Year: 1868

Correspondence CINCINNATI CofnmerclaI.J
The Presidential Question.
WASHINGTON, June 2; 1868.


The history of politics in this cOun-
try has seldom presented more inter-.
esting lookout than at present. The
Republican party has put in nomination
for the Presidency a man who has been
identified all his life with the Demo-
cratic party, if with any; and it is now
very seriously proposed that the Demo-
Gratis shall, on their side, repeat that ex-
pertinent by choosing for. their leader
the Chief Justice of the United States,
whose antecedents record him a very
decided Republican. 1t is true that Mr..
Chase has always adhered to some of the
cardinal principles of the Democratic
party; free trade and State rights among
the rest, including hard money up to the
time when that became impraeticable;
but in all issues that have sprung up
to make party lines since 1860, he has
been as much Of Republican as any
body, and O great deal more than
many who are now most Jealous in the
support of General Grant. There are
many in both political parties who still
laugh at the "Chase movement" as it is
called, and wonder chow the Demo
Gratis can support such mara ques.
tiOn which can be very well answered
by inquiring show the Republicans can
oppose him." If Republicans can sup
port Grant, there is no reason why DEM
oerats can't support Chase-except the
very forcible one which it is in the pow


er of the New York Convention to fur
nish by the nomination of another gen
tleman as the party candidate. In the
| light of to-day it is hard to determine
with what degree of faver Mr.. Chase's
name will be received, if presented at
New York on the Fourth of July.
Nothing is more manifest, however.
than that there is strong and
rapidly growing sentiment in his
favor among the people of both
parties-that it is earnest and honest,
and born of respect for the man and ad-
miration for his great abilities and his
eminent fitness for the Presidential of
fee. He would, if nominated, receive
more votes from men who as Republicans
or as Democrats do not indorse his po-
litical record than any man now living.
An illustration of this occurred yester-
day, to my own experience. Within
half an hour l conversed with two ar
dent advocates of Mr.. Chase as Presi-
Dental candidate. One of them, how
ever, would "like him better if he had
not been so much of O Radical" while
the other "wished he had been more in
sympathy with the inpeachers in the
Presidents trial" Both were his sup
porters, however, because they believed
him to be q man to whom they could
look for a safe, wise and able admins
tratioD.


| don't know how it is, throughout
the country, but here in Washington
the strongest champions of the Chase
movement are to be found among the
acknowledged leaders of the Democratic
party. Daniel voorhees, takes the lead,
and insists that the nomination of the
Chief Justice is foregone conclusion.
Whether in this he represents the De-
mocracy of Indiana, there is now no
definite means of ascertaining but it is
not likely that he would act and speak
in such a matter entirely on his own
responsibility. ! saw a letter the other
day from an old Abolitionlst of Trum-
bull county, Ohio-the man whose vote
elected Wade to the Senate eighteen
years ago, in which the writer urges the
"Chase movement" and says it will re-
ceive the support of all the Democrats
and many Of the Republicans of his
section. Letters to similar effect have
been received from other parts of the
country all indicating willingness on
the part of large portion of the Re-
publican party to cooperate inan "op-
position" movement with MIR. Chase at
its head.


So much for the "Chase movement
significant, determined and strong, and
not to be sneered at except by that
large class of our fellow-citizens into
whose composition nature neglected 90
infuse the element of brains. Mean
while Mr.. Pendleton's prospect as the
straight" Democratic nominee are rap
idly improving; and it is already man
ifest that if his friends insist upon his
nomination they will secure it. All
talk of Hancock has ceased since
Chase's Emsrits began to be canvassed.
The folly of running a soldier against
Grant for any other purpose than to
elect Grant is at last apparent to the
men who ought to have seen it from the
first. Yet there is feeble voice raised
from Belmont's bankiDg-house in
favor of McClellan-as if to in.
sure Republican success by running
the man who didn't take Richmond
against the man who did. Mr.. Pendle-
ton has already majority of the elect.
ed delegates in his favor. This, OF itself,
does not insure his nomination, bat
there are other circumstances that will
cooperate to secure it, should the con-
vention determine against the Chase
movement. AT any rate no man can be
nominated at New York without the
consent and cooperation of Pendleton's
friends. They will be strong enough
to dictate, if not, under the two-thirds
rule, to nominate; and Democratic sue
cess under the Chase movement would
give Mr.. Pendleton the State Depart
ment or English Mission, with a GER
tainty of the nomination four years
hence.


There will be strong opposition to
Pendleton, but it cannot be concen-
trated sufficiently to be effectual, and
will be powerless while he keeps his
name before the Convention. This 1t
is well known he will not do a moment
after he and his friends are convinced
that his withdrawal will the better as
sure victory in the fall elections. The
Democratic party can't afford another
defeat, if victory can be purchased on
reasonable terms. The New York nom
ination carries with it great respensi-
bilities on the part of the candidate.
And the choice is between Chase and
Pendleton. All talk of ether candi-
dates is leather and erunella.


MACK