Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-10

a ~canvassing speech, charge that the
party which he wa opposing was 'a
party Of high profession and sorry
practice" He could not have uttered
a more telling aphorism. Nothing is
so fatal to political parties as in prac-
tice to fall short Of their professions;
nothing SO disastrous as to break prom
ises. ~Inidelity to its promises defeated
the Liberal party Of Great Britain.
When Mr.. Gladstone was triumphantly
elected in July, 1868, it was by
the assurance he gave the people of
peace, retrenchment and efficient adj
ministration, with the promise of home
government for the Irish. In the five
years which succeeded he failed IN
every particular of this platform; and
when the people were given an oppor-
tunity in February last. they both pun
ished him for his bad faith and refused
to trust him longer. He was ready in
the canvass with his budget.
OF promises, but the electors
measured them by those hat had
been violated. Hefailed to understand
the fatality of. repudiating political OBJ
legations, or he could have held the
Premiership-which was a bird in
hand-untl the lawful expiration of
Parliament. In America as in En-
gland, a party TO live must fulfill its
promises. What of the Republican
party, its platforms and its leaders? 1t
is a matter of common remark that the
party is declining precipitately. This
is palpable, for the signs r notorious
facts. Whenever a Republican vessel
essays to pass the peoples battery.
it goes to pieces inevitably.
Not an opportunity is spared
to discharge a disabling shot. 1t cam
not be denied that a great a for
this is the fact that the party leaders
and the party elect, from the elections
forth, ignored thepromises contained in
the party platform. The Philadelphia
platform of 1872, promised the country
reform In the civilservice. What have
we? The faith has been worse than
violated. Wherever reform was need
cd, we find corruption more corrupt,
and it has spread like a contagion.
This obligation, if any, should
have been religiously discharged
by discreet leaders, for nothing a
so offend the people as to promise
them honesty and give them dishones-
ty-nothing so irreconcilably ALLEVIATE
them, as to give them dishonesty IN
creased thirty, sixty and a hundred
fold. Now we have the same political
hebetude exhibited by leaders in the
present financial Legislation. TIL now
a large proportion of the citizens of
the United States have cherished con-
fdence in the hackneyed pledge to re-
sumo specie payments at the earliest
practicable moment. The intelligence
of the country now declares
the inanity of that plight. VIII the
Republican party, when it comes to
indite the national platform Of 1875, be
able to repeat what it said in that OF
1872? See the glowing felicitation and
observe the general Misunderstanding of
1872:
"a uniform national currency has
been provided, reputation frowned
down, the national credit sustained
under the most extraordinary burdens,
and new bonds negotiated at low rates.
-Phs rarznuas have heen carefully col
lected and honestly applied. Despite
annual large reductions IN the
rates Of taxation, the public
debt has been reduced during Gen.
Grants presidency at the rate OF one
hundred million dollars a year. A
great financial crisis has been averted
and peace and plenty prevail through
out the land"
Howmiserably the party is managed!
But nothing can save it from general
remuneration. It Is, possibly for the
permanent good Of the country, too
much demoralized to be rallied by
skiliful leadership, even if it had that
Indispensable requisite for existence.
Bad management, bad legislation,
and bad chief-magistracy have already
precipitated it beyond recuperation.
RadicaIism cannot in the nature of
things have a long lie. 1t means
change, which the people viii not al
ways have, and breeds corruption,
which the people viii not always tol-
crate. It perjures itself by ignoring
the Constitution and renders itself obi
Gus by denying the rights Of citizens.
It's character would ultimately destroy
it. But the Radicalism Of American
the desperation Of perversity, hastens
its own end.
THE NeW York Tribune asserts fatty
that unless Sanborn "has per ured him
self, Secretary Richardson Is convicted
Of having attempted to crawl out Of the