Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-03-09
The End.


The End.
The country draws q long breath. Re
lief has como, and peace. The weary
struggle which began in effect more than
year ago, which took definite form
carly in July Of last year, which has
stihed business and clogged the wheels
of industryfo many months, and pushed
thousands Of firms into the gulf OF bank
ruptcy, has ended at last. A splendid
era of prosperity gilds the horizon with
the glow of dawn. Millions Of patient
workers have waited with sore hearts for
that better day; millions of weary wives
and hungry children have lived on hope
until political wranglers could bring
their long contest to an end. But II
ends at last in triumph of justice and
law, of national honor and prosperity.
The country rejoices to-day, not only
because the struggle sover, but because
il does not end in the success of Mr..
Tilden and his supporters. A great re.
vulsion Of public opinion toward him
and his party has taken place since his
nomination, and even since the election.
Disclosures respecting his own conduct
have been such as to destroy almost
completely the confidence which many
| felt that genuine reform was possible
through his Inauguration. His party as
a whole, and particularly that portion
of it which represented his will most
nearly, has utterly disgusted the coun.
try by it's behavior. Not since the dark.
est days of 1851 has the Democratic
party displayed such lack of de.
cency, honor or patriotism, such
disregard of the prosperity of the
country, such INSCRIPTIONS and revolu-
tionary recklessness, as in this contest.
The able and patriotic Democrats, to
whom the country owes q peaceful end
ing of the count, have been outvoted in
caucus, publicly denounced as traitors
to their party, forced to fight against all
the Vaccinations Of their candidate, his
hired attorney, and the men who repre-.
sented him at Washington, and have
nearly seen a majority of all the Demo.
cratic votes in the House cast again and
again, through weary days and nights,
for dishonorable and revolutionary meas
ures. All honor to the men whose cour-
age and patriotism give the country
peace. But they cannot but feel that
the country ought to rejoice that it has
escaped the clutches of the desperate
revolutionists who fought so long under
the lead of the attorney for Tweed and
Tilden. ..Et tHE
The country will rejoice the more be.
cause it knows Rutherford B. Hayes
better than it did on the day of election.
Every day and hour he has gained in
public opinion, as Mr.. Tilden has lost,
not only by comparison but absolutely.
Thousands who voted against Mr. Hayes
now know that they can trust him
wholly. Throughout a desperate con
test which has excited so strong man
as Mr.. Tilden to a hundred blunders, the
calm, strong man of Ohio has made not
one false step, uttered not a single in
judicious word, and preserved manly
dignity and self-control which stand in
startling contrast to the behavior of his
opponent. But thousands honor him not
enly because of the strong character thus
shown, but because of the wise and brave
things he has done. 1t was said that
Mr.. Hayes would be the mere tool of
Republican extremists. Yet his first
step after the election was to con-
vince the best men of the South
hands. In the face of savage opposition
from desperate party men, though
knowing that they might have power to
defeat his Inauguration, and in defiance
of the schemers who were plotting to de-
feat it because they could not extort
from him pledges of submission, this
cool, brave, and patriotic man has reit-
Grated in speech, by letter, and by the
mouth of trusted friends, again and
again, the liberal declarations of his let
ter of acceptance. Is this the man
who, it was asserted, must become
the instrument of his party? Is this the
man who, Democrats believed, would be
the mere tool of extremists2 The coun-
try knows better now. 1t knows that in
Mr.. Hayes it has elected a man who will
be President himself, the tool of no.
body, and the President not of a party
or a section, but of the whole United
States.
The battle is over When the time
comes to bury the dead, Mr.. Tilden and
Mr.. Field and many smaller men will be
laid away, but the best of the victory is
that the same still grave will swallow up
the Revolutionary Democracy and the
Solid South. We shall see the last of
that compact sectionalism which has
threatened the Republic so long The
administration of Mr.. Hayes will not
fail to make permanent the separation
which the recent struggles in the House
have commenced. 1t will draw away
from dependence upon reckless and
revolutionary party the best and purest
of the Southern leaders. 1t will build
up in that section true Union party, in
hearty sympathy with the progressive
and liberal element of the North. Mr.
Hayes does not conceal his purpose.
The country no longer doubts his firm
ness, his sagacity, or his power. The
better day is coming when we may see
the Lost Cause and the Furled Banner,
the Revolutionary Democracy and the
Solid South buried in one grave.-N Y.
Ti,.thsfsa