New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-12

appearance of factious demonstration was
carefully avoided. Some of tho most illustri-
GUS among the Republicans of this city were
conspicuous among the speakers and officers
of the meeting, and the announcement Of their
But it is impossible to DENY, what we should have
been glad not to see, that very few Admins
tration men of any prominence were present
and that the party generally seems to have
determined to make partisan matter OF tho
affair, and to adopt blindly whatever measures
it may please the President to determine upon.
This is cause for profound regret The
worst enemies of the Administration could
have wished it better luck than this
fatal blunder. IL was natural one
to be made by man so unacquainted with law
as the President and so bent upon following
out his own fancies and prejudices without re-
gard to consequences. But having been made
there was nothing but disaster in standing by
it, and persisting in the same course. Any
sagacious partisan ought to have seen that
this was a case where even the President
might profit by changing, and where in any
case the party would DO destroyed by follow
ing him. No worse injury could be done to
Gen. Grant than by encouraging him IN this
Every one recognized this except those whose
first business it was. There does not seem to
have been prominent Administration Senator
or Representative who saw the advantage of
taking ground against the illegal use of the
troops in Louisiana, or who dared to suggest
to the President that persistence IN it would
be the ruin of his administration, and the
destruction of the party which supported it.
There was no doubt of this anywhere else.
II was almost impossible to find in any club
or contingencies in this city man Of rea-
sonable intelligence outside of politics who
Joined with Gen. Belknap and call Of us" in
approving the proceedings IN New-Orleans.
The strongest partlsans were carried off their
feet by the general current of indignant pro-
test, and organs of the most trustworthy ser
Witty ventured upon an hours timid indie
pcndence. To sanguine people, it appeared for
a moment possible that this enormous weight
Of opinion might be worth something even
with the Presidents people, and might induce
him and them to listen 10 reason. But Gen.
Grant does not change his opinions out of re-
spect for those of others, and the persons who
have most influence with him are those who
always agree with him.
The hopes, therefore, that many entertained
of settlement of this matter without parti-
san victory for one side or the other, do not
seem to have been well founded. The Adj
ministration party has chosen to stand by the
President in this illegal and odOus business
The only result of it will be, still further
moral and material loss to the party. vast
majority of the people of the country con-
tl,o \ iptor
wond have been glad to condemn it as friends
and supporters of the President. His attitude
and that of his managers have made this i'm
possible. In the great hall of Cooper Institute
last night there were hundreds of men who
voted for Grant and who against all misgivlngs
voted withthe party last November. They would
infinitely have preferred to see on the plat
form the men whose guidance they have been
accustomed to follow in conventions and eau
cuses. But the absence of these captains
will not prevent the conscientious indi-
yiduals who have formerly acted with
them from following the indications Of their
own common sense and honesty. The party
has become the personal appanage of Grant;
and the voters must decide for themselves
where they shall 90.
The message of New-YOrk, therefore, is not
to the Government and not to Congress as a
body. 1t is to individual members who still
have some selfrespect and hope of an honor
able future. 1t rests with them now to choose
whether they will sacrifice themselves to a
false and absurd idea of partisan fealty, which
has already degenerated into mere personal
subservienco, or whether they viii listen to the
voice of their fellow-citizens, with whom their
future lives are to be passed, urging them with
disinterested sincerity to bear testimony at
once against this scheme of violence and
wrong. If any member from New-York fails
to answer to this appeal, it can only be be-
cause he has willfully hardened his heart, or
because he would rather offend his constitu-
ents than the President.