The semi-weekly Republican. (St. Francisville, La.) 1872-1872, 1872-04-26
SHALL THE REPUBLICAN, PAR
ny DLSBAND?
iFro,n narper's weekly.l

speculation about the Cincinnati
Convention has changed. It was
originally intended to be a confer
ence Of Republicans who preferred
another candidate than the Presi-
dent. and whose decided expressions
and character and numbers would, it
was hoped, influence the Philadel-
phia Convention to select some one
else. But as the election in New
Hampshire shows that the Republi-
can sentiment of the people is I'M
shake n, two things have happened !:
the Democrats despair Of electing
party candidate and the Cincinnati
Republicans consider that the Phila-
delphia nomination is q foregone
conclusion. Therefore the DISPOSE
ton to change the Convention at
Cincinnati from a Republican assem-
bly, of observation to the nursery Of
q new party is now very evident
The Tribune has stated plainly that
the success of either party would be
equally agreeable in Connecticut,
and that the old organizations are
crumbling. MIR. Doolittle, stamping
Connecticut, says that the Demo-
cratic party will sustain the Cincin-
matt nominations. The New York
World would be glad to support II
Liberal Republican, provided that
the Democratic Convention should
adopt him and other Democratic
papers prod Senator Sumner to has
ten out of the Republican ranks,
without, however, betraying the least
disposition to leave their own. Are
we, then, upon the eve of the forma-
ton of a new party? If we are,
what are its distinctive principles ?
Or have we come around again to
the Monroe era of party dissolution
and good feeling?
It seems to us to be the merest
folly, and a perilous folly, to speak
of the issues which divided the coun-
try for generation, and which led
to the war, as in any final sense set
tied and closed. Politics are not a
mere game, in which one side having
lost and the other won, there is 9
smiling adjustment Of the board fol
a new turn. The division between
the Republican and Democratic par
ties was founded upon differing views
of the very nature Of the govern
ment and of human rights. Those
views were absolutely incompatible
and admitted of no pacific settle
ment. But when the life and char
acter and conscience of one part o
Z the population are hostile to those o
another part-when the spirit of SO
ciety, the theories of industry and O.
original right, in ono section arr
, hopelessly opposed to those Of an
other, and the result is desolatins
3 and cruel war, in which one part,
Internationally conquers the other
; what supreme folly to imagine that
3 mere formal acquiescence in the de
e feat has healed or settled the rea
D difference
The present condition Of the South
: ern States, the Ku-Klux, the sense c
> insecurity of the new citizens, til
consequent slowness of recovery
show the real situation. Nor can an
= considerable share of this be attribu
b ted to the national government. Be
9 sides the inevitable material conse
, quences of the war which SLAYER
occasioned and waged, there ha
!, been removed, and a limited disabi
lily to hold Office. But the Nstil
spirit remains, and the false theor
of the government is still held. w
y certainly do not think it strange tbs
it should be so. But the Democrat
- leaders insist that by-gones shall b
g by-gones. Very we'll /; if the Demo
5. cratic theories, principles, polite
y, and measures have passed by, if til
# issues upon which parties were div
ded are settled, why does the part
.e which represents the defeated issue