Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-03-15
Now PoIi1icaI Parties.
WILMINGTON, N. e.:


As we have already declared, 1t rs our
ouinion that the South should consider well
before deciding upon the policy to he pl'r-
sued in the coming Presidential cam
paign. sr c.-f.s .....
j We repeat that, in the administration of
the Government, in accordance with the
leading tenets of the Democratic faith, as
we understand them, rests, i'll our opinion,
the only hope for the restoration and per
petuation Of Constitutional government in
America. Men have doubted the capacity
Of their race for Constitutional self-goyeln-
ment, but if the people of the United States
should throw off, peaceably and without
bloodshed, the despotism that low "nTel-
opes their country, the spectacle ought to
inspire hope and confidence il tIlc most
skeptical.
We sincerely trust that tlcre will he, in
all the other States Of the Union, an up
rising Of the people similar to that which
occurred in North Carolina in 1870. 1t
may indeed be impossible TO bring to mer-
tied punishment any Of the guilty CON
and the rights Of The States, and if ven
geance was our only or main object it
would not be worth the struggle necessary
TO attain it, But vengeance is not Otu OBJ
iect. The vindication and ;e-establish-
ment of Constitutional government is what
we now seek, and the question is, how can
we best accomplish our purpose.
We fear it is plain that unless divisions
occur in the ranks Of the Radical party its
candidates will be elected over. ali oppoSi-
ton. Successful wars arc always popular.
The conclusion cannot be resisted, nor the
fact disguised, that, upon any issue into
which can be injected trial OF the con-
duct or policy or business Of the late VA,
the Republican party is identified in feel
ing and sentiment with the great mass of
the Northern people-in a word, that the
Republican is the war party and The Demo
cratic the anti-war party.
We greatly fear that for years 10 come
any man who might go before the North
ern people, as a Democratic candidate for
the Presidency, no matter what his per-
Onal war record might have been, would,
Ii the very name and its associations, have
greater weight than he could carry.
We have, as yet, seen no evidence # a
return of fratcrnal feeling sufficient to i'll
duce us to think the name Of Republican
is now any less dear, or the name Of Demo
crat any less odious, to the majority Of the
Northern people.
The g returning Sense of justice" it any
such there be cropping ont at ia" North,
is returning sense Of Justice to Themselves
and not to us.
The first fierce cbulitions OF Inc;e brute,
animal passion, may, indeed, possibly have
passed away, but that there has, as yet, been
felt in the Northern heart a single emotion
Of pity or sympathy, OF brotlerIy love 0r
kindly feeling toward tho South, we do
not believe.
We believe that the Northern people still
consider all our suffering and sorrow as a
scant punishment at the hands of 4 too
merciful God.
If such feeling does exist it would
seem hopeless task if not a useless one,
to take part i'll fight between the Demo
cratic party and the Republican party.
On the other hand, it may be Il very
serious question how far it may be expe-
dent for the South, at once and unquali-
fedly, to endorse any new movement,
whether it be called Labor Reform, Liberal
Republican, Or by any other name, lest we
kill it with kindness. Nor is it by any
means certain what strength these new
ordinations may possess.
We do not regard it as at all certain that
the Liberal Republican movement viii re-
suit in a separate organization, Il is pos
sible that the Liberal Platform may be
adopted at Philadelphia, with General
Grant as the candidate, OF it may be that
the Liberals will carry both candidate and
platform. In either event the Philadelphia
candidate will be successful. We lave no
idea that either Senator TEt-MBULI or
Senator SUMNER intend to enter new
party organization until they have been
defeated i'll a desperate struggle for lbo
control of the old one.