National Republican., 1880-12-06
General Garfield Party President

Nt'h Noi'lilNiit'
General Garfield Party President.
General Garfield is party man, has
just been elected by his party, and will be
party President. Those who voted for
him thereby proclaimed their preference
for Republican over Democratic rule, and
are therefore Republicans. The only non
partisans are those who declined to vote
at all. All that party rancor could do was
done by the Democratic party to defeat
him. 1t has been campaign of unusual
bitterness, commencing with calumnies of
the most atrOcious character, and ending
in lurid exhibition of forgery and sub
ornation of perjury. A solid South was
secured by other methods than voting,
and divided North was secured by the
basest and mcanest of crimes. But the
Solid South and the Northern Democracy
are to share equally with the Republicans
in all the benefits of Republican rule.
They have simply to submit to the will of
the people, whose sovereign voice was
heard on the I'd of November The
people cannot all rule. They can and do
divide as to measures and men, and the
majority give direction for and in behalf
of all. This is because all agreed to have
it so in the formation of our Government.
That there may be no mistake as to the
views of General Garfield on the subject
of a party government, we reproduce the
following from his address to the Ohio
electors at Mentor ON Thursday last. 1t
is the clearest possible announcement of
the principle in government which he
intends shall be the basis of his admins
tration. 1t is a recognition of the juris-
diction of the Republican party, as we'll as
comprehensive statement of the party's
decree. He said:
suppose that no political event has happened
in all the Ofthe contest since the carly spring
W Which caused so little excitement and indeed So
| ton which was held yesterday ut midday The
| American people pnid but little attention to the
details of the presidential election, and for II very
| significant rcasonn nlthoughyou and all the members
! of the electoral college had an absolute constitu
tiona and technical right to vote for anybody you
chose, and although no written law directed oi
suggested your choice, yet every American knew
that the august sovereign Of the Repnblic-thC
100000 of vOters-on an early dny in November
pro ounccd the omnipotent fat n choicc, and that
sovereign, assuming rs done that which he had
| ordered to be DONE entertained no doubt that his
cogss G sS"a in al S tRe c SsSyeT That Sy f Is tRS
reason why the people were so severely
ay Who ThSy failed G"a 10 csS @STG s
ns a presidential ccctor, From this thought
draw the lesson, that when that omnipotent sovcr
and orders him to do his duty, that man Is unde
the most solemn obligations of obedience which
can be conGGiySd except that which the God Of tn.
through yourvOtcs and the votes of Others In the va
rious states Of the Union, II is probable 0he return
will show that our great political sovereign hat
laid his commands upon me. If he had done SO
am MS bound by his viii and his great inspiration
as could be bound by any consideration that thi
presence, therefore, | stand and nm awed by tn
majesty and authority of such command. In 81
fur as can interpret the best aSpiT.lions and pnr
them. You and dRd Mose rhO hare dcicd tcih as i
the years past believe that our sovereign loves Ill
erty and desires for all the inhnbitants of the Re
public peace and prosperity under the sway of jus
ana equal laws,
Here we find no cant--no hippant dc
precation of parties rs necessary evil
General Garfield declares that no eIecto
had right to exercise his legal authorit,
by voting for any but those who were tn
known choice of the voters for Presiden
and Vice-President. He says that, as tn
electors were obliged TO keep their i'm
piled though uneXpressed trust and obe
the will of fthose whose votes elected then
so he, as President, will feel equally boun
to realize the aspirations and purposes @
those who preferred him to his opponent
This is plain talk. 1t is based upon CON
mon sense and common honesty. Sue
momists as Abram $. Hewitt and w. i
Barnum may not be able to descend to :
low u plane, but the American people wi
say it is the very marrow of our politics
system. Wade Hampton and Mr. Lama
may deprccate party spirit, since thei
gentle methods have not given the natio
over TO Bourbon rule, but they will nc
} be able to persuade Republicans that the
would have been as milk and watery j
victory as they affect to be in defeat.
General Garfield was addessing Repul
licans when he said: "You and j an
those who have acted with us in the yeai
| -past believe that our sovereign lores GbHt
and desires for all the inhabitants of tn
Republic peace and prosperity under tn
, sway of ep'dl and Just lars" Those VIII
have not, in the past acted with him an
| those he addressed, labored to make
$ majority which, rs the national sovereign
, would not have loved liberty, and woul
! not have desired the sway of equal an
t Just laws This is the inevitable logic
the utterance we have quoted; sou
Sovereign" the Republican majority, an