The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-12-01
THIS EES ARD.

tsQiC III tAC Oulttt pehn'S iOi poiltiS'
supremacy, the republican leaders in its fierc
conduct show a singular Interpretation of til
. logic of events After an unrestrancd posse
ision of power for sixteen years doubtless it
+ unpleasant enough to be rudely awakened t
|. the fact that such power is slipping away 4
Y relentlessly as the buoyancy Of youth, and q
r of arrest as the onward swing of the sythc c
Time. But men Of the practical wisdom and e,
) perience of Edmunds, Conkling and their ass'
ciates should be able torecognizc the spectre {
rctrlbutive justice when they see it and at
knowledge the faulty Of contending agains
the inevitable. Every way it would be NOR
graceful and becoming to subside into quc
indulgence in theological remarks about hci
hard fate than vainly 10 butt their heads agains
} a stone wall
II For whether Kellogg is now admitted ant
} Butler and Eustis are excluded or not, it vii
at most be but few days when the republican
power in the senate will be broken anyhow
and to stay broken for ever. With the house
already lost, at best the little remnant Of pow
cr in the senate is hardly worth contendine
for 1t exercise at must be in the tcctl
and against the protest of II popular majority
Of million outside, ana however wise and Just
will bring no applause or thanks.
The sting of it however is, as already intma
ted, that the disrObcment comes in the disa
grecable form of rctributive justice. The pow
er was born of an enthusiastic philanthropy in
behalf Of the negro 1t was by impassioncd
por,rayals Of his wrongs that the republican
party obtained power and precipiaed the
country into prolonged bloody war, and when
finally it emerged from the baptism of blood
and the crst enslayed African was emancipated,
the enthusiastic philanthropy was still unap-
'pcascd. The negro must not only be freed
from the shackles of slavery, but must be made
a responsible citizen and voter. twas in vain
a more cautious patriotism suggested forcbod.
ings of evil from the mdlscriminate enfran
chiscment Of such Il mass Of ignorance. From
necessity reasoned the sanguinc republican
leaders, the negroes must become republican
voters and with their votes We shall hold also
the southern states as securely as we hold the
north"
But unhappiIy the negro has signally failed
to meet in any becoming spirit the responsible
ties Of citizenship, and the enthusiastic phil.
anthropy in his behalf is chilled Itno longer
sufiiccs to fire the northern heart, and the
bloody shirt as an oriilammc has passed into
dcsuetudc and contempt. The republican
leaders are forced to brood over the teaching
of sound moralists that excess of zeal in the
best Of causes is dangerous Their carly loss
Of power in the house of representatives must
be an unpleasant reminder. 1t has been
made democratic mainly through the increase
OF southern representation consequent upon
the cniranchisement of the negro; and this in
crease now appears as constant bar to the I'M
partisan supremacy twas designed
TO secure Verify "this ecs ard"
And finally, as To Patterson and Conoycr
against whom the air is now SO filled with re-
publican curses, what have they done. The fac. |
titious party supremacy in the states they
claim 10 represent has passed away Like
NE mist oi the morning 1t Is gone, and gone ,
brewer Shall they stand up alone during
heir remaining days ofpoltical life and try to
breast the popular wave that has enguied
heir local party; Or are they not wiser in do.
ng ~ John Logan, and Ben Butler, and Jim
Blaine, and exc Conkling himself, we believe,
lid, with an army besides, when like wave
IN 1860 well nigh enguied the democratic
party of the nortll-jump upon the top cres-
cent and swim with it? While, heaven knows.
he democratic party can hope for no advan,
age from the permanent acquisition Of either
u both and don't want them, they can cite
thousands OF examples, that few republican
eaders can gainsay, 10 justify them in
prompt rush with II whoop and bound over
o the winning side