The Portland daily press., 1877-10-30
An Unfulfllled Mission.

There seems to be, in some quarters, be-
lief that the work of the Republican party
is finished, its mission accomplished, and that
nothing now remains for it but to disband.
The party has achieved the ends OF its exist
ence, it is said; it has crushed rebellion, it
has saved the Union, it has gained equal
rights for all men, it has reestablisned the
normal relation between the states and the
nation, it has won the battle and has nothing
more to fight for. In some measure this is.true.
The rebellion has been crushed, the Union
has been restored, and the equal rights of all
men are recognized in our constitution and
laws. But much remains to be done. The
battle is not over, the success is not so decisive
that the victors can afford to disband. The
principles for the carrying out of which the
Republican party was organized have made
great progress but they are not so securely
established that aggressive advocacy of them
can safely cease. Nominally this nation is
Christian; but the fight against sin is not
fought out, and the church does not cease its
work. Nominaly the doctrines of the Repub-
lican party are incorporated in the law and
have become the policy of the country; but
the fight against political ignorance and sin
is not fought out.
There is as wide difference to-day be-
tween the doctrines and traditions held by
the two great political parties as there was
ten years ago. The work of reconstruction
has apparently been finished by the return to
full self-government in the Southern States.
If that return, however necessary, is fraught
with danger to human rights, il it threatens
the notification of the beneficent legislation
of the last decade, if it promises to reward
treason with honors, how much greater the
danger of surrendering the national govern
ment into the hands of the Southern leaders
While the people of Louisiana and South
Carolina are hereafter to be treated precisely
as are the people of Maine and Iowa it is nei
ther just nor wise that the control of the ma
tion should be given to the men who bu
lately defied its authority and attempted its
destruction.
The late rebels of the South and their
Northern sympathizers have gained control
of many states OF the Union, and are aiming
at the possession Of the national government
itself. II loyal people desires to see
its affairs administered by those who
were but lately endeavoriDg to destroy
the national unity then there is no
longer an excuse for the further ex-
istence of the Republican party; but if
it prefers to entrust the government of the
country to the men who saved it and not to
the men who believe the suppression of the
rebellion calamity, reconstruction unconsti-
tutional and revolutionary, and the extension
of suffrage to the freedmen an outrage and
an insult, then there are abundant reasons
why the Republican organization should be
sustained. That it will be sustained and tri-
umphantly supported we have faith to be-
lieve. 1t is represented by no one man.
The mistakes of no one man nor set of men
can kill it. 1t is based upon the best tradi-
tions of the country. II represents the best
beliefs and sentiments of the land. 1t gives
the largest promise for the furtherance and
successful carrying out of those measures Of
public policy which are necessary to the hon
or and welfare Of the country. The record
of its past achievements is earnest of its f1-
ture endeavors.