The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1874-07-01
Woman in Politics.
TWO NOTABLE INSTANCES IN WASHING
TON.

From a communication to the St.
Louis Republican, under the above
caption, we take the following which
will be found highly interesting:
During the last eight or ten years
we have noted two most conspicuous
instances Of feminine intrusion into
political affairs, not to speak Of num-
berless examples Of local and other
wise less Importance. In one of these
cases we have observed woman of
rare beauty, singular grace and mag
netism, and wonderfully varied and
perfect accomplishments, out-writting
the oldest made heads and overreach-
ing the subtlest masculine managers in
daring game for that highest politi-
cal stake, the presidency. That she
failed does not invalidate our assunp-
ton of her superiority. For it is now
a conceded fact of history that under
her def manipulation, her father came
nearer the Presidency than he could
have come under any other manage
ment. In 1864 her father was candi-
date for the Republican nomination as
against Mr.. Lincoln. She was then
young lady, a leader of society in a
capital chivalrons with the sounding
proximity of battle and wild with the
excitemeuts and extravagances Of war.
She plunged into the mazes of polit;-
cal wire working and joined in the
subterranean processes of political in
trigue with as little hesitation as other
girls lent their graces to the whirl Of
the waltz or bent their talents and
their witchery to the coquetry Of the
parlor. She won hearts, not for the
sake of their homage, but because of
the political influence of their owners.
She led men captive at her radiant
chariot wheels, not tor the sake of 80
cial triumph, but for their usefulness
in the Baltimore convention. Enthu-
siastic young journalists devoted half
their time to writing sonnets to her
and the other half to sounding the
praises Of her paternal candidate for
the Presidency. Debonnair middle
aged statesman, over one glass of her
bospitable wine, toasted the quenchless
eyes of the fair hostess, and over the
next libation swore eternal tealty to
the cause whose success would make
her mistress of the White House.
White haired Solons felt again the
warm tlood of yore Jingle their veins
in her presence, and breathed in un-
dertones in the midst of their hoary
galfantries strong VOWS ofdevotion to
her fortunes and her ambition. One
by one she
EsTRANGED LINCOLN's CABINET.
from him, until all but the Postmaster
General were known to be opposed to
This denomination. In every high place
her influence was felt, in every quar-
ter of power she had her servants and
thralls of her charms and her magnet
ism to do her bidding. All the logic
of politics were against her.
All the time sanctioned maxims of
poiity were in her path. What she
was trying to do was not merely to ex-
change one administration for another {;
but she was endeavoring to execute a
national change of political base and of
personal front right in the teeth of tue
epemy, who was grimly pounding at
the gates and burning country seats IN
sight of the capital. She was essaying
the daring experiment of a revolution
within a revolution And there are
men living in Washington, in Cincln-
natl, in St. Louis, in New York, who
eau tell what few people not in the Sc
crets ever suspected that she came
within the merest hairs breadth of
success. Now what man would have
dared such project at such time I
And what woman, it may be said,
would have dreamed it, except Kate
Chase, one of the greatest women this
generation has produced! None OF
these comments can be construed into
disrespect towards her. None of them
breathe an intimation of improperly,
except that which iDheres in the fact OF
mingling with such affairs at all. Fo,
in all this commotion she carried bel
womanly fame untarnished, and he,
lady like bearing was never once bend
ed OF relaxed. We speak of her not at
having incurred criticism by her polit'
icaI acts themselves, but by the fact o.
having placed herself in the position tt
do them. We might with similar mi
nuteness chronicle her exploits foul
years later, when she appeared for thu
nonce Princess Regent of Tammany
and pitted- fairly against such giants al
vallaudigham and Hampton, for thu
ascendency in a convention whose mis-
sion was to nominate a foeman for tn,
,, invipcible Grant. But it is unneces
sary, and the history Of 1864 may an
swer for that of 1868, with trifling al
teratious to suit the changed circum