The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1880-11-06
The New Grant Campaign.

It is not now under the bloody shirt
of philanthropy, it is under the black
FLAG of empire that the Republicans are
going into this election. The defeat OF
Blame has discredited the bloody shirt,
and Senator Conkling has raised the
new standard of his party. In the dark
days OF tie civil war Lord John Russell
provoked much angry comment on this
side of the water by declaring that, in
his opinion, the North was fighting not
for Union but for empire. Honest men
at the North resented this saying, for
they knew that, without distinction Of
party, they were giving themselves and
their treasure to war, not to found q
new government here on force and
wealth, but to maintain the Govern
ment of our fathers upon its ancient
basis of Justice and of equal rights. an
indissoluble Union Of indestructible
States. What the North resented as
Islander from the lips of 4 British states.
man, Senator Conkling now proclai,ns
as the true policy OF the great party
which has been cocrced into accepting
him as it's lea9er. lie speaks Of the
South As Englishmen of the school Of
MIR. Froude speak Of Ireland. He al
most reproduces, indeed. the very
language in which Mr.. troude laments
"the fatal contiguity' OF Ireland to
England, and intimatcs, If he docs not
plainly say. that the United States
would be more prosperous and happier
if the Gulf OF Mexico washed the shores
of Pennsylyan. and Ohio and Indiana
and Illineis. He does not trouble HIM
self about the negroes. The Republican
atlcctation of q particular anxiety as to
the wards Of the Nation belongs to
the policy of the bloody shirt, and, we
have said, Senator Conkling plainly sees
that the bloody shirt has served out its
time and gone to rags. He probably
would not object to seeing the negroes
of.the South drowned out with ali the
rest OF the South. He is a practical,
not sentimental statesman. His
aim is to make the masses of the North
ern Republicans drunk with the Inst Of
unbridled political domination; to beget
in them toward the South q feeling AS
nearly as possible analogous with the
feeling Of the English ruling classes
toward Ireland. Were it possible for
the Republican party, animated by such
spirit as this, to secure the Presidency
in 1880, what would be the outcome OF
its success? Would it be the perpet.
uation and development of the pacific
Democratic policy to which President
Hayes gave in his adhesion nearly foul
years ago, and thanks to which the
country is now enjoying all the bless.
ings Of public harmony and OF a gem
eral prosperity? Has not Senator Conk-
ling necessarily denounced President
Hayes and his Administration as ''sunk
in infamy?" Did he not turn aside in
his speech last week to sheer at Presi-
dent Hayes, and to warn General Gar
field that any attempt on his part to
initiate that mean pretender to superior
political sanctity and to eyade the will
Of the friends of Grant would he promptly
and mercilessly chastised?
Were the Republican party, dominate
ell rs it now is by Senator Conkling
and the friends Of Grant, to elect Cen
eral Garfield, the power Of the Execu-
tive would be welded not by him at all
but by them. He has already humbled
himself before them and bound himself
to submit the Executive patronage to
their control. Their policy would be
the policy of the Administration, and it
would be steadily directed to the single
end of the reelection in 1884 Of Grant,
in whom the idea of centralized EN-
pire. as opposed to the idea Of Federal
Union, is incarnated. While it was
still thought possible that the Demo-
Gratis coulI be lured into making weak
and unpopular nomination, and that the
Republicans could be made to nominate
Grant, the friends of Grant took quite
another tone towards the South from
that in which Senator COnkling now
proclapms his new Civil War. General
Grant then went about the land telling
the truth and declaring that the South.
ern people regard the stars and stripes
"as guaranteeing to them all the rights
and privileges Of free people, without
regard to race, color or previous condi.
ton of servitude." General Grant then
warned the people Of the North agains,
sectionalism, and told them that
they shave no reason to doubt
that those who wore the gray
will fulfil all they have promised
in loyalty to the flag and the Nation
Then the hope of Grant and Of his
friends was to secure the votes of the
South in the Electoral College as against
some weak and unpopular Democratic
candidate. Now the circumstances
have changed, and the programme
changes with them. The Democrats
have . strong and popular candidate
The Republicans have weak aud un
popular candidate. This Republican
candidate has surrendered absolutely
to Grant and his friends. Should he b,
any chance be elected they will have
the field open before them. In the vir
tually certain alternative. Of his defea
they alone at least will survive to ab'
the true Republican party. Arount
them will gather all the sectional oppo
sition to the National Administration
; of President Hancock, and all the cen
; tralizirg influences in the landau
seething and working together for tn.
, denomination of Grant in 1884. 1t vii
} be safest and best to deal with then
: now. The election of General Garfield
will mean an immediate restoration o
, the Grant rule ut Washington. with q
inevitable denomination Of Grant II
1884. The election of General Hancock
will mean the final re.establishment Q
the Union, and that once more assured
the machinists Of empire will toll an
plot in vain!-M. Y. World. .i''Ls