New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-08-01
Leaving the Party for the Party's
Good.

inc tGF tht
Good.
To those who do not understand their mo-
tives, or who think their motives have moth
ing to do with their acts, the desertion OF SO
many prominent leaders of the Republican
party to the enemy undoubtedly has formi-
dable appearance, and is looked upon as very
damaging to it. But if we desire to under
stand whether these OBJECTIONS are any indica-
ton of popular disaffection, and has any real
significance, we must know why they have
severed their old political relations and re-
pudiated the principles they so long pro-
fessed. If VIC can discover that they have
substantial reason to be dissatisfied with
their party, and honestly believe it to be cor
rupt and unfaithful to its pledges, their de-
lection is a just cause of alarm. They will
be entitled to the commentator of all good
men rather than their censure, and their eX-
ample could not fail to exercise an important
influence upon public sentiment, just as the
course Of those patriotic Democrats who left
their party at the beginning of the rebellion
excrted a powerful influence upon the Demo-
| cratic masses.
But in the case of Greeley and Senators
Fenton, and Schurz, and Trumbull, and Tip
ton, and Rice, and Gov. Blair, and ex-Con-
gresham briggs, and every leading Republic
| can who has turned his back upon his prin-
ciples and his party, there is no such motive.
| There is not one of them who did support
| with all his influence every measure that he
now condemns, and who has any better or
any other reason for his treason than Bene-
| dict Arnold had for his. Their sole motive for
deserving to the Tammany-Greeley camp is
| their own personal grievances. Every one
of them has failed to procure from the peo-
pie or the Administration what they de-
manded either for themselves or their rcla-
tons and patisan dependents. They have
been influenced to their apostacy neither by
the general policy nor the specific acts, or the
supposed dishonesty of the Administration,
| nor by any feeling of dissatisfaction among
their constituents.
No man who has deserted good for bad
| cause has ever carried over any portion of
| the people with him. When John Tyler and
| Willard Fillmore betrayed the old Wing party
and went over to the enemy they carried no.
| body with them, though backed by the whole
power and patronage of the Government.
Even Daniel Webstcr's detection made no
perceptible impression upon the Wing party
of Massachusetts,. And Seward, the strong
est and most popular leader of his party.
when he deserted, entered the encmy's
lines solitary and alone. These men were
all influenced by personal revenge or per-
sonal ambition. Andrew johnson was ac-
tuated by the same dishonorable motives,
and therefore shared the same ignominious
fate. There is not one of these men who did
not exert commanding influence upon pub.
lie sentiment while devoted to right and
honest measures and patriotic principles
Their influence consisted in being right, and
sustaining principles believed to be best de-
signed to promote the cause of liberty, anG
justice, and humanity, and good government
When they deserted to the party which was
known to be opposed to the equal rights o
the people, and whose official acts had proved
it to be corrupt, prodgal, unprincipled, ant
disloyal, their influence came to as abrupt ar
end as Arnold's did when he deserted the
patriot cause.
And Presidents Tyler's, and Fillmore's
and Johnson's desertion of their party hat
no other influence than to strengthen its pur
pose and increase its power, and if such mer
as Webster, and Seward, and Doolittle, ant
Cowan, and Norton, and Foster, and tn.
hundreds of others who have betrayed us il
the hope Of gratifying feeling of revenge
failed to induce any portion of the people t.
initiate their treason, how can such shallow
demagogues as Greeley, Fenton, Trumbull
Schurz & Co. hope to prove any more sue
cessful? They are influenced by the same
low and disreputable motives. Their owl
disappointments are at the bottom of thei
apostacy. Most of them hardly claim tina
regard for the public interest has anything t.
do with their desertion.
The Republican party, by this purifying
process, is infinitely stronger than while
these whining demagogues were in it's ranks
Since they begun the disgusting work of ex
hibiting their soreheads to the public, they
have only exerted a repelling and repulsive
influence. But if their influence had MOI
been all against us long before they had the
manliness to leave us, we should rejoice tina
we are at last rid of them, because theil
places have all been supplied, and more thar
supplied, with better men from the Demo
cratic party. Indeed, for every soreheat
traitor we have gained two honest men from
the Democratic party-men who can nc
longer act with the Tammany thieves since
they have added to their crimes the folly O
nominating secessionist for President
These are changes infinitely to our advan
tage, and doubly ruinous to the Democracy
They lose two upright, patriotic men for one
dishonest, plotting, mischievous, hungry, ant
unprincipled oflice-hunter. We trust this
purifying process will go Oh till the day O
election.
The C9mDaign In VIRGINIA.