New-York tribune., 1876-06-15
THE UOR1L OF PINCHB1CK.

Mr.. =. B. 5. PInchbackS speech at lhe ihce'-
ing of the Louisiana delegation may prove
valuable admonition to the Republican party,
though not perhaps in the precise way Mr.
Pincbback intended He spoke of the Presl-
dent with great disrespect and referred 10 the
Administration party rs humbug. He stood
there as the representative OF great prlnclple'
and in that capacity he considered himself Ill
treated. But for Gen. Grant, and Alr. Conk-
ling. and few others, he might have been
admitted to the Senate, and in his person :" the
"politcal recognition of the colored race"
might at last have been accomplished. And
Mr.. Pinchback vows that he will not rest
until his people get their rights until " the
"political status of the negro in America Is
finally settled. Those who remember that
elaborate constitutional amendments have Sc
cured TO the colored man not only equal rights
before the law, but every political privilege
which the white man enjoys, and that special
legislation has 50 favored him that In some OF
the reconstructed States he has become the
absolute master, will wonder what 1t Is that
Finchbacli now purposes to agitate.
AS well "a we can understand bis complaint,
he demands the political privilege, enjoyed by
other Republicans in Louisiana, of holding an
Office to which he has not been elected. The
political recognition of the colored race, in his
dictionary, signifies a fair divide He has seen
Mr. Kellogg put into the Governors chair by
the help of troops, and Legislature installed
by virtue of military order. He knows that
there has been no such thing as a real cleo
ton in Louisiana during the last four years,
and that very few of the politicians now hold
ing Office have any other claim 10 the places
they occupy than the favor OF the Federal
Ring He cannot be expected to appreciate
the squeamishness which draws the line of dis
tinction just at his name; and when the Adj
ministration. after setting up whole State
Government of its own, refuses to take
the responsibility of putting Plnchback into
the Senate, that high-Spiritcd man OF
color naturally concludes that slavery isn't
abolished after all and that " the political
"status of the negro in America must be
settled without any further delay. As the
Convention seems more and more decidedly
avcrse to perpetuation of the spoils system,
and the influences upon which the Louisiana
agitators depend are seen To be failing. Mr..
Pinchback's conviction of " the dissemblance
land insncerty of the Republican leaders" is
strengthened and he is confirmed in his Ieso-
luton to retire into private life and let the
party get along as best il can without him.
The lesson of all which is that no party can
afford to raise Pinchbacks. Grantism has de
velopcd adventures of this sort by the
hundred, given them offices, helped them to
get money, and used their influence, 10 the
expectation that it could drop them when
it became dangerous to carry them any
longer. But such men always dan
gerous. They never have enough. The time
comes when they demand more than it is safe
to give them, and they cannot be shaken OIL
They have clung to the Administration until
they have not only destroyed the President
politically, but have irreparably damaged all
| his nearest friends, and hence we see to-day
the strange spectacle of a National Convention
of the ruling party in which the favor of the
Administration is positive injury to the can
| didate who inv0kcs it. If Pinchbacli had been
! sent back to his barber-shop two or three
years ago it would have been better for his
| Washington friends-and better for him too
The only safe plan is to leave the States alone
| to elect their own officers and manage their
| own affairs.