New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-02-05
rJPGTNI1 1NICHRONISM.

he is until the other day, III INC iiO"2' "'""'
Oh the Electoral bill, Mr.. George L. hoar'
with two or three sharp, clean-cut sentences
punctrred the windiness OF his oratoiy' an"
lifted him bodily over from the atmosphere
and circumstance of the dead and buried pc
riod Of bluster to the actual political condl-
tions If to-day. He had said in his speech to
the House that he was convinced IL was tho
earnest wish of a portion OF the hepupiic"h
leaders that there should be no agreement on
any plan for counting the electoral votes that
in the event of a disagreement upon the pro-
poscd plan. there would either have to be an
" ignominious surrender or fight; ! ana thcn
he asked the gentlemen on the other side
whether thew were ready for the latter alter
native II sounded like an echo from one of
the ante bcNum Congrcsses-the NAAlNth, Win,
or VIth-whcn buster and bulld0zlng were
recognized arguments on the nOor anu
Southern statesmen habitually Haunted the
same alternative in the face OF Congress
and the country, and filed their pcTOratlons
with fire and blood and gImpowdcr. In fhcSe
twenty years, though Mr.. Goodc seems either 10
have forgotten, or not to have been impressed
by them, there have been events. IhlhGS h"'e
happcncd. These are different tunes; circuh-
stances are different, and the country Is tic
wiser and better for n large and llpc cA-
pprience. either an ignOminOuS surrender
cor Il fight ~ Who is it that stands up IN
Congress and in this blunt fashion demands OF
the American People if they are prepared Tor
that alternative? Who but a representative
of the party that sixteen years ago pressed the
same issue TO bloody arbirament, and III the
end were forced to the surrender which they
tboucht they must fight to avoid! Who bit
representative whose very presence on tue moor
where the threat was uttered was, by grace Oh
the Government he mcnaccd, living express
sion of the magnanimity with winch that "oF-
eminent had forgiven his part i'll conspiracy
against il which had followed and grown up
with and been accompanied by just such IN
tcmnprate and miSchicvouS appeals TO passion
Could anything have been more ont OF time
and place? 1t hardly seems possible lndeeu
for any sane and sober man to have PIT NM
self in such an attitude before an intelligent
body of citizens.
Mr.. Uoar's reference to this ill-timcd threat
from Virginia was rot by way OF answer. Tor
he too spoke in support of the bill which Mr.
Goode was so injudiciou>ly advocating; he
merely puncturcd and left it. " In estimating
"the danger" he said, 90 am not affected by
"any fear of civil war or any menace Of vi
"olencc. Such threats if made i'll the spirit
"of empty buster deserve nothing but con-
"tempt; if serious, the swift and indignant
"scorn and condemnation OF the whole
"people." There is reading between the
lines OF this brief but sharp and cutting re-
bike that contains whole volume OF MS
tory. The listener could not but recall the
long and passionate debates, the angry
specchcs and threats, OF which this seemed an
echo, with which the halls of Congress rang
from 1851 TO 81 the scenes and events that
followed must have been freshly remembered,
though the speaker uttered III words no re-
mndcr of them. 1t was i'll what he suggested
more than in what he said that the weight OF
the rcbuke was felt. There was no need, and
probablv Mr.. Hoar felt that it was not the
occasion, had there been time, to 20 over the
whole story. The few words expressive OF his
scom and contempt for the blustcr to which
the House bad listened were enough to prick
the bubble of Mr.. Goodies OraiOry ana dis
close the shallownesS and emptiness of his
violent discourse. Ii came into the debate like
a breath of cool, fresh Massachusetts, air into
the atmosphere of n heated chamber, and 1t
not only quelled Mr.. GoOdc but operated as Il
reminder to all the rest that the day for that
sort of talk has gone by. We are too new
from the great contention which such talk led
to once, our wounds are yet too fresh, our sad
and bitter memories too young, for us to listen
patiently to any rehash of bullying speeches
or stale repetitions of oli-tmc threats and
mehaCes.
Mr.. Goode of Virginia is an anachronism.
His period has been passed these sixteen years.
His alternative was offered and forced some
sixteen years ago; it was fought out, and it is
not for this generation to repeat that expert
ence. Mr. Goodc may step down and ont of
the present debate. There was a time when
two serving men in Verona might bite Their
thumbs at each other, and by 50 doing bring
in violence and bloodshed and distract the
State. But after violence had run its course,
and the two great families between whom tho
ouorrcI RACED were filled full OF the s0rr0ws of
sacrifice for the best blood of each, the wit
and eayety and courage and tenderness and
devotion that had all gone out they sat down
in peacc together. They would have been very
foolish serving men who, after the curtain iell
upon the tragedy, thought to renew the
wranglc by biting Of their thumbs MI.
Goode of Virginia forgets that there has al
ready been some fighting.
FOUR VERY Long UEEKS.
President Grant has not usually been re-
II a,rF . Ie