Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1875-06-10
The Political Outlook.
From the Washington Chronicle.

paign to forecast with any degree of
certainty the result Of the State cleo
tons Of the present year, and the
presidential and congressional elections
of 1876. But that q reaction since
the elections Of last fall has taken
place in the public mind in favor of
the Republican part,, and its policy
and principles, is admitted by every
political observer throughout the
Union.
The causes for this are abundant.
During the last three years speculation
in railroad building and in business
matters generally, had been pushed
forward so rapidly and sofar in advance
of the demand, that a reaction follow.
ed as a natural and inevitable results.
For the time the opportunities for i'm
mense profits ceased. money was with>
drawn from circulation and Business
interests genera ly suffered. The PEG
pie became dissatisfied the times
were ''out Of joint" and the party in
power was charged with being the
cause of it. There must be = "change."
In response to this feeling, the Demo
cratic party made an advance in the last
autumn election which, under other cir.
cumstances,the could not have gained.
1t is true, however, that while this
was the main cause Of Democratic
gains, there were other agencies at
work. Scandals Of official misconduct
bad beed freely circulated by the OPP
position press-m many Of them, how
ever, without the slightest foundation
in fact and the people had come to
look upon the Republican party as
having, by its own acts, forfeited the
confidence of the public.
No sooner, however, had the smoke
of the political battle cleared away.
and Che people saw the results OF the
contest, than they hogan to discover
the gravity Of the situation. Here
were some eighty Confederate generals,
subordinate officers, and aiders and
supporters Of the Confederate army
and state elected to. the United States
Congress. With these and other
Democratic gains the Lower House was
Transferred to the Opposition As the
Democratic pa ty is, and always has
been, controlled mainly by the South
rem element, the popular branch of
Congress, in which al appropriations
are arranged, is virtually in the hands
of ex officers Of the rebel army.
. The aspect of the political situation
has come home to the friends of the
Union with a force that has already
produced a popular reaction IN the
public mind. Our victory came a
year too soon,'is q remark uttered daily
by prominent members Of the Demo.
cratic party, and so it is generally
conceded. The country has been
aroused to the consequences of Demo
cratic rule, under such leaders as
Gordon and Lamar, with their thousands
Of millions of dollars of claims ready
to he presented to Congress for pays
ment for the loss of slaves and other
property, by the war. and which would
even against the unconstitutionality Of
their demands, be pressed under one
form Of disguise or another. until salts
faction came to the claimants, by war
rants on the United States Treasury.
Not only this, the Confederate soldiers
and widows must be pensioned, or the
appropriation for pensions to Union
soldiers will be stopped.
And now. in view Of these pros
pective results of indifference at the
polls, comes the reaction The patriot
ism of the Union has been aroused,
and the people are becoming once more
impressed with the responsibilities
resting upon them as citizens. And
if the state conventions will only put
right men IN nomination, there can be
little doubt of q succession of victories
during the autumn elections. that will
put the result Of the presidential con.
test. @fthe centennial year almost be-
yound the possibility of a doubt.
tV@ Holy Writ compares our life to a
journey. Heaven is our home, toward
which, during our present life, we should
every be journeying, Every one who
wishes to travel well makes some prepare
ton and he does 50 with more or less
care, in proportion to the dangers and
difficulties of the road. and to the impor>
lance of the object for which he travels.
How great then, should be our solici.ude