The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-01-13

|
They had convention in New Hampshire
the other day-in fact they had two, but the
| important one was a sort of farmers love-
feast. The air was filled with hay seed, and
the keynote of the speeches was struck from
three tine pitch forks. The republicans called
the convention and when they got the dele
gates then they turned it into political
threshing bee. All the old fodder that has
! filed the party mows tor the last ten years,
was thoroughly threshed out and a new
stock of slightly moulded clover put in its
place. Never was such convention seen.
The chaps who in 1872 thought Horace Gree
ley disloyal sorehead, and his utterances
the heresies OF the totally depraved, affably
| ignored the past and adopting all the teach
ings of the reviled leader, put themselves in
trim for the campaign. They nominated a
farmer to carry out the views of the
awakened partisans' and gave him
platform to stand on more alb
struse and unintelligible than the
tablets of Osiris. The first utterance OF this
platform fills the reader with emotions not
easily described. How can man tell just
what he feels, if he is susceptible of a noble
emotion, for instance, in reading this win
moving of the conventions wisdom, FORM
| ing the first of the remarkable series:
Whereas. The republican party sprang into ex-
istence as the ally OF liberty, justice, and ntes
cratic party; it has battled msnfuIIy and ri-
umphantly to preserve the Union. to crush re-
establish the foundation of the republic on The
eternal principles of unity, equality, and free
dom. Emerging from the chaos OF civil war
through the valor and sacrifice OF our citizen SOL
diery, the republican party has restored the
straying states their orbits; il has established
indemnity from england shrough arbitration,
and reparation from Spain through a Just and
UOO OF the public debt. reduced taxation. and
held the republic steadily on its onward and up
ward course.
There is some confusion here as to the pro-
noun and antecedent, but who can say that
there is not a fine imaginative fancy at
play, in the tossing of of such an epitomized
Iliad of achievements. Is there an-Addison-
ian counterpart to the splendor of diction
aud chastity of style, in which the tran
scendant triumphs of the republican party
are set forth? Emerging through the chaos
of civil war, through the valor and sacrifice
of our citizen soidiery, it has restored the
straying states to their orbits" Addison's
simile fthe angel, does not compare with
that felicitous thought. Fancy to yourself
the repub lican party emerging through the
chaos of civil war, seizing the celestial sys-
tenn in their orbits? y background of cotton
frauds; the credit mobilier robberies; the
debauchery of all semblanca of state govern
ments in Louisiana, Alabama and South
Carolina. Those tor the background. Phe
grab and the louisiana conspiracies in the
front. II is not in the province of
high art to stop for such pre-Raphaelite de-
tails as these. The real artistic touch is whore
the republican party is represented as estab-
fishing "peace, justice and tranquility"
Less highly eolored, tins picture would have
been inefective; but FURNISHED, as it were,
with radiance of this sort, the eye is dazzled
and minor errors mingle with the beauties
30 that criticism is hushed. 1t is, however,
the final touch which is reserved for the sur
teited fancy. The republican party paying