New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-11-28
would reject the hero Of Hamburg. In dra-
matte interest, therefore, to-day may be the
greatest day of all.
THE PRESIDENTS OPPORTUNITY.

ton will have an opportunity to make an i'm
portant change in the political situation. We
have said the rule of force Is over, and the
Republican party can continue to exist only
by the mastery of ideas. We have said
also. that the practical and financial ideas,
looking to the defence of the pubic credit,
the restoration OF the currency, and the econ
! Omy of expenditure, were those by when
! alone the Republican party could successfully
| appeal to the country. Elsewhere, it is bank
rupt There it is strong, because the country
demands attention to such questions, and be-
cause the Democratic party is essentially wrong,
and the Republican party essentially right, upon
those questions. Thus far, however, the atti-
tude of the Administration has been mainly
defensive. In part. this wac necessity of its
position; the President did not think it fit 10
declare to Congress, in advance of his annual
message, his opinion in respect to measures
pending. This reserve need not much longer
| be maintained; in fact it cannot. The annual
message, whether the President wills it or not,
must be regarded either rs a message of war
| to every form of initiation and assault upon the
public credit, or as a hcsitGting and uncertain
confession of unrcadiness to take and hold
clearly defined policy for defence of the Ma
tional honor.
The Presidents reticence thus far we have
entirely justified. Yet it has placed his Ad-
minstration On the defensive; has forced it to
| confront q powerful and aggressive majority
in the House, without positive plan of action
for ts friends; has permitted grave doubts to
be INDUCED as to the purpose Of the President
or the strength OF his convictions; and thus
has deprived the Administration of all that
advantage which a vigorous, well-deiined and
aggressive policy would secure He has rigid
| " respected the restraints which courtesy and
constitutional obligation place upon his action
though he doubtless knows that those re-
straints have cost his Administration much OF
the hearty and resolute approval which n stout
and manful championship Of the public honor
will secure.
The time il ut hand when the President
must constitutionally inform Congress and the
country as to his purposes and convictions. In
his annual message ne can speak without dis
courtesy. bacarse it will be his constitutional
duty to speak, of the measures proposed which
may affect the public welfare. For the first
time. strong, incisiyc aggressive course, cal
culated to rally and win friends, and to COM
pact and stimulate supporters, can be ,aSen
with entire prOpnety, because IN obedience to
constitutional requirement. At this iuncture, 1t
is of the last importance 20 the Administration,
and, what is UNNECESSARILY more OF cOnse-
quence, to the country. that the course taken
shall be strong, firm, and reSo!ute, as well IA
Just. The fight has begun. Twice the flag of
the Nation has been fred upon, and, if Mr..
Buchanan was bamcworthy because he hos
itated after the National authority had been
deficd, if Mr. Lincoln would have been blame
worthy if he had hcsitatcd after the frs, shot
had been fred at Fort Sumter, so Mr.. Hayes
cannot now ignore the fact that two bills, each
making war upon the public credit and the
National honor, have been passed by tie
House.
Very much viii depend upon the tore In
which he meets the grave questions thus
raised. Paltering and time-seTing will re-
double the danger, and discourage friends be-
yond measure. We expect nothing of the
sort. The occasion is one for which the Prcsi
dent must be supposed to nave patiently
waited, and everything in his history fOrbIds
the notion that he does not mean tn meet the
grave responsibility as best he can, bravely,
honOrably, frankly and faithfully. If he does
so, the country has at once a flag about
which it can rally loyal force The sharp
dividing line between parties will be
drawn. The Democrat who means to be
faithful to the public honor will have his clear
reason for sustaining the Administration. If
the overwhelming majority in his own party
continues hostile, he will have clear reason for
asserting his independence on such ISSUES
Old questions viii fail in force, - this issue is
pressed strongly upon the public attention
Whatever is most troublesome in the position
Of the Administration, whatever is weakest in
the attitude of. the Republican party will be
best defended by an earnest, honest, and un-
compromising assault upon initiation and re-
'pudiatiOn, in every form and degree.
But the movement to be effective, must be
resolute and uncOmpromisng. The least sign
of weakness on the Silver question, for in
stance, will put the Administration on the de-
fensve, and keep it there. Any indication
that q measure injurOusly affecting the public
credit can possibly receive the Presidents ap-
proval, any hesitancy in declaring that the
public credit is assailed by repeal OF the Re-
sumption Act, or by any act making silver
dollars a legal tender for payment Of Govern
ment bonds, interest thereon, or customs du-
ties, when such dollars are worth only %
cents each, will deprive the Administration of
its greatest opportunity. Yea or nay, the Me-.
sage must speak. If it fails to speak, it fails
to defend the public honor.
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