New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-01-23
THURSDAY, JANUARY %, 1878.
The Latest Consequence Of LID
crai RcpubiiCanism.

Tin. defeat Of NJ. Francis y. Blair, as
candidate for the Upited States Senate, in
the Democratic Legislature of Missouri, Is
an uucquiyocal indication Of the estimate IN
which he and his associates OF the lIheraI
persuasion are held by the regular Dem"c-
racv. After having served a. stepping stones
70 deliver the state into the hands OF thai
party, they are thrown aside, like other t""'''
for which there is no longer any use No'
always in history j. justice mcted OUT "s
maniiestlv a. is the case in the po'i'ica'
drama that has just been enacted among US
Never small faction. prompted by per-
.onal motives. claimed the name OF great
national party with 50 much arrogance ana
pretension. entered the arena with more APP
parent confidence, or create flourish. and
never WAS n rout more complete and inglo-
rious. There arc hardly any vestiges let OF
Liberal Repubicansm, and not enough that
in itself i; IS dead, but so pcrpiciously it has
reacted on its very orignators -like those
subtle poisons, whose vapors sometimes
would suflocatc the adept in the act OF pre-
barring them-that all Of them either have
vanished from the political stage, or perform
merely nominal part, owing to the circum-
stance that their term Of Office has not ended
yet. In Horace Grcclcy's fate, tragIcal and
poetical, justice il most striklngly Illus
trated. Like a true dramatlcal hero, lie fell
through his own wrong. his fatal error, and
paid the penalty with his life. Nor does the
analogy end there rs in the true tragedy, the
humorous element is likewise represented.
The hero goes to destruction but his squire
Gets his due in a sound thrashng, and is
ANONYMOUSLY kicked of the stage, rs has
just been the privilege Of Mr.. Blair. For
several wears Mr.. Blair has acted the part OF
a political clown, and turned the most gro
tcsquc somcrsaults from one party to the
other, just according 10 the direction from
which, in his opinion. the wind was blowing,
without the least regard to principle, or even
TO a decent outside show of principle. That
a man O. such unparalleled elasticity should,
nevertheless, be beaten, and not even beaten
through n victory of the opposing party,
but literally thrown overheard by those with
whom he cast his lot last, is as just in itself
and amusing to impartial spectators as it
must be Notifying to him. The political
career OF a man Of ordinary capacities might
safely be considered ended under such cir
cunstances yet we have no doubt that at
como not very distant day Mr.. Blair, thanks
TO that unsurpassed elasticity and irreprcssi-
bility of his will reappcar on the scene, in
his familiar old part, though we do not yet
venture to predict to which party he will
tender his services, rs this is Il matter which
depends altogether on the current of the
wind and tide.
Another doomed head is that of Mr.. Trum-
bull, and his defeat is even more deserved
than Mr.. Blair's, for most unscrupulously,
and with full prcmeditation and knowledge,
he joined the demagogues who conspired for
the overthrow Of the Republican party, while
yet an honorcd member Of that party, and
became one of the chief actors in the play.
A much greater responsibility lay on him,
since no is far superior t. Mr.. Blair i'll intel
lect and knowledge, Is well as in influence
and power for good and evil he claims char
acter, principle, and consistency, and might
have done incalculable mischief, if it had not
been for the nvinciblc strength OF Republic
canism. His shipwreck seems hopeless, as
he staked political reputation, something
which Mr.. Blair had not to lose, and as he
neither possesses Mr.. Blair's ability for
somersaults or trapezc, nor would probably
descend to avail himself Of it, even if he had
it, it will need a complete change of the politi-
cal tide to,brins him again to the surface.
For Mr. Schurz, the real originator Of the
plot, it is good luck that his term OF Office
expires only two years hence, and thus a
chance is left TO him TO redeem himself in
some way, though the task seems difficult,
even for n man Of his rare talents, quite
aside from the question whether it can be at
all desirable for Il man Of keen scneibilties
10 occupy high position only by strength
Of legal right, and i'll state of isolation be-
tween Republicans and Democrats, without
4 constituency behind him.