The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-22
Tho Gathering OF the Clans for Cin-
cinnati-Tho Projected Anti-erans NO
publican and Democratic Coalition.

A solemn wild ana melancholy Holscp
Shaking the tranquil air, and afterward
tR. @. SANDS.
The gathering of the clans for the Cincin-
| natl Convention portends mighty multitude
of political reformers in the Queen City of the
''beautiful river on the LIST Of May, and some
thing withal of the confusion of tongues which
broke up and dispersed the builders of Babel.
But what is it that brings these reformers to-
gether2 Let us see. In the distribution of
the federal Offices in the State of Missouri in
1869, General Grant SO far disappointed the
expectations of Messrs. Gratz Brown, Carl
Schurz and some other unreasonable appli-
cants in their exorbitant demands, that in 1870
they bolted with their followers, and organ
lied an independent republican party in a
State Convention in opposition to ''the mill
tary despotism at Washington" General
Blair and other leaders of the Missouri democ-
racy saw in this republican meeting their
opportunity, and, in effecting democratic
coalition with these republican boilers, turned
it to such good account that they completely
revolutionized the State, including the election
of General Blair to the United States Senate in
the place Of Grant republican.
| Keeping in view this initial landmark Of the
Missouri democratic passive or possum policy
the policy of keeping wide awake while pre-
tending to be dead-we come next to the State
elections Of 1871. Opening with wholly un-
expected democratio victory in New Hamp
shire, the brilliant idea seized the democratic
party that reactionary revolution had set in,
which would speedily sweep away all such in
tolerable radical denominations as your four
teenth and fifteenth amendments But, reused
by the revival Of this old copperhead clamor,
the Union party Of the war in Connecticut
completely spoiled these beautiful democratic
calculations, and brought over the party to
their new departure in the acceptance Of
negro civil equality and negro suffrage Next,
| from the confusion incident to this inglorious
surrender, and from the decentralization follow
ing the disclosures Of the astounding corrup-
tons Of the Tammany Ring, the succeeding
elections, State after State, down to the awful
crash Of Tammany in November, clearly es-
tablished the fact in the minds of the demo-
cratic managers that it would be utterly USE
less, under the flag Of the democratic party,
without help, to attempt to defeat the re-elec-
ton of General Grant
The despairing cry went forth from the rank
and file of the sorely defeated and demoralized
democracy, ''Men and brethren, what can we
do to be saved?" To this cry came the quick
and earnest response from General Blair
'Follow the victorious example and fall in
line with the Missouri democracy, and we shall
be saved There are boiling and disaffected
republicans in all the States. Do as we did in
Missouri, in 1870. Give these men the lead.
Let them get up an independent anti Grant Re-
publican National Convention, and give them
to understand that, if they nominate liberal
republican Presidential ticket, on the common
ground of hostility to Grant, the democrats
Of the whole Union will support them, and
| trust to luck in reference to other arrange
ments.' The idea was adopted by the demo-
missionary Of reform, had prepared the minds
Of republican boilers for it in the West, the
South and the East The next thing in order
was the Liberal Republican National Conven-
/ ton, and Governor Gratz Brown, at the APP
pointed time, from his confidential liberal
mass meeting at Jefferson City, No., is
sued his call for this national meeting of
liberals at Cincinnati on the broad platform
of free trade, State rights universal amnesty
and war to the knife against Grant and his
corrupt usurping and despotic administration.
To this extent was this Missouri coalition
programme executed in advance of the late
New Hampshire election, and, to defeat Grant
in that contest, Messrs. Sumner, Trumbull,
Schurz and others, as republicans, opened
heavy fire in the Senate Of artillery and small
arms sold to the French and kept it up for
several weeks against the international bad
faith and manifold corruptions charged upon
General Grant But New Hampshire re-
sponded in an emphatic endorsement of Grant,
and so far there was no evidence of any hope
full republican mutiny in the East. Connecticut
might do better, and some new and ingenious
devices for q bolt in Connecticut were tried but
all expedients there to break the administra-
ton ranks failed as signally as in New Hamp-
shire. So far, then, the elections Of 1872 are
better for Grant than the elections Of 1871, and
outside of Missouri and the still unsettled and
turbulent slave border and ex-rebel States,
there is no evidence of any disafections among
the original supporters Of Grant beyond few
disappointed office-seekers, with here and there
little clique of hangers-on and unreliable fol-
lowers. This Cincinnati mass convention,
however, viii be an imposing affair, in point
of numbers, and political curiosity shop in
the elements composing it more wonderful to
the political philosopher than the ingredients
\ feast
! 1t is understood that the democrats are to
keep in the background; that this Convention
is to be a republican affair; that it is to pro-
claim an independent republican party, and o
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