National Republican., 1883-04-04
A Definition.

"The faction OF defamers" is the caption under
which THE NATIONAL REruBfICAN, Journal gener-
ally supposed ~ he the organ fthe administration
discusses the majority faction of the republican
party-that portion of the arty which defeated the
stalwarts at Chicago in 1850, and has uniformly
decitled to train under the stalwart banner. Re-
iorring to the great republican journals of the
anti-stalwart faith and to the campaign OF last
year, our contemporary says; "Tho torrents of
filthy obloquy which poured out of the journal
istic sewers upon the republican candidates was
said by those who raised the sewer gates to be n
necessary tonic for the party, and the mephiuc
gases which accompanied 1t were said to be
heHlthful breezes laden with the true ozone" We
present this merely MS sample, showing the
tenor of the entire article, and indicating that de-
lghtful harmony in which the republican party
is approaching the campaign of 1sSl.- Washington
Post.
We give space to tho above as an entirety
for the purpose of showing our readers good
specimen of the many proofs existing of the
friendly alliance between the democracy and
certain class of false republicans. See how
quickly the national democratic organ rtsents
an assault upon this republican reserve of its
party. SO fights tigress for her cubs. The
no allusion, express or implied, to the
struggle mt Chicago in 1850, or TO the divisions
then existing in the party. There was in it
no word of praise for "stalwarts or dis
praise for "anti-stalwarts." The NATIONAL
REPUBLICAN denies the appropriateness of
those terms as popularity applied. lt regards
40,
hold Illicit relations with the edemocraticparty.
II regards AS half-breeds of the meanest kind
all republicans who act upon democratic sug-
geston to promote democractic success, and
who find eager champions in such in
corrigible democratic papers as the
Washington Post. Our nei ghbor, there
FORE was guilty of an o6ense against
fair play when it declared as above that our
editorial on the faction of deiamers" dis.
cussed that portion of the party which de-
feated the stalwarts at Chicago in 1880" No
reference, we repeat, was made to either side
Of that controversy.
The Post selected from our article what it
doubtless deemed the best illustration of its
assertion, and what was that? Why, that we
animadverted upon some scurrilous and cor
rupt newspapers which the Post chooses to
vouch for as "great republican journals
of the anti-stalwart faith" We made no al
lusion to any republican journal. The papers
to which we alluded were those which helped
to win the democratic victories last
fall. We justly compared them to
sewers through which foul obloquy
flowed like rivers upon the republican can
didates, and out of which arose deadly me-
phitic gases poisoning the atmosphere all
around them. These political companions-in-
arms of tho democratic Post arc of course
great republican journals" or they would
not be fighting in its company, nor would they
be the subjects Of its rescntful partisanship
when attacked. "The delightful harmony"
existing between the Post and this syndicate
of vile newspapers, hypocritically claiming to
be republican, is the very best proof that
harmony in the republican ranks can be best
promoted by recognizing as enemies those
professed republicans who are living in open
concubinage with the democratic party.
AS we shall have frequent occasion to OK
press the contempt in which we believe all
truo republicans hold tho faction of de-
famers," it seems well enough to state
clearly the meaning of the phrase. 1t
includes all so.called republicans who arc
filled with hatred of the republican
party, except when, on raro occasions,
they temporarily get control of it by threats
of opposition if refused, and who never un-
der any circumstances allow their profitable
understandings with the democracy to be dis
turbcd. Such and such only are the republi-
cans we class with "the faction of dciamers, f" SO
ma med because of their iayorite weapon, and
the papers in which and through which they
use it, Such and such only are tho rcpubli-
cans in whose defense bourbon newspapers
are ever ready so take up their cudgels. Such
and such only are the republicans who can
not be in harmony with the republican party
because they have neither principal nor hon
est prejudices to control them,