Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-11-28
MIR. BLAINE'S NEW DEPAR-
TURE.

MIR. BLAINE'S NEW DEPAR-
Mr.. Blaine, beaten, occupies his time on
the retreat in planning the next campaign.
Careless Of his dead and wounded; which
he leaves on the field, and thinking only
of himself, he addresses himself to 1888.
He hates the South no worse than he did,
nor loves it any better. And when he
addressed the broken remnant of his army
at Augusta, M aine, he was simply putting
to them what arguments would best bring
the survivors into line and restore their
confidence. He missed many division
officers from the lines he looked upon, and
as his mind ran rapidly over the events of
the campaign and his eye scanned the sort
of men that we're left, he must have felt
that only frantic, blood stirring speech
would touch that kind. It was sorry
army compared with the magnificent body
that had deployed sixteen years ago. For
that it was magnificent political organ
ization cannot be denied. It had men of
brains in plenty. It's treasure chest was
full and running over, for it had looted
the national government in all it's depart
ments. Its war was over and all it had
to do was to pose as the savior of the
country and rest in luxury on its arms
The military head it had placed in the
Presidential chair had neither the brains
nor the political experience to interfere
with it. He was simply the almoner of
II, rs 6ddntigs. Is merits were proved by
antitheses. 1t easily proved rnar~iiss--w was
a party of high moral ideas, a name which
it claimed and quite believed it was enti-
tied to. Compared with rebellion against
the government, its loyalty was certainly
high; compared with the morals Of slave
ry its morality was also highland in those
days there was nothing else that it could
stand up and measure with. The Demo
cratic party was mere ghost which had
not materialized sufficiently to create any
alarm. True. the Democratic John was
ciamoring for the ear of people, but he
was away off in tie wilderness and the
Sanhedrim at Washington hardly knew of
his existence and cared little for his
luxury and plumber and vice would never
end. For what was to end them? Moth
ing but death. And after all it was death
that did. The old leaders began to die
out. Thad. Stephens started the funeral
procession and then followed Seward,
Stanton, Morton. Zach. Chandler and 9TH
ers in quick succession. A new dynasty
if not a new king was coming. Conkling
and Blaine came to the front. They were
notable pair and represented distinctly
the old and the new. Conkling was
pompous family major domo who wished
the old house might last forever if he could
retain his place in the household. Blaine
was of a different set; he was altogether
new, restless, ambitious and was early
labeled dangerous. Audacious and
brilliant, this courtier saw that the old
regime or he must die. The first tourna-
ment to decide which, was held at Cincin-
natl. The old regime was dlsmounted,
but the plumed knight himself was so
badly hurt as to be borne from the field;
and, so borne he heard the mob saluting
nation decided that none of the old
family should ever occupy the throne
again. Again, at the end of four years
the battle was renewed at Chicago. The
Bourbon element of the Republican party
mustered for the last fight as a compact
organization, and in their desperation
even brought the poor old king. Grant,
to the field in person. But the times had
changed, the Bourbons had fallen behind
and the decrepid soldier soon to be a pub
lie object of charity, was not only defeat
ed but slaughtered. Again was the plum
ed knight borne off the field amid the
cries of the mob haillng yet another in his
place though he had won the battle. But
that same Chicago was yet to be field of
victory for him, and four months ago he
heard his name greeted as conquerer. 1t
had been the dream of his life. But the
world had moved since he commenced the
fight. The tenacious, pugnaclous, never to
be conquered Democracy had grown to
great and dangerous foe. The voice which
had only shaken the leaves in the wilder
ness, now shook the whole land, and the
Saahedrim at Washington beard and was
anxious. The Republican army assem-
bled again. but how different was the
scene. The Stalwarts answered to the
roll call only to be reported ''absent" on
the day of battle. The very men who had
with Blaine defeated Grant at Chicago,
were now marching into the ranks of the
Democracy. The prominent leaders, as
with common consent, showed the new
commander a cold avoidance, while
around him gathered men Of doubtful
reputation. 1t was battle to be fought
by the man who had beaten the worst ell
ement of the Republican party, and yet
he had to 60 into the field with the worst
of the methods that element had made
familiar. Some such reflections as these
must have come to the mind Of the de-
feated leader at Augusta, Maine, Monday
night as he addressed band of the fugi-
tives from the field of battle. He could
not have been blind to the fact that his
defeat came from his own party. A
change of about six thousand votes in the
maiorities of four States would have Civ
en- him every State at the North and an
overwhelming majority of the electoral