New-York tribune., 1878-03-02
RrTRH.NDEGT

The duty Of the defenders Of the National
good name is now TO oppose all further ms
chicvous tamperimg with the finances, not 10
scold and quarrel over what is past. The
blow to our honor and our material interests
has fallen, and nothing can lessen the dis,
grace or avert the injury. We shall only az
gravatc our domestic troubles by fOmcntng
irritation. But as the rcpudiating faction is
strong, determined, dangerous, and by no
means satisfied with the partial victory 1t has
gained in the adoption OF this bil-as we
need all the good management we can cont
mand to prevent the passing OF the worse
measures which are in cOntemplation-it will
do no harm to look at some Of the mistakes
of the past campaign, and ir Il frank and
friendly spirit consider whether our panty
might not have done much better
Certainly we have been greatly surprised.
in common with most Republicans of New
York and New England, at the rcticence of
one or two political leaders for whose voices III
the great debate the hard money men waited and
listened III vain. For weeks and weeks, as
the struggle went on, inquiry and conjecture
about the purposes OF this or that eminent
statesman were staple topics of the newspaper
dispatches. He Will speak tomorrow he will
speak next week; he will not speak at all !;
he is saving himself for the veto he is COM
ing in at the last minute like a deus er
maehina, to rescue the perishing country. All
this was just little comic. Before we
censure unreservcdly silence of which we
do not know the cause, we may as well con-
slider that no amount Of Oratory avail
able in Washington at present would have
been likely to change a single vote, and that
Senators and members of Congress arc all,
doubtless, aware of that unpleasant fact. This
country is not governed by debate. Speeches
at the Capitol have lost their ancient uses as
well as their ancient style, and measures are
generally beaten or carried by influences with
which the art Of rhetoric has nothing to do,
and by combinations formed elsewhere than in
the public arena. A day of reckoning will
come, when the country begins to feel and to
understand the miscrics which this measure
entails, and then Republican politicians who
failed TO do what was in their power to pre-
vent the disaster will have to settle an ugly
account with their constituents. But, before
we give way to our Indignation, let us be sure
of all the facts.
If. however, the action, or inactiOn, Of indi-
VluUdl ScnulOS dlltl II H'b ~
matter of grave concern TO the whole Rcpub-
lican party the case Is quite different with the
course of the Administration. The President
is the official leader Of the party that elected
him, and it is his duty to guide and ANIMATE
his followers in all contests that involve the
interests of the country. He is not merely the
chief clerk OF an Executive Department. He
is the head of a great people and a great party !;
and if, in the hour of danger, we find that he
has let the one go to pieces and lost all
influence over the other, we must con-
cude that he is deficient in the first
requisites for political command. Nothing
could be more satisfactory than his own atti-
tude toward the silver agitators. His public
utterances have been few but they have been
clear and strong, and he was quick to see and
courageous to perform his duty when the Sill
yer Bill, passed by overwhelming votes, and