New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-24
THE POLITICAL OUTLOOK.

leSBty DGI6aLeU-Ihb EeuHlGy miss
takes in the Past Now Being Paid
Once Holders Not Properly Political
Managerial Plea for ReunitinR the
Party-success in the Future Pre-.
dicted.
The following is the letter of Vice Presi-
dent Wilson, previously referred to, ad
dressed to the editor of the Springfield Re
publican:
WASHINGTON, D. c., January l6, 1875.
l find in your journal a statement that
agree with you that the Republican party
is dead. l beg leave to say that do not
| agree with the Republican. Or,with any man
or set of men, in the opinion that it is dead
or hopelessly defeated. On the contrary,
| believe that the Republican party has it in
its power to recover what it has lost, and to
| elect the next President. In saying this !
am not unmindful of the grave. questions at
| issue. and which are pressing for solution,
| of the disasters that have fallen upon
| it., nor of the hopes, expectations
and strength of the = Democratic party-a
| party whose strength and power l
| have never moderated. believe it can
| recover all it has lost, win back it's former
prestige and still retain its power in the
| government, and l believe this because l
| believe it to'be necessity of the country.
| The grand work of liberty and patriotism
| it has performed, imperatively demands
that it should continue to guide the policy
| of the nation. Liberty, law, order, protec-
| ton and civilization can not afford to have
| it permanently defeated. | saw quite as
early as any one the perils of the Repub-
| lican party, and more than thirteen months
since l warned my political friends of the
danger of losing the next House of Repre-
sentatives.
The party has made mistakes, and,is now
| paying the penalty of those mistakes; but
its ideas, principles and general policies
| have not been condemned. 1t has been
taught by recent disasters that it is mortal,
and if it is wise it will heed these lessons
1t would seem that neither selfshness nor
stupidity could fail to understan> lem, or
could misnterpTet their import. If the
Republican party now dies it will die by
the hand of the suicide, for there is no arm
other than its own potent to strike 1t down.
1t can not, think, hope to recover its lost
prestige and power. by policy of rewards
and punishments, or by party discipline,
There are hundreds of thousands in the
Republican party to-day who spurned the
hribes and frOwEs OF power and left the
Wing aud Democratic parties for the sake
of principles deemed by them important
and sacred. These men can not be sedueed
by the Establishments of power nor greatly
moved by threats of discipline. Mere poll
ticians who think they can govern by the
, whip of party discipline will find that they
i
full and Independent men who struck the
l lash from the hand of the slave masters
| Nor can we recover what is lost in Maesa
, chusetts or i'll the country by the
! impertinent intermeddliDg of office
4 holders in nominations and elections
= Ofiee-holders should learn from the recen
l | election that they can serve the Republican
;. party best by performing their oticia
duties with scrupulous fidelity. The peOpl
Z should be left free to manage IN their owl
}. way and without official interference thei
g primary meetings and elections, for right
:, fully or wrongfully they have been CON
= PEELED to believe that there are those hold
ing office in Massachusetts, in the countr,
If and especially at the South, some of ther
y in important positions, who do not htly II
present the desires and wishes of thei
i localities and who have not the public COZ
q fdenee. The party burdened by such
not likely to be led to victory by their oil
=, trusive interference either in Massachusett
= or in the country North or South.
% The disastrous division of the Republica
ii party in 1872 was to me distressing even
/, 1t seemed to me to be the unnecessary SCI
!, aratiOn of comrades who had toiled togetht
4 tor sO,many years for noble purposes and
20 glorious cause. l did all / could By remOl
OF strances and appeal TO prevent it, and haV
v since sought TO reunite what was then
disastrOusiy and unnecessarily broken; an
% l would now throw the doors wide open +,
IN the return of those who voted for Mr.. Gre
is ley in 1872, and | earnestly invite them
al | reunite again with their old associates L
! deed, at any moment since the election
u, would have pursued generous and ma
OF unanimous policy toward the men who the
vs. lett us, and now, without the loss OF sing
no hour, would in sincerity extend the har
of reconciliation. | would appeal to 20
N, ! sir, and to your associates of the press
rs that unfortunate division, to unite with Il
al | great party which. with all its errors, iaul
h. and Mistakes has made a glorious recol
no for country, freedom and progress. "
er, not ask you to refrain from criticism, n
al leave unnoticed its mistakes, for a par
H.. that can not tolerate that is already in
deeadence There has been, and now is,
class of men in the SOuth-DOuglas Del
is Oerats and Old Line National Whigs-Wl
re. were dragged into the rebellion, but wi
20, have very little sympathy with the Dem
>" cratic party. | have believed, and nc
US believe, that these men should be invit
llf to cooperate with the Republican par
de and share in its responsibilities al
81 hoRors. believe that peace in t
L" South, the blotting out of divisions on t
line of race, the advancement of real reco
ess struetiOn, permanent Southern prOsperii
of and the success of the Republican part
- demand that all honorable efforts shou
an a" be made to withdraw such men from ass
lily citation with thoae who led them in reb'
or lion, brought such fearful and indescribat
,er ruin upon them, and who still adhere to t
Lost Cause" 1t seems to me that the
publioans everywhere in office and ont
Ids office, should subordinate all personal {
to sires, aspirations and ambitions, saorif
Ne their interests, if need be, rally again /
A0' the party, invite everybody to crowd
ng ranks, and bring TO the front, to the i
Ike portant positions of the government, all I
AK experience, ability and character they c
:. command.
A broad, wise and magnanim9us poll
as' should be promptly inaugurated. and ste'
rO- lily and hOn0rably pursued. When I
ed country clearly sees, as it will see, the OF
alternative presented, the real issues
volved, the policies and men to be 81
is ported, their record in the past and TIA
of present affiliations, who and what sh
Ia prevail if the Republican party be set ASH
When the country sees where the 10.
res men of the land are found and where th
in. stand, who believe in the perfect equal
of of the races, and who, come victory
"a defeat lite or death, mean to maintain,
't its completeness, the equal rights OF Am
OF lean citizens of every race, nationality a
ty- faith, then will the Republican masses "a
ev again, achieve new victories, and give
-. party a new lease of power.
10. Truly yours, HENRY WILSON
,ur The Louisiana Case.
ms The Albany EreHi,Y Journal makes