The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-04


We have already two parties in the field
for the Presidential succession, and there are
three others preparing for the battle. The
two parties that have proclaimed their candi-
dates and their principles are the party OF
labor reform and the party of temperance and
women's rights. The labor reformers, with
their ticket of Judge Davis and Governor Par
ker, of New Jersey, are evidently in the mar
ket and manGuvring for bargain with the
democrats; the temperance and women's
rights reformers as evidently intend to hold
their own course as an independent organizes
ton. The three parties which remain yet in
the background are the regular republican,
the antl-Grant republican, and the demo-
cratic parties. The democrats, on General
Blairs passive policy, are hoping for coali-
ton with the anti Grant republicans, on a
mixed ticket and India-rubber platform. Tie
anti-Grant republicans have two strings to
their bow. Their first object, if possible, is
| to supersede General Grant in the regular
party convention, and, failing in this, their
ultimate purpose is an alliance, Offer and
defensive, with the democratic party.
What, then, is the prospect? We conjec-
ture that the five political parties we have
named will, in the final shaping of the cam
paign, be reduced to three-the republican
party, the democratic party and the party Of
temperance and women's rights, aud
that this third party will, practically,
signify nothing. In short, from present
appearances, this Presidential contest
| will be between the republican party, with
General Gram as its candidate, and the demo-
cratic party, strengthened to some extent by
| floating voters and by boiling and stay-at-home
republicans. But still, the catalogue of last
years State elections presents so strong a case
| in favor of General Grant that democrats and
republican boilers and malcontents despair of
defeating him unless they can divert from the
republican camp considerable body Of new
boilers to the opposition lines. The anti
Gran. republican leaders and engineers of the
Senate-Messrs. Sumner, Trumbull, Schurz
and others, iacluding the 'Tipton Slasher"-
have been for many months industriously de-
voting themselves by day and by night, to
this one great object-the diversion from Gen
eral Grant of the balance of power. st. Do
mingo served them good turn last March in
| New Hampshire; but st. Domingo being then
| abandoned by Grant he more than repaired his
New Hampshire losses in Connecticut. Then
came from Mr.. Schurz his civil service reform,
in which he was flanked by General Grant.
Then came the New York Custom House in
hut inn, hoc lfad in,
exposing only the evils of system forty years
old, it soon became apparent that this mine
would not serve to blow up the administration.
Desperate cases require desperate remedies,
and so, then, as the last expedient from the
remorseless Schurz, through the soured and
disappointed Sumner, came that terrible in
dictment aiming at nothing less than the
alienation from the President of the whole
German republican vote of the United States.
On the 10Th Of February last Mr.. Sumner
submitted to the Senate lengthy preamble
reciting certain transactions, naming certain
parties and embracing certain letters in refer
ence to the sales Of arms to the French by our
government, during the late war between
France and Germany, and suggesting not only
corruption on the part of United States
officials, but that ''the good name of the
American government seems to be seriously
compromised by these incidents" &C.; and to
this ominous preamble was appended reso-
luton directing select committee Of seven
to be appointed ito investigate all sales of
ordnance stores made by the government
during the war between France and Germany,
to ascertain the persons to whom such sales
were made, the circumstances under which
they were made, the real parties in interest
and the sums respectively paid and received
by the real parties" &c. On the Goth of Feb
ruary, after hot debate, running through
sixteen days, this aforesaid lengthy preamble
was cut off and the resolution was adopted.
Having fully informed our readers of the
parties behind the scenes concerned in this
extravaganza, and of the real object of the
parties on the stage, we may now properly
consider the developments and the general
results of the Senate debate. Among these
developments we find that the insinuations of
of Mr.. Summers preamble of corruption and
bad faith on the part of the administration are
all given up as groundless; that Sumner,
Schurz and Trumbull have each and all
failed to make out even a plausible case
against the administration; that Sumner
was seriously crippled early in the engage
ment, and left the brunt of the battle to be
borne by the bold, persevering Schurz that
Schurz comes out of the hot fight without
much gain, but without serious loss, having had
nothing serious at stake in the controversy as
Trumbull is full-hedged anti-Grant or lib