New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-07
THE MILE IN POLITICS.

The remark of Mr. Horace White at the
Golden Club celebration at Greenwich, that
1.-THE Democrats would not do anything he
aroic,n was one of those small chunks of hard
sense which the sparing and senteDtious cable
correspondents occasionally hurl across the
Atlantic. Taken as the reporter gave it, apart
from It's immediate context the observation
struck us as an automatic truth hardly to b.
looked for, perhaps, Mt a whitehall dinner,
but all the more impressive from its isolation
and unexpectedness. The Democrats will not
do anything heroic. Tley lost the capacity
for doing anything at all twenty odd years ago
when they ceased to act upon political
principle, and instead OF pursuing policy of
government gave themselves up to the thirst
for administering Office Before 1861 the
Democratic party had policy. 1t was a mis-
chievous and shameful policy; but at least il
was one in which men could believe; it was
an animating principle with sincere but mis-
taken voters and If we admit that there can
be hero Sun in the support OF q Tad cause, IL
did lead the party to heroic disaster. But
since that catastrophe the Democracy has been
politically impotent and the reason Is obvi-
GUS.
While the maintenance of slavery was a
National issue the Democratic party was
directed entirely by its Southern wing. In
the South there was n genuine political pur-
pose, sustained by strong convictions, and
followed with extraordinary persistence and
energy. theories OF society and government
were cherished there with fefvor like that
of religious belief, and were even erected into
standards of moral right That the principles
OF these proud, passionate and domineenng
Southern Democrats were absurd, is true
enough none the less they were an effective
political force they created a school of ates-
men who entered public lie not merely from
a vulgar desire TO advance their personal in
terests, but also with an honest amoition TO
advance the interests of their section and
when the crisis came these men proved capa-
BILE Of cr.fcing TO their mistaken ideas their
lives their fortunes, and we will not
say their sacred honor. They had
cause to fight for. The men who served them
at the North had mono The Northern Demo-
crat could not pretend to admire slavery, or
to wish for It's extension, or to believe that
in his se'ton it would be anything but dis
grace and curse. Far from directing his
political conduct by principles, either false or
true, his action in politics was necessarily in
opposition to the principles which he must
avow, If he avOwed any at ALL and the pub
lie interests which he knew to be those of
his Safe. He was not guided by convictions
but 10y appetites. He acted with the South |
not because he believed its doctrines or liked
its practices, or had any common cause with |
1t, but because by its help he could gee Office |
and salary. 70 put the case in brutal English. |
lie was not an ally but % hired servant The |
south furnished all the principe, policy, in |
teiigenco and moral purpose the North voted |
according to instructions, aud took its pay In
offices.
The war brought about different state
of things. The old relation of South
ern master and Northern servant has
been dissolved, and there is now, what
there never was under the old order, an equal
alliance of parties, both destitute of an intel
lig1be political object. On the one hand we
have the defeated Confederate, clinging with an
and almost pathetic constancy to the
shadow OF sectiouai interests whose substance
has departed, aud offering, with foolish yet
chivairic sci f-abnegauon, TO accept any leader
the North may select for him, and profess any
creed, political OF economical, which the North
may deem expedient. On the other hand
well, to what sort OF. a politician has the splr-
tied Southerner been mated 1t is not too
much to say that the type Of tho Northern
Democracy can be found nowhere but In Tam
many Hall. More than once that organization
Is supposed to have decided National issues,
and II political prophets are not wrong ii ia