Year: 1865

ment. While these demonstrations, 80 alarm
ing to England, are being made in Ireland, the
Fenians here and in Canada seem to be quite
active in maturing their plans, whatever they
may be, for future operations.


The Republican State Cenvontion-Pre-
sident johnson or Robespierre Stevenss


The Republican State Convention, to be
held at Syracuse next Wednesday, will present
very curious contest. The radical and the
conservative wings of the party will struggle
bitterly to decide who shall control the plat
form and the nominations. The prompt and
patriotic action of the loyal democracy Of this
State has forced the republicans to take
equally bold ground in regard to the Presi-
dents policy. Since the democrats have
heartily endorsed President johnson it will
not do for the republicans to shirk the issue
and say nothing about him, unless they are
ready to give up the election and allow it to
90 against them by default. If the conserva-
tive republicans should triumph, Andy john
son will be endorsed as heartily by the Repub-
lican Convention as he was by the democratic
In this case there will be no party in opposi-
ton to him, and he will loom up like WASH
ington during the first Presidency and like
Lincoln during the latter days of his admins
tration, with the whole country cordially united
in his support and vigorously carrying out his
plans of reorganization. If, on the other hand,
the radicals rule the roast, the President will
be coolly pushed aside or bluntly condemned,
and the negro suffrage, confscation, blood and
thunder, military government theories OF Robes
pierre Stevens will be displayed as the repub-
lican creed. In this case the party will of
course be beaten before the people; but the
quarrel will be at once transferred to Con-
press, where the radicals are numerically
strong, and every seeded State that presents
itself for admission through its Congressional
representatives will meet with the most deter
mined opposition.


As such important results, not only to the
two political parties, but to the country atlarge
depend upon the contest for supremacy in the
| convention, it is we'll worth our while to con-
| slider the relative chances of the conservatives
and the radicals. In this city Thurlow Weed
| is the leader of the former faction and Horace
| Greeley leads the latter. By skilful change
| of base Weed has secured for himself a city
organ in the Times, and Greeley relies, as usual
upon his Tribune. preliminary newspaper
squabble between the two leaders has already
occurred; but as the public have apparently
accepted each of the combatants at the others
valuation that squabble may be set down as in
decisive, and the matter will have to be fought
| out at the convention. A very reasonable de-
| duction to be made from the recent cOntro-
| versy is that there will be no compromise be-
tween the factions; but circumstances over
which neither Weed nor Greeley has control
would have prevented a compromise from
availing them anything, even had they been
DISPOSED to make one. Now that the demo-
| Gratis have endorsed the President so emphat-
cally, the republican who is not for him nfay
be safely counted as one Of his opponents,
according TO well known scriptural rule.
But, while neither faction has gained or lost by
the Weed and Greeley controversy, II is impos-
sible not to concede that the conservatives
have made strong move by seizing the Gus
tom House, ousting Draper and installing
Preston King, who is Mr.. Johnson's personal
friend This is equivalent to move in chess
that captures your adversary's queen and
places your own in q favorable position for a
checkmate; or it may be compared to that
brilliant advance made by Grant upon Lee
when he stormed the rebel works at Peters.
burg and turned their own guns upon the ene'
my. Whether or not Weed can follow up this
advantage may be doubtful; but at present be
certainly seems to have the winning side
Such distant guns as that Of Robespierre Ste
vens cannot counterbalance such battery Of
the Custom House; and unless the radicals car
silence Preston King they are lost.


II is remarkable fact that at all the conven


tions the questions of Importance hinge upon
President johnson, and he holds the balance Of


power. This shows with what unanimity The
people approve of his character and his policy


and with what force his firm, steady, conserva


tive course begins to impress itself upon thu


country. This is the era of politics, Of politica


transformations and developments, OF new


parties and Of new politicians and we mus


not be astonlshed OF any phenomena or eveI


at any political Miracles The republican


party may choose TO stand aside and let tn


democrats sweep everything before them, thu
returning the compliment which the democrat