Year: 1868

peases the people, 1t alarms the party men
of both sides. Radicals fear the effect upon
the people of the presentation of candidate
whose whole public life has been contest for
popular rights against oppression of every sort
They know the strength that this ally was to
their own party in the days when that party
pursued nobler objects than it now aims at, and
they fear that to have this distinguished name
now leading the people against them will indi-
cate with too terrible distinctness the great
changes they have suffered they fear to have it
pointed out 80 plainly and by witness of this
integrity, that they are no longer the advocates
of those principles for the support of which they
were first trusted by the people. On the other
hand the mere politicians of the democratic
household fear the nomination of Chase for
reason always sufficient to the absolute party in
triguers. He is man they cannot use. He
is a man who will be candidate honestly or
not at all, and will not come down to the level
of their bargaining. A candidate to exactly
meet the wishes of the mere politician should be
a candidate whom the politician can approach on
his own leVel-to whom be can make any pro-





drive small bargain for an Office in the event
of success. Over such candidate the
politician can shout party halleujahs with
gustO commensurate to the value of the
office he expects. We need hardly say that
Chase is not that sort of man. These
fellows cannot make their game with him and
IT, ,refore cannot ''see" his fitness for the sup
port of the democrats. 1t is to the reproach
of the nation that facts like this have kept
some of our most distinguished men out of the
Presidential office. They could not be nomi-
mated because they could not stoop to making
the necessary bargains with the party trades
men. We do not believe it will keep Chase
out; but it explains the objection to him that
is entertained by some copperhead sheets that
pretend to speak for the democracy.


Chase will be nominated despite the disap-
pointment of these political mddlemen-these
fellows who stand between the man and the peO-
pie and pretend to- speak for each without author
ity from either, caring nothing for what is done
or not done save as they secure profit; he will
be nominated because the men who really
guide the course Of the democracy are men of
some reason, and are capable of seeing the
fact that Chase is the only candidate with
whom they can defeat Grant. Suppose they
nominate Pendleton, what chance has he to
win? All the Southern States, with seventy
votes, would be definitely and unequivO-
cally against him. All the New England
States, except Connecticut, would be certainly
against him. All the positively republican
States of the West would then be GER
tainly given to Grant, and States that are now
well regarded as almost in the list of GER
tainties against Grant would be foated out
among the doubtful ones with tendency
his way. Indeed, we are not sure but
such decision would be pronounced
against Pendleton as would give altogether
new vitality to radicalism and seem like
reaction against the reaction. His nomination
on the day it was announced would put in the
list of certainties for Grant enough States to
make him President and render the remainder
doubtful. But suppose Chase the candidate.
What then? He would secure every Southern
State; for, having the conservatives, he would
have with their vote a radical vote large





the States like New York, Pennsylvania, In
diana and Ohio that are disgusted with the rad
ical tendencies. He would fairly divide New
England and the Western republican States
with the radical candidate. In short, while
Pendletons nomination would at once give to
Grant all States now doubtful and make doubt
full those now counted as certainly against
Grant, the nomination of Chase would imme-
dately decide against Grant all the now doubt
full States and make doubtful those that his
supporters regard as certain.


1t has seemed obvious to every one watching
the political probabilities that the democracy
must necessarily nominate Chase and 80 posi-
lively has this thought asserted itself that
many have fancied the only difficulty would
come from the other side-that Chase could
not accept such nomination as the democrats
would give. But as q matter of fact the great
principle on which the democrats now stand
and must stand is one to which Chase is thor
oughly committed; and, indeed, it is because
he fearlessy asserted and sustained that prin-
ciple that he is not now the candidate of the
other side. Thus in the changes of the day
things have come round so that the democratic
party is once more his party Chase is hated
and feared by the radicals because he regards
the whole safety of the country as involved in
the supremacy of the law and the discontinu-
ance of military government, and il there is
any democracy in the land to-day surely this is
the very first principle Of its existence. The
principles by which Mr.. Chase stands are sue
cintly indicated in despatch from Richmond
given elsewhere. General amnesty, civil gov
ernment, the supremacy Of the aw--these are
the points, and they the points on which
the republicans must be opposed, because they
are the only ones on which they can be beaten.
| Chase IL tho only state sman who now consnicn-