New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-10-11
Senator Aicorn on the Presidential Quess
ton.

We present to our readers the suhjoined
extract Of a recent letter from Hon. j. L.
Alcorn, one of the United States Senators
from Mississippi, to Colonel L. c, NoEyeH,
of Pass Christian:
FRIARs' POINT, Miss, September /, 1872.
MY DEAR SIR-I take pleasure in ac-
knowledgipg the receipt of your esteemed
favor of the sixteenth ultimo. 1 have been
absent at my plantation, looking after my
material interests SO long neglected. l
offer this as an apology for the delay in my
reply.
There is principle in all but experiment
tai sciences, to preserve the status q!tO, un-
less a proposed movement offers reasonable
expectation Of improving the situation. 10
my mind the election of Mr.. Greeley offers
no such expectation. His nomination at
Baltimore is a reason why he should not be
elected. If elected he can no longer play
f'pig' and pOssum''-he must be eventually
Democratic OF Republican. From the fact
that he has obtained the body Of his sup
port from the Democrats the chances are
that he would be to all intents and pur-
poses, a Democratic President. There is
much in the Republican party that | would
reform in truth, in many Of the Southern
States the party demands violent purga-
ton But [ would not treat the disease
with poison | would apply remedies that
would eradicate the disease and preserve
the good condition Of the people. To in
woke Democracy as relief for the diseases
OF Republicanism would be to bring back
into the body polite the elements of this
discord which heretofore eliminated in the
ruin of the South. Ii the Democratic party
could be put to the sword, the reformation
and puritiCation of the Republican party
would be an easy task; but while the old
ofice-Ioving, salary-fed leaders Of the De
m0craCy continue to trade, and traffic, and
beg, and cheat or attempt to cheat, with
their Dent movements and their Greeley
Endorsements, and every other species Of
political intrigue which hold out hope of
getting the Offices into their hands, i'm
provement in the Republican party can
scarcely be hoped for
The election of Mr.. Greeley, to my mind,
holds out no hope of bettering the cOndi-
ton of things at the South. His local
selfgOvernment pIatltudeE amount TO
nothing practical Our State governments
remain today undisturbed by any iRterter-
ence on the part of the federal government,
and it is in these our complaint lies, 1t IS
charged that federal officials, by system
of intermeddliDg, disturb the repose Of cur
society. But, even if elected, how can Mr..
Greeley give us relief? Under the "tenure
of office act' the man III office holds until
by the Senate Does any 0ne suppose that
that Senate which carried the war against
Mr.. johnson to the door Of the Executive
chamber, is prepared now to surrender at
discretion to Horace Greeley?
Mr.. Greeley a8 President, with Grant
Senate, Grant officials, Grant army, will
embrace all the elements Of a fierce cOn-
gressiOnal struggle, which, ignitirg the
passions of the people and reviying the pre-
secession and war issues, would soon have
the country in another blaze OF excitement
In a conflict like this the South could be
relied on for her full contribution OF bitter
and indiscreet denunciati0n the infamous
Ku-Klux would find means to ply his assas-
sin vocation; intestine feuds and internal
connections would arouse the masses now
relaxing into sweet repose; and after a
shameful struggle, stained perhaps by the
blood of its victims, the South would be
knocked down and again cudgeled for what
would be called her rebellion" and dis
loyalty"
am for General Grant. His administra-
tiOn has not been characterized by any bril-
liancy, but we have gone forward, neyerthe-
less, steadily and safely. The public debt
has been skillfully managed; we have
avoided any monetary crises; we have
peace with all the world; let us have peace
at home and all will be we'll. The election
of General Grant, already assured, guar.
antees the peace Of the country.
Colonel NorveH replies, dating the ninth
instant:
The elections yesterday settle the contest
for President. General Grant will sweep
the entire North, East and West, leaving
the conflict between the North and South,
for the Democratic party is dead. VIII the
South keep up the conflict hope not.
VIII they forever close the chasm by voting
unanimously for Grant and Wilson! hope
so. This. course will leave no room for
doubts, and must commend the Southern
people to the generosity Of the whole
North. We have tried all other means but
this, and as the South wanted Republican
President not a.Democrat, why not com
promise on General Grant, cheerfully,
nobly, magnanimoussly3 Believing that they
that we shall have prosperous, happy,
united country once more, am, very
truly, etc.