New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-05-30
THE SOUTHERN DELEGATES IN The
CINCINNATI CONVENTION.

uACt6t0 Vol us w Iuo OluCluu8Il COANousAoAe
should make them extremely cautious in
the delicate task of assisting to nominate
candidate for the Presidency. Present
appearances indicate that it is impossible
for the Republican party to carry any
Southern State, except, perhaps, Louisl-
ana and South Carolina. And without
powerful moral, and if need be material
support from the North, the two States
excepted will be lost. We are, therefore,
compelled to look to the North to fight
the impending battle, as it will require
one hundred and ninety Northern elect
oral votes to make the election sure
This will, of course, involve the alb
solute necessity of nominating at Cincin-
natl the man who can command the largest
Northern vote. Any one of the three or
four prominent candidates whose names
are likely to be presented to the conven-
ton would be entirely acceptable to the
Republicans Of the South, as they are
abundantly shown by their public
records to be staunch friends Of those
measures in which We have deep, even
vital concern. The issues which created
the war and were supposed to be settled
by the reconstruction acts and the amend
meats are not so thoroughly put to rest as
to be beyond the reach Of danger in case
hostile administration were to come into
power. It is necessary, therefore, to the
future existence of the Republican party
of the South that the next President
should be a jealous friend of those meas
ures. And, if the national convention
should be forced by the delegates from
the territories, the District Of Columbia
and those Southern States where it will
not be possible to secure an electoral vote
for the ticket, it may endanger success
by disgusting those States upon which
we must depend.
If the Southern delegates are to be in
structed at all as to candidates, they
should be required to vote for the candi-
date who seems to combine the most ele-
ments of popularity in the States from
which the Republican electoral vote is ex-
pected in November. 1t will be worse
than idle for our delegates to go to Gin
cinnati and there form such an alliance
with the minority of the Northern dele
gates as to secure the nomination of a
candidate who would be obnoxious to the
constituencies of the great States Of New
York, Pennsylvania. Ohio. Illinois and
Indiana. Nearly all Of these States are
known as close, that is, there is but little
margin to depend upon for the Re-
publican party in any case, and
the combination of any two of them,
with the Democratic South, would turn
success away from the Republican ticket.
A very small percentage Of loss would |
lose either New York or Ohio, while some
gains are necessary to carry Indiana.
Any course, therefore, on the part Of the |
Southern aud territorial delegates that is
calculated to create GOODNESS in the |
party of this belt of great States will be |
simply suicidal. We should remember |
there are two ways Of manifesting popular |
displeasure toward nominations. One is
to bolt outright, and the other to kill the
nominee by Indifference. In 1866 Mr..
Greeley showed that the loss of one vote
IN every precinct in the State Of New York
would aggregate enough to endanger the
ticket, though a Republican majority of
eight or ten thousand was expected. IN
ess, therefore, the Louisiana Repub-
leans are prepared to demand such can.
idate as suits them, or none at all, they
hould make q careful estimate of the re- !
alive strength at the North Of the re-
pective candidates before committing
themselves to the one OF the other. Our
'arty, if it gains the electoral vote Of this
tate at all, can only do it through the
gency of the Northern Republicans, act
ng upon the President. If the powerful
of the federal government be
withdrawn, as it was in 1865 aud in Mis-
issippi last year, it will not he worth
lille to print Republican tickets. There
not moral force enough in the State to
AIRY single parish if the Republicans be
1T to their own resources, unaided by
orthern power. Every Republican in
lis State knows this to be true, and every
orthern delegate in the Cincinnati con-
sntion will know it also. If then, our
elegates and those from the other South
n States where Republican victory is
lie forlornest of hopes, are sent to Cincin-
ati with instructions to elbow their way
} to the secretary s desk with their instruc-
ons to vote for candidate whose nom
alton will not command the approval Of
e North, they will incur the risk of be-
g asked to set up convention Of their
vn, as they will be only influential for ,
Irm if they attempt to dictate to the I
legates of the voting constituencies. A
cidedly modest course will be the better
lie. 1t will be much better for US as a
'rty, aud especially for the colored peo-
e as race, that the least beloved Repub- t
AN in all the North be elected President :
an to incur defeat by blind adherence :
some impracticable man whom the
sders Of our party here regard as po- :
ical idol. The worst possible advisers !;
q national council Of the character Of the