The Republican journal., 1875-03-11
The Cause of the Change

the majority report of the Louisiana Con
gressional Committee, takes issue witt
the following paragraph in that docu
ment:
"1S14 was Il year Of political change in which
the vote Throughout all the states were serious
ly affected against the Republican party,
change resulting largely from the financial dis
tress of the people and which should, therefore
naturally have been even greater in Louisiant
than elsewhere"
That "1S74 was year OF polltlca
change is reasonably clear from the re
suits Of the various elections then held
but we decline to accept the explanation
of this change as given by the committee
Undoubtedly ''the financial distress of the
people, had something to do with it, bu
financial distress was not by any means
the chief instrumentality in the combina
ton which effected the wholesale defeat
of the dominant party
An impression prevails, and is sedulous.
ly cultivated in certain political circles,
that the whole machinery of American
politics revolves upon the single pivot OF
''the almighty dollar" In other words,
that SO long as any party can, by fail
means or foul, keep the popular pocket
well lined with cash, it may not only
maintain its supremacy, but do very
much as it pleases i'll other matters. II
this theory were true, the existence OF
our present form of government would
be exceedingly precarious, and liable to
! terminate when least anticipated. An
abundance of money in circulation and
general prosperity in business are not
| infallible indications of wise and be-
neticent administration of public affairs
based upon the sure foundations of public
| liberty. France never had as much mo-
ney, and never was as generally prosper
Gus, as during most of the period en-
braced in the second empire. Yet the
principles which Napoleon III. believed
in and practiced were not such as would
| provoke warm admiration from Wash
| ington, Jefferson and Franklin. His rule
was simple despotism, and as a natural
consequence it crumbled away at the first
sharp attack of misfortune. The only
government which can successfully en-
dure any and all trials from without or
from within, is that which is by people
and for the people, and keeps steadily
in view the most important interests OF
the people-which, we hold, are some
thing far above all merely financial con-
siderations. 1t is quite possible for nations
to be very rich, and at the same time ut
| terly destitute OF real national happiness ,
and it is equally possible for nations to be
very poor, and yet possess a satisfactory
share of that happiness. An easy money
market-which, by the way, is not always
a safe one-is among the commonest de-
vices of tyranny for the subduing of that
popular discomfort which would otherwise
demolish the tyrants.
The American people, as a mass, can
not certainly be accused of Indifference in
regard to the acquisition of wealth. They
love wealth not so much for its own sake
as for the power it brings, and this love is
the strongest stimulus of that enterprise
which in less than a century has trans
formed continental wilderness into gar
den and sent our flag and commerce round
the globe. But we believe the love of
wealth is subordinate, in the hearts of the
majority, to love of country. They love
not the golden Cesar less, perhaps, but
they love their Rome more; and when
the two emotional forces are fairly pitted
against each other, the latter is sure to
triumph. If it did not and could not, then
would we be fit subjects for slavery and in
convenient position for the speedy ad-
vent of a master.
1t is plainly the policy of the Republic
can party to assume that the Conservative
victories of 1874 were due exclusively to
the monetary panic, and not to any more
dgnified and patriotic impulse. This
comfortable theory thrusts into the back
ground all the political blunders and
| crimes of the last fourteen years, and re-
duces the issue to a mere question Of dol
| lars and cents If such were the case, the
contest of 1876, for which both parties are
now gathering and disciplining their fol-
lowers, would be stripped of most Of its
interest and all of its genuine importance.
But the truth is that the panic and its ac-
compartments had as little to do with the
Republican defeat in 1874, as the finan-
cial CONFUSION of 1857 had with the
Democratic defeat in 1860 In both cases
disordered finance was minor cause. but
in both cases the primal cause was the
dissatisfaction of the people with the
domestic policy Of the party in power
The treatment of the Southern states and
the evident inclination of the Federal adj
ministration to usurp authority which does
not belong to it, and thereby prepare the
way for Capitalization with all it's innu-
berable ills these are potent influences
which undermined theRepublican dynasty,
and these are the agencies which are still
working to accomplish its final downfall.
If the Republican leaders had appreciated
the situation, and fastened to make all
possible amends for offences committed,
they might perhaps have averted further
chastisement. Claiming, as they do, to
be not only entirely innocent, but entitled
to gratitude and reward for services al
ready rendered the country, they are likely
to ascertain from painful experience that
the country fully understands them and
their performances, and that the people