Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-07-05
A Few Words with Gleeley Republi.
49, cans.

some HepuOllcans, who would
scorn to vote for a Democrat for
President Of the United States
distressing the principles of that
party and its leaders, and conscious
that the natural bent Of the party
must be toward a reaction against
the principles of Government estab-
lished under Republican ascendancy
yet seem to think they. can with
safety support Mr.. Greeley, although
they admit that if elected at all, it
must be by Democratic votes.
Now nothing is more certain than
that the man who consents to lead
a political party will bring himself
into harmony with it's views and
opinions and sympathies. 1t is he
who feels the restraint of opinion,
not the members Of the party. It is
he who seeks to test the spirit of
those about him, and measure his
action in accordance Herewith, not
they who consult his temper and
feeling. His sphere is executive,
and he feels bound to execute less
his own will than that of his party.
He is careful oftaking position until
he finds himself supported by those
who elected him. His party press
has generally formed his party's
opinions long before he is called
upon take position upon questions
of political policy. However honest
he insensibly imbibes the prejudices
feelings and opinions of his sup
porters. Sympathy and interest
produce wondrous transformations,
and though such media right and
wrong change places with marvel
Gus readiness. Andrew johnson,
combating rebels in the ranks Of
the Union men in Tennessee, was
one Of the most bitter and violent
foes of reconstruction that would
re-enfranchise such rebels. Once
brought to put himself in acce.5'
with them in one thing, and he went
rapidly over to sympathy with
them in all things. Doolittle and
Cowan, seeking Democratic COM
pany and Democratic sympathy in
one act, soon transferred their whole
allegiance to Democratic principles
and policy.
And so it must be with Horace
Greeley. Seeking Democratic sup
port, and elected largely by rebel
votes, how can he help catching the
inspiration of rebel and Democratic
prejudices? These are the political
elements that will control him and
dictate the policy Of his admins
tration. If he has any party at all
this must be his party. Without
party he will be as all other
Presidents have been who sought to
become simply personal executives,
a nonentity, fruitless of good results
commanding no respect, and having
no influence. But Mr.. Greeley is
a partisan, and an earnest one, as
his whole life has shown, and he
will tie himself to the elements that
elected him. He cannot lead them
up to himself, he will go down to
them. He will be just what they
are. Beginning by agreeing to sub
ordinate the cherished convictions
of a lifetime to their opinions, he
will so continue. A radical rebel
or Democrat would feel rs if he
could verge towards large leniency
for opposing opinions. A Repub-
lican turned Democrat will inevita-
bly, gravitatc the other way and
will seek to make good his new
position by special devotion to the
prejudiccs of his new associates.
AS between the Democrat and the
apostate Republican, the prospect
Of 4 gravitation towards Republican
policy would be much the greatest
at the hands Of the former.
We know what stress will be laid
upon the fact that it is a Republican
platform of an equality of rights
that the Democracy will have placed
themselves upon, and upon which
Mr.. Greeley stands. But it needs
little argument to prove that plat
forms have very little significance
or binding force. The true estimate
OF a party has little relation to its
promises. This can only be made
from its natural tendency or instinct.
There is in the clements composing
the Democratic party a hatred Of
that equality or rights which the
Republican party has achieved, that
has made it contest every inch Of
the ground that has been gained,
and will make it seize every oppor-
tunity to inaugurate reactionary
movement. There is in it natural
relation to the rebel element of the
country that will insure its entire
subordination to the prejudices and
tendencies of that element. There
is in it a spirit of party aggrandize-
ment that gives no pramise of any
civil service reform. There is in it
the spirit of bad faith to the nations
creditors. There is in it desire to
compensate, to some extent, the
South for it's losses. These tenden-
cies every Republican has recogniz-
cd heretofore, and knows to be pre-
sent in the Democratic party to-
day. And he well knows that if
Mr.. Greeley is elected President by
party composed in great mea-
Sure of men imbued with these SYM
pathies and instincts he will be led
insensibly to identify himself with
them. We seriously, then, ask any
Republican how much safer it is to
vote for Mr.. Greeley than for a
Democrat? We ask him how much
safer it can be to place the Demo
cratic party in power, with Mr..
Greeley at its head, than to place
it in power with a Democrat at its
head? If he would not vote to do
the one, how can he vote to do the
other?-Dubuquc Times. ~.
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