The Portland daily press., 1874-11-17
Our New York Letter.
Causes of the Republican Defent-Too
much Fanlt-finding in the Ranks-More
Courage Wanted.

4No sooueT is the SHOCK OF POLITICAL reVOu-
tlon over, than everybody sets about inquIring
who was to blame for it, 1t would be re-
markable if in the discussion incident to such
speculative research, some hard words should
not be banded among men hitherto in friendly
accord. In our own state we have defeated
candidates, who, instead of accepting grace
fully personal result which is one of the
chances of the great lottery of the ballot, are
going about moaning fretfully over their fate
and imputing it to the unfaithfuhess of men,
bers of their own political household. This is
weak and childish, but it is part of the fra,lty
OF human nature. When we have got beyond
and above that narrow point of observation,
the testimony taken at the grand inquest may
be useful and important.
That the panic was the essential cause of
the popular whirligig believe as firmly as
always have. But of course there were COL
lateral influences that intensified the violence
OF the storm. A party can hardly expect to
retain power which is the object of deprecating
reproot from its professed friends and of crazy
invectiye from its avowed enemies If half
which has been said in censure Of the admin
istration by journals sailing under the Repub-
llcan ensign were true. it would dasarve dis
placement. 1T might not indeed be desirable
to substitute Democratic regime, for ex-
perience has taught the country how dagger
GUS that would be alike to order and to econ
Omy, but change of some kind would be de-
manded in the interests of public morality.
The current notion seems to be that the gov
eminent is now under the guidance of excep-
tionally selfish, corrupt and unprincipled pol
iticians-that the Republican party has be-
come gangrened by its own impurities, and
that the times upon which we have fallen are
altogether evil. If anybody can find hearing
through the types and ventures tmidly to ad-
duce evidence in dispute of these sweeping al
legations he is at once set upon as "thick and
thin" partisan, is hooted at as a superservice-
able minion of power and is vigorously re-
minded that that sort of thing is entirely out
of date. So that it really seems for the nonce
to have become rather discreditable to main
tain fidelity and attachment to the PRINCIPLES
and organization of the dominant party, and
whoever speaks of it must adopt sheepIsh
and shamefaced demeanor, as if it were dis
grace rather than credit, to be identified
with any such association. The man who is
false to it is not condemned for his treachery,
but praised for his independence The man
who is true to it is not honored for his manli-
ness but abused for his servity.
Now all this is wrong in ethics, and is surely
tending to demoralize the nation. If people
would take the trouble to think about public
affairs. they would have no great difficulty in
discovering that the present compares favora-
bly, with any preceding administration in re-
spect of economy and efficiency, that the ex-
ecutive branch of the government in every de-
partment is conducted with admirable precis-
ion, that the highest officers of the state do
harder work for smaller pay than is credtable
to the dignity and greatness of the Republic,
and that, in SO far as the gossip of the day re-
fleets upon the authorities at Washington, it is
almost wholly as mendacious as it is malicious
But thinking is an exercise attended with too
little remuneration to be attractive to the
average American. He can turn his time to
more practical account, so he takes his ideas
ready made from the newspapers, and declines
to fatigue himself by analyzing their credibil-
ity Now it happens that the newspapers are
pretty much all with the opposition. Whether
it is because fault-fnding gives more latitude
to genius or because the administration has
not cottoned sufficiently to the press gang, or,
what is more likely, for both these reasons
the bohemians are exclusively enlisted in the
invading army. And it must he said of them
that they have wonderful faculty for invent
ing stories which help to bewilder and confuse
the minds of their readers They are i'm
mense in insinuation. They do not generally
make their fables specific enough to be met by
direct denial. They weave together threads of
romance with great dexterty, occasionally
miDgling some filament of immaterial truth, in
the fabric, so as to give it safer currency 1
rarely take up morning paper without noticing
one or many of these airy igments-they are the
exclusive burden of two or three of our great
dailies-and although at first the mental inqui-
ry suggests itself, SIS it possible anybody who
can read and write will be deceived by such
stuff as that?" I am constrained to admit, on
the evidence of my own experiences, that false
hoods just'as bald and brazen have found cred
ulous acceptance with men of whom a more
discriminating Judgment might have been ex-
pected, from the fact that they were intelligent
enough on all subjects except politics. Nor is
that the worst of it. This base coinage is gath
cred up and sept into circulation all over the
land. The extent to which it is taken up in
creases the supply of it. The favor with which
it is received encourages the dissemination of
it. And so we live amid tempest of coarse,
vulgar, untruthful vituperation, which is pois-
onous to the moral atmosphere we breathe, and
destructive to our love of country and our sense
of decency.
There has been too much liberation of this
disgraceful literature among Republican pub
licists and leading men. Indeed some of the
former have shown disposition to indulge in
aad the latter to contribute to its diffusion.
That is not the way in which parties can be
sustained or the public welfare conserved. The
really faithful, upright and sincere men in the
ranks, while always earnest and jealous for
preserving the highest standard of official in
tegrity, in every sphere of public duty, will
have sense to realize that there is an immeas.
urable difference between noisy screeching
about misgovernment and quiet endeavor to
correct it. The fellows who haloo loudest
against corruption are very often the ones who
were dismissed from place for the too fagraut
practice of it. There is no doubt whatever that
the Republican organization has attracted to it
from time to time great many self-seeking
and knavish adventurers. That is the penalty
of success. Designing men will ingratiate
themselves with the dispensers of place aud
patronage, in mere spirit of thrift. A great
many of these followers have been drummed
out of camp, as their masks dropped off, and
every one of them, without exception has kept
his throat infamed ever since by the exertions
he has made in declaiming against the dshon-
esty of the nations servants
Whenever man is etena lIy proclaimng his
own virtue, and at the same time sniveling ov.
er the depravity.of the rest of mankind, it will
be safe rule to watch him, and prudent poll
cy to suspect him. Then again, there are per-
fectly square and well meaning men who 60
about wringing their hands in anguish, if they
fancy anything has gone, or is likely to 60
wrong, instead of taking hold man fashion to
repair or prevent the mischief If you are to
attack party from the outside the more de.
fects you exhibit and the more you magnify
their enormity, provided you don't overdo the
thing so that you make it obviously ridiculous,
the better for your chances of destroying it,
1