New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-03-13
The Republican Party.

, No one who watches public eveuts with
, isir share oi attention can have failed to o
serve that the Republican party has bee
called upon to pass through very trying o
: zeal during the past few months. Succei
had produced its usual fruits-it had given
great power, snd made I. MANY encmie,
or more than Year past there has scarcel
oeen a diy on which 1t has not been bitterl
assailed. Las. summer an oryanIzatl ami Ia
tefl1.ned eifort was made 10 overthrow il
Some OF the journals which once hal repre-
sented " suddenly turned traitors, and ey
ceeded its natural foes, the Democrats Il
/ the violence Of their attacks and rerroaches
/ We were told by the New York T~i5a,.s tha
/ party lines were broken" and. bv vav @
proving It, that paper falsitied It's entire pre-
v!ous history, and became a rabid Demccrsti
sheet, a. It has ever since remained. in it,
! early course il had ruined the reputation o
Us FOUNDER but that was n lesson whici
had little significance for his successors. whc
/ nave no regulations TO lose-oS. 1t least, NJ
regulations from which they would not will.
lnSly part. In this city there j no iaurua
which Is so nplacab,e or unjust a'foe 70 The
Republican party. for the notorious ven,Ilty
OF Its Democratic rival long since deprived i.
OF every vestigc of influence. The mos,
careless and easy-goiny community in the
world Will not attach much Importance to The
expressions OF journal which is QUO day
sold Tor house in Fifth avenue, aad another
Tor sum OF money paid directly into an ex-
h1usted exchequer.
Besides these open foes Of the Republican
party, 1t has had many enemies within its
own ranks. We need not recall the history
OF the last Presidential election. Everybody
remembers how, at ono time, there seemed
scarcely any limit to the faIthlessness of our
Nowed friends. They went 10 bed RepubIi-
cans and woke up Democrats only they dis
guised their Democracy under the innocent
name of" Liberalism" A Liberal RepU5lj
can Is only Democrat who has not the cour-
age to show his real principles. He means
to destroy his opponent if he can, but lie will
do 1t, like an Italian bravo, by stabb;uC him
IN the back. OF such enemies the Republican
party had to face an abundance last wear.
Nor were its troubles over when the election
came to ap end. There were some men who
had been much trusted and whose good
names were deemed beyond reproacb, who
had fallen under the influence Of these great
corporations which, as Gen. Hawley has
truly said, threaten to debauch, If not to ruin.
the country. When they were first attacked,
almost everybody believed them to be en-
tirely innocent. 1t was incredible that men
who had SO long possessed the public conf
dence IN an eminent degree should have held
any traffic with lobbyists or bribers. The
theory that rich corporation should have
= friends in Congress" ought to have had no
weight with them. Few can be blamed for
believing In the integrity of men who we're
implicitly trusted lay the entire American
people. Even now, there are men who say
that their acts were not rcpreheusible. But
what Is to be said OF theIr own contlictipg ex-
plantations of these actss II YOU are to de-
end their conduct, how are YOU to Justify
their varied excuses Of it? To take a few
shares CT stock below its market value NAV
lot be in itself clear proof of bubery-but
when tho accused person denies that lie ever
saw on touched the profits, and they are aC-
.erward found in his pocket, what is to be
said for hiin.
These circumstances have thrown a GER.
ain degree OF rcproach upon the Republican
party, and yet it is reproach which the
party itself does not in the least deserve, and
1t il one from which it will
speedily recover. The party has kept its
aith with the nation. 1t has broken no
pledges. 1t may not have realized all the
expectations Of its more advanced members, |
out it must be remembered that it has had
ts work to do under circumstances Of unex-
IMPLIED difficulty. 1t had great war to con-
duct amid the most savage opposition. III
anybody wants to recall examples Of furious
anmity to our Government, he need rot go
to foreign Journals for them-let him turn
over the pages Of that corrupt aud unprinci-
pied sheet which In this city assumes to rep
resent tho Democratic party. The success
Of the war only intensified the hatred of the
disloyal Democrats. They have never for.
given the Republican party for suppressing
treason at the South. Since 1865 the Repub-
Leans have Inflicted fresh series of defeats
upon the Democrats, although the latter
could boast of deriving strength from that
curious abortion known as Liberal Rcpub-
licanism.' Twice their attempts to gain
possession Of the Federal Government have
been frustrated. In local as well as national
affairs constant humiliation has been brought
upon them. In 1871 their leaders in this
State were proved TO be men who were either
swindlers themselves or Ia collision with
swindlers. 1t fell to our lot to expose these
Is not crf.e to mention that
tact-and We have been rewarded with their
enmity ever since. The best certificate OF
the thoroughness with which Our work was
done is to be found in the vindictlve hatred
OF most OF our city contemporaries hatred
which at least we have never sought to APP
pcase. Whatever else these chivalrOus foes
may assert, they can never say that we have
tried to lessen their animosity, or have been
otherwise than proud Of their resentment.
We, III fact, have merely fallen In for share
of the yirulence with which the Republican
party has been assai!ed. After a heavy
siege, that party to-day stands firmly estab-
lished III the confidence Of the people. Its
foes arc sleepicss, but the people are always
Just; and luckily for al who have the right
on their side, tho people have habit Of talk
ing over public affairs among themselves,
and are by no means led blindly By the news
papers. They will not condemn great party
because Of the olenscs Of few OF Its MEM
bers. They will not believe, at the bidding
OF a few needless Journalists, that Schuyler
Co!fax /. as bad as Tweed. The Republican
party will yet perform great services for the
country, aud live to iufict renewed disap-
pointnents on the disorderly and fanished
faction which calls itse!f by new name, but
which is essentially the Democratic party Of
l5Gl-E. J. Tiia:s.