Year: 1868

of any definite or unchecked control bear
ing upon matters of exchequer, 50 far as
| preference attaches to either the Demo
cratic candidate should manifestly be the
tavorlte But the outrageous blunders of
the party in power in all things relating to
this momentous subject, their utter want
of anything like settled or permanent pol
icy, the enormous injury they have inflicted
upon nearly every business interest in the
country by their prOcrastinations, their un-
certainties and their Ignorance, undoubt-
edly have persuaded thousands of sober
minded men that on this ground alone any
possible change in administration would bc
change for the better. Most certainly no
conceivable party or policy could be worse
than those that, by refusing to reform the
civil service, have refused in tine Of un-
precedented public burdens to save the
country sixty-ive millions of dollars a year:
and who, by their connivance with whiskcy
frauds, have Impoverished the treasury to
an amount equal to more than half the en-
tire present annual revenue Now all this
cheating, imbecility and folly may be insep-
arabic from loyalty and hatred of Copper
heads and disinterested love of negroes
but if they are, being of very palpable in
jury to the national interests, while their
inevitable adj juncts are of but theOretic adj
vantage, it seems exceedingly likely that Il
practical people may prefer, apart from all
other issues, to rid themselves of the whole
load OF such good, bad, and doubtful quail
tiles together.


But the election hinges upon reconstruc-
ton, to which all other questions, however
important, are evidently to be reckoned as
subordinate. The Republicans, we'll know
ing their most vulnerable side, deprecate
| this wifi


plicity. The issue of reconstruction, say
they. is closed by events. Reconstruction
is thing accomplished Hence it is mad
missible, or at least Improbable to discuss
the wisdom of the process. In other words


premium should be offered for all future


time to encourage rancorous, precipitate,


and unconstitutional legislation with the
promised result of vitiating every estab-
lished element of the United States Gov
ernment and insuring it's early overthrow.
The national history has been eventful and
unique, and, particularly of late years, has
presented unexpected Vicissitudes, but we
do not yet believe that Americans are pre-
pared without revision to accept solution
of their great social and political problem
which, irrevocable thereafter, without
! bloodshed, involves the negation of q hith


erto cherished and signally important prin-
ciple of their Constitution.


Already we hear from numerous points
accounts of collisions which have been re-
peatedly foreshadowed in these columns rs
inevitable if political equality, by many
deemed unnatural, and which in any mod
crate view was at least premature, were
forced upon the superior race OF the south
ern people. Already the results of an
amazing want of craftsmanship, to say no.
thing of ordinary tact or generous feeling,
are becoming critically manifest. Already
crazy fanatlclsm Is eXulting over secondary
symptoms that it fails to see may prove the
medicine to have been even worse than
the disease. The remarkable unpopulari-
ty of General Grant meanwhile appears to
increase from day to day. Whether it is
that the people lnstinctively realize the
improperly in republic of placing a
military man as chief ruler over territory
! alphabetically free, but which his sword
has just subdued, or that the Comman-
n-Chief's personal characteristics be
get constantly augmenting dislike, it is
certainly true that for no military man ev-
er presented as a candidate for the Presi-
dency in this country has there been so


little genuine enthusiasm. The weakness
of some parts of the Democratic platform,
and the ridiculous indiscretions of some
Democratic speech makers, are perhaps
more than counterbalanced in noxiOus eff
cacy by General Grants utter want of
magnetism, and the mistrust or dislike with
which he is regarded by the people.


It is probable that at this moment twen-
ty-five per cent. of the voters who will par
ticipate in the coming election have not
yet resolved for whom their ballots shall
be cast. Upon the votes of this fraction
the issue probably hangs, and circum-
stances may still fall out as to throw the


preponderance on the Republican side.-
From present indications, however, we are
led to believe that the three great States of
New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio will
throw themselves into the scale for Sey-
mour and Blair :; and should they do so.
not all the hosts of New England, backed
as they may be by the West and South by
voters, black or white, constitutional or
unconstitutional, will avail to prevent the
Republican forces from kicking the beam.