are thousands Of
intelligent and thoughtful Republicans who,
now that their victory is achieved, fear that it
cost mora than it was worth. It is not a victory
rejoice at it has been achieved at the cost OF
! fIightfu1 degradation Of the moral sentiment !
IT the country, and even the yictors will forbear
% make any demonstrative exultation over a |
triumph which they must wish could have been
secured by fairer means. We have said that the |
:esult would have been different but for one
|atal mistake. That mistake was the renomin- |
nation Of Mr. Greeley at Baltimore. That re- |
aomination should never have been made. We |
.rgued against it at the time, because We fore
,ne thousand Democratic votes that he would |
aot have received without it. and it repelled |
1alf 4 million Republican votes which he would |
certainly have received, but for it. That Dem
ocTatic denomination not only made him 3 |
Democrat, but it made him-using the
PARTISAN language Of the canvass |
!. traitor. From the Republican partisan
point Of view, he had not only suddenly become |
! traitor, but he had done so to secure q Demo- |
ratio denomination That Was the price Of his |
vas the ignohle and sole task that the Admins /
ration leaders had to do. It wasthis il-adyised |
ndorsement that extinguished the Liberal |
before it had become reyolt-that |
made it an insurrection Of leaders without fol- |
oWeIs-that left Sehurz, Sumner, Trumbul, |
s notable q cluster Of chiefs us ever raised a /
tandard, unsupported and unencouraged, to |
all under the attacks Of such interiors as Came |
on, Morton, Butler, and Conhling. Before the |
he Republican party seemed inevitable; after
baltimore, it became impossible. Before Ba1ti- |
1oIe, 1t was an independent rebellion supported |
J the Democratic masses after Baltimore, it |
1out4 ~ oo d RIe-dlidQSeQ Qesertl0l to the
democracy, and for that rsason it vas per1nitted
, dwindle to the insignificant proportions
.hich it exhibited in the canyaas.
he Baltimore Convention did not
atend to Kill the movement; but it did etfecsu-
ly kill it. It imagined that it's own powerful
rotectorate would strengthen the rebellion
ut it was the death of it. AL that the move
tent required was to be let a1onc. It contained
thin itself every conceivable element Of 3 |
oWerful and destructive schisn. It needed no
ldoraement, no formal approval, no protection;
needed nothing but to bo left to it's own re-
'urces, with perfect freedom of action and ap-
sal. It should have led in tho battle; indeed.
should have occupied tho whole fight, assur-
g itself only Of the united support Of the
1endly reserve Of three million Democratic
uskets, at the final charge. Had this course
sen pursued, not one OF those Democratic mus
a.s would have been wanting, in the crisis, and
le Liberal party, instead of being party Of a |
.ore Of leaders, would have been a host five
andred thousand strong. The Democracy
lould not have made q nomination at all
should have formally and conspicuous1Y
ithdrawn from the field, announced its resolu-
On not to make the contest for the Presidency,
ther with it's own candidate or any other can
date, and thus yielded fighting ground to any
10 of the Administration that might take it's |
ace. This Was the "passive policy" It
,ould have been adopted before the Cincinnati
onuaufinu Had iE ham ca ado7fod n75 !