National Republican., 1874-07-02

not a little arrogant and proud oftheir pub
lie honors and services.
The article in question is protest against,
In great measure, the policy Of the Re-
publican party for the last seven or eight
years. Perhaps the ''practice" of the party
would be the more exact word, for the party
was compelled to do many things in the re.
construction of the Southern States which
it did not, in the first place, intend to do,
and which 1t would not have done if the
South itself had not in a measure, made it
necessary. Now that the work of the his
torian has begun, it is easy to see the blum
ders and errors that were committed; it is
easy to criticise and point out where and
how we might have done better, what evils
might have been avoided and what good
might havo been wrought. Mr.. Adams
comes forward as critic and historian, and
the party cannot, we suppose, justly com
plain that it should be judged and passed
upon the same as every other party has
been judged. But the trouble with Mr..
Adams and with men Of the Adams
school who are so anxious just now to
create party is that they come to their
work prepared to see only the blurs and
blots closing their eyes altogether to the
strong points, the merits and the services
ofthst which they are seeking to destroy.
They look at only one side of the question;
they search for the weak parts in the
armor. If painted as Cromwell instructed
the artist to paint him, warts and all, Z"
the Republican party has nothing to fear;
when the "warts" only are painted the
injustice becomes apparent. This is what
Mr.. Adams has done. No party which
the world ever saw has accomplished so
much that is positively good, that will be
good for all time, as the Republican party. |
1t saved the Union. 1t abolished slavery. |
1t called forth spirit Of patriotism, and
wrote in our history chapter that will
last forever as lesson and a warning to
succeeding generations. Mr.. Adams COM
plains that in the finishing up of its grand
work it now and then overstepped the State
rights line; that the arm of the Executive
was raised when it should not have been
Rised, ss, for instance, in Louisiana. Here
again Mr.. Adams shows his prejudices, his |
untltness to review the work Of the party. |
1t is true that the President did interfere |
in Louisiana, but it was in obedience to |
the letter and the spirit of the Constitu.
ton, in obedience to the law. 1t was not |
for him to call in question Durelrs author
ity, and the authority of his court at the
time. To do so would have been an act Of
the most dangerous and alarming tendency.
Mr.. Adams deals with other questions in a
similar unfair and uncandid manner.
So far as the new party is concerned, the
platform which he expects will bring US
the political millennium is as follows: First
" A strong President must be chosen, who
" will curb the Senate, confne Congress to
" its proper functions, and who will be able
" to conceive and to execute broad con-
" stitutional policy-one who, above all
" else will do battle for the courts. Sec
" ond, Rotation in office must be stopped
" by legislation; place must In future be
held during good behavior; and place
men must be forbidden to mingle in poll
" tics. Third, Something must be done
- to free minorities from their thral-
- dom. Some means must be devised
" of loosening the garrote Of the eau
" Gus. That institution is now strsng-
q ling the nation by permitting those men
g who handle party machinery to break
4" down opposition and to drive from the
I" field all who will not peddle in their low
" arts" There is very little in all this
bundle of generalities. So Tar as we have
been eble to see, and we have watched legis-
latiOn somewhat closely for the last couple
of years, the Senate has not done anything
which especially calls for curb" 1t has
not unwarrantably interfered in matters
that did not concern or belong to it. In
another portion Of his article Mr.. Adams
speaks of the ''usurpations' of that body.
In whatH When? Ofcourse it is desirable
to have only good men in Office, and to re-
tain faithful servants as long as possible.
But even in this much that is purely senti-
mental is said and written even by men of
the Adams rank and aspiration. 1t is the
fashion to inveigh against the wickedness
of the times to lament that we are living in
an era of total depravity, especially among
Office holders; but it is very doubtful that
our predecessors were any better or purer
than We are. There is not much prospect
that Mr.. Adams party is very near, or that
the people are as strongly impressed with
the need for it as he is. He has written
good paper; but in the construction of a
platform it would be difficult to select three
less important planks. when the wants Of
the country are considered, than those he
has chosen. His article bears all the marks
ard points. of the Adams family-closet
is not likely to make {
a very deep or lasting impression upon
current politics or the politics of the imme- :
li,+a