The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-11-29

their past political dogmas hereical, aoan-
doned its position and flew to the other
extreme, and made Democracy. as 1t IS inter-
!, preted in its literal and comprehensive sense,
its foundation stone
f With the doctrine of universal suffrage as Its
# guiding star, and the alluring temptation Of
equal rights to all civil, political and social
the Republican party launched upon the sea
& of national politics feeling strong and safe,
and able to resist the most violent storms and
! avoid the most dangerous breakers. It sailed
on, unimpeded in its progress, and the out
look for it's future greatness and power was
most promising.
AS in the palmy days Of the Democracy. it
met with little or no opposition The
!. National Government was entirely in tspower
and the different States We're subject to its
domination.
True, it acquired its control Of the Southern
States by a resort to outrages unparalleled IN
any history Of free people; by SYSTEMATIC
Frauds by setting at defiance the pianest and
simplest rights Of the Southern whites, and
by ruthlessly putting aside every barrier, how
ever legal and just that obstructed its onward
march to power and supremacy. However,
that it acquired universal and unlimited sway
over the entire country cannot be disputed,
although its modls opefasd was entirely differ
ent from that adopted by the Democratic par
ty, the principles of which appealed to the in
telligence, the interests Of the people, and the
prosperity Of the country. The Republican
party rather preferred, as an argument, the
tlotter in ne to the suntitey ia modo Of its late
political rival, and was not slow to invoke that
aid when its doubtful policy and its heresies
and sophistries failed to convince the people
that Radcalism was the grand panacea for all
he political troubles Of the country.
BY this novel style Of procedure great
innovation upon the old school Of American
politics-the Republican party accomplished
its purpose for the time being, and realized
more than it ever dared to expect. It's bold
ness, effrontery, independence and utter
recl1les5ness, as well as unscr1pulo usness,
gave it success fer a while. But its power and
its undisputed sway, like with its great pre-
decessor begat corruption and dissension.
The party carried its dictatorial, its imperial
istic authority too far. It even placed upon
its most honored adherents the ban
Of political prescription, whenever
they hailed or failed to come
up to the full letter of every political pro-
gramme adopted by those partisan chiefs who
had deposed the more cautious, discreet, and
contentious LADDERS. Schurz and Banks were
made to give way for Butler and Morton.
Greeley and Palmer were eclipsed by Grant
and Cushing, and Logan and Dix were more
powerful than Carpenter and Fenton. Aud SO
through the whole category OF those Republi-
can chieftains, who, from Eeener foresight, |
saw the impending danger and refused to fol- |
low the party on its sure and rapid way to |
ruin and humiliation.
Their detection from tie party. and their
protestation against its excuses and their
open defiance of Its rigorous discipline and |
exactions, attracted the attention of the PEG.
pie. When they discovered that tie intellect, |
the honesty and the patriotism OF Che party, |
represented by the men whom they had |
learned to honor and revere. and to whom
existence and success of the Republican
party, had turned their backs upon their own
political offspring, the people began to sus-
pect that there was something rotten in the
State of Denmark" Their attention was then /
Immediately directed to the practical workings
OF the party to which they had yielded ale
glance. The character, antecedents objects
and purposes of its present leaders we're can
vassed and discussed, and the actual results
of the Republican, party We're weighed and
criticised.
When once engaged in analyzing these Sc
rous and important questions, it very soon
became apparent to them that the Republican
party had accomplished its mission, and that
it's day Of usefulness had passed. 1t was
without principle, without purpose or aim,
and was only held together by the "cohesive
power of public plumber"
A party held togethe- by such ties could not
be expected, in the nature of things, to exist
long. With disafection among its leaders,
ignorance and venality in lis ranks, the plum
dering of the people aud the Government, and
the acquisition Of spoils, as its only purpose,
it is not strange that it should have been SO
disastrously routed "horse foot and dra-
COON" as it was on the ID and Sd of Novem-
Der, 1874, by the great uprising Of the paople,
that extended from Massachusetts, to Califor-
MIA, sweeping before it every semblance of
as taught and practiced by
Grant, Williams, Butler, Morton and Kellogg.
Six years ago the Republican party seemed
to be invincble, and there was every reason
to believe that it had secured a mastery over
the country that would continue for a score of
years But to-dayit lies vanqu;s!ed and pros
trate at the feet Of an indignant people, who
have so justly punished it for its unworthy,
faithless, dishonest, selfish and corrupt admin