National Republican., 1873-03-04
PARTY DISCIPLINE.


stltutlonal blunderer Of the New York Times
would have US believe,) secs the final dissolu-
tlon Of the Forty-second Congress, during
whose deliberations great deal has been ac'
complished towards the simultaneous dlsso-
luton Of the great party which should have,
at least, made some organized effort to direct
Its political influence upon the country, as
well as Its routine work and It's conduct In
affairs of statesmanshlp. We declare, and
we are neither afraid nor ashamed Of the
declaration, that there ls In this coun-
try an absolute necessity for partisan
politics and politicians. There Is danger
in all eTcesses, but with a mobile, excltable
nervous people, like the Americans, there Is
no possibility Of our remaining fixed at any
one point or pursuing at all times one in
variable line Of policy. Sometimes excessive
partisanship will lead a people astray, as 1t
did when the Democratic party sprung under
our feet the mine OF rebellion, for which
catastrophe no one was prepared; but the
deadly tendency Of such perycrslon Of po-
lltical ideas was inevitably opposed by a
prompt response from the higher and nobler
instincts Of the nation, TO which, under God,
we owe our national integrity and our
hopeful future. But let us consider
for moment what would have been the re-
suit of our civil war had the cause Of liberty
and nationality been supported by guerillas
and fancy knights errant instead Of a COM
pact and disciplined army; II the legislation
and the moral guidance Uf the country had
been intrusted to the hands Of moonstruck
philosophers, who spent their time In proving
1t to be the constitutional duty Of the Union
army to surrender to Its demoralizcd and
half-beaten enemy; Of the original nation to
sue for psace at the feet oi defiant rebels; or,
In other words, OF every man TO cut his own
throat
Was party discipline of no value then 2
Did not the earnest and enduring front pre-
sentcd by the majority Of Congress during
the dark days Of ls82 and 1853 against the
outspoken enemies Of the Union and their
pettifogging, sncaking crowd OF cldqua's who
fritted the air with dismal discords from their
asthmatic toot-horus and cracked kettle
drums, 70 distract attention from the real
issue, strengthen the arms and warm the
hearts Of the patriotic heroes in the field and
their earnest brethren at homcp What has
come over the spirit of our dream, that the
same Fernando Wood who, while mayor OF
New York, recommended the secession Of that
city and Its erection into the slmili-
tude of ancient Venice, VINO vas pecuniarlly
interested in the sale Of arms to the Southern
rebels, who openly advocated secession, and
so voted In q II lnority Of one from his scat In
the House OF Representatives, and who wac,
by order Of the House, publicly rcprimanded
by the Speaker for having uttered dIslOyal
sentiments In debate, can now rise and offer
to impeach that same Speaker for an act
which Is trivial compared with the lightest Of
Andrew JOhnsOhE crimes, aTd carry with
him every Democratic vote and one-siXth OF
the Republican votes In tho HDlsel How
does 1t come that the Republican party has suf'
cred itself to be hoodwinked and bullied and
slapped in the face by a set Of men whose
| political record 1t has hundred times con
demned, and whose political action 1t hal
often stigmatiLcl as the next step to nagran
treasonI Is our war record, both upon tht
field and In the halls OF legislation, nothing
to bo proud Of, to be protected, and therefor,
duly honored2 Shall captured rebel battl,
/ flags he torn from the walls OF the State hOust
of the grand old Commonwealth Of Massachu
sets while Federal officers carry their lives IL
their hands In many 0 Southern Statel Shal
every malicious whisper Of sGandal find tel
eager listeners to one indignant protestant
] while, In the elegant euphemism Of the chiy
I airy, mo Yankee can be o gcntlcmani' o.
do we feel so serene md self-complacent q
hard-won supremacy that va DO not care Il
heed these flies buzzing around our ears, thes,
rain drops pattering on our window panesi
It may be so, but the ridiculous fur,
caused In Congress by the investigations
which wers managed and controlled, NOR,
than we are yet aware Of, by the Democratic
side, and the more painful exhibition Of tht
Indecent anxiety Of many Republicans Il
make as many scape-goats as possible, per
, haps In order to profess excessive politlca
honesty, and, perhaps, for more disreputa
BILE reason, do no, SAeIn 10 us In accord witt
the diguihed poise and hrnness OF a body o.
men animated by one purpose and striving fol
one objcct-to protect the nation from ii
enemies. We seek in vain for the sole
phalanx Of 1881 TO 1859. We have no leader
The sentiments expressed above will find q
response In the breast Of every Republican
but they lack conference and force and
symmetrical expression. This Is not Al
1t should be. The memories OF past
dangers, the companiOnships Of past strug
giles, the bonds OF unity among com
rades who learned among trials and
trlbulations to respect every man who bore
the banner of the Union for his heroism In
danger, his skill and resources In attack and
his patient endurance In disaster, should have Q
different result from this. Republicans shoult
remember that Il is they who have made tn,
/ al. L.. ths
recollection Of what they have accomplished
should animate them to fresh labOrs In the
cause OF liberty and enhance their respect fol
and confidence In each other, Unless there
Is this common bond OF cohesion ant
solf-assertlon as party the politics
OF the country will be thrown into
anarchy, and out Of the chaos OF aimlesI
action aud stupid inactlon, bad, bold mer
will rise TO the surface and take the lead
The Republican party Is not perfect, but Il
should not be In haste to proclaim Its imper'
fectlons and Its folles at the bidding Of Its old
enemy, the Democratic party, which Is faI
beneath II in dignity and virtue, and hal
learned during the last decade absolutely but
one lesson, which Is that husks arc not llllng
diet, and II Is sweet to hold office. Fol
them to fight guerilla fashion Ia natura
enough, as they are In minority and
can only fatigue and harass us by hanging OF
our nauks and carrying on nOmadic and
struggling warfare. 1t is our plan, on tn
contrary, to keep unbroken ranks and cheel
each other by encouragement and praise
| We must believe and trust in each other, and
work together as one man. We have the
, elements of power and unity, while our op'
poncuts are discordant, struggling rabble
Let US beware lest we fall into the same do
plorablo condition and thus wantOnly expose