Year: 1874

FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.


WAsHINGToN, Dec. II, 1874.
anx REPUBLICAN DMEMXA-HINIs AND POSI-


BIILTIES.


when Congress met the republicans found each
.Sther In Q very doloYous state OF mind. They
were party beaten at the elections and without
tsaders; an administration party without conn.,
Aence In the administration; party divided upon
Ihe most important and pressing questions, with
actions apparently ready to mntiny against the
arst attempt at control, and with an administra-
Men by no means unit on some vital questions.
and neither administration nor party prepared TO
sontrive or TO support policy.


Nor ala the means OF a closer union seem attain
able In the nrst place. though the President Is
spon reasonably good terms with most OF the men,
OF his party, 1t II felt that be likes to have his
swn way; that be does not heed good advice II 1t
conflicts with the wishes Of his personal friends,
ana that unfortunately IL does often SO conflict;
that under these circumstances the President is
sometimes little bored with his political adhe-
rents and that these are made to feel that they
are, 80 TO speak, not In the same boat with him
sr, more precisely, that he does not think himsel (
70 be IN the same boat with them.


Next, IL s SAID here py republicans that, though
he has some able men in his CABINET General
Grant has In some way deprived them OF their
initiative.n The Cabinet are like his military
family during the war. his subordinates He does
not expect 10 be moved by their advice. He looks
70 them 10 attend each to his own portfolio and
In considering the general political iuture they
have out little influence over his Judgment. He
even approves in his Message the suggestions OF
this or the other Secretary, and thus separates
himself from the Minister. 1t Is as though he
Sva<aOr Tres RI CopO IN
military style. approved and respectfully recon-
Aended for action"


This view is probably correct but 1t
results that the administration does not
stand before the country as one man. but as
more or less heterogeneous collection. But to
save themselves rom fatal and 2nal overthrow
the republicans need to be firmly united; and
indeed, they need the help Of an whom they can
win back from the liberal republican side. This
b fels 30 strongly that one OF the Washington
journals has been for some days crying out to
Speaker Blaine to come down out OF hts cnair and
take command. 1t IL pretty compliment to the
Speaker, who, indeed, appears to be the only man
capable or leadership that the party has, and, no
doubt, he is considering his best course. Mean
time others Of the leading men appear
sun to imagine tnat investigating jobs
may save the party, forgetting that II there are
joDe to be exposed they will dirty only the repub-
leans and that after ALL the party is in disgrace,
not for jobbery-or at least, not for Congressional
jobbery-but for inefnciency.


The Indictment against the republicans reads
that they have not yet ten years after the close OF
she war, quieted the Southern States nor put the
currency on sound basis. To these charges they
plead-nrst that the South win not be quiet and,
second. that the people are net OF one mind on
the currency question.


But tins s 70 plead the baby oct. 1t is rightly
answered that party In power has duties and
responsibilities, and that o party which
has so long had so great majority
cannot evaoe these. II one party In the
State confesses that the difrculty Of govern
ing is too great the people will have 20 :ry An
other.


II the republicans are TO regain the confidence
And support OF the country they must first OF al
cast loose from the South, The Southern States
must be permitted like the Northern to rule them
selves on all local AFFAIRS. The war has been
thing OF the past neary ten years; why should
the federal administration make any diff
ference between Louisiana and Pennsylvania or
Arkansas and New York; "But IN that case we
shall lose the whole South. II we take our hands
on the democrats will caole or coerce the negroes.
and make the whole South democratic" This IL
the reply OF the average republican when such
suggestion ie made TO HIM That is to say, he
cannot bear to lose the negro VOTE But II he
we're wise man he would see that IL Is better TO
carry the North than the South that II the condi-
zion OF affairs in the South bad as the average
republican asserts, TO leave the southern States TO
themselves would be to put very grave response
biity upon the democrats there. and, perhaps, to
20 alarm the North that In two years It would
throw a solid vote Tor the republicans, out Of
fear OF what might happen, or OF resentment for
what had mean time happened under unobstructed
democrsuc rule in the Southern states. At pres
ent the people Justly nold the republican leaders
responsible Tor the disorders In the south; but II
these should abandon al interference they would
throw very grave and embarrassing RESPONSE
btnty upon the Southern democrats. No doubt at
the next election the democrats would carry at
least fourteen out OF the sixteen Southern States
but meantime. unless they were extraordinarily
successful in re-establshing order and restraining
the violent, ignorant whites, they would run the
YsE Of uniting the Northern States almost solidy
against the democratic party.


But IL seems, for the present at least, that on
this point the state or the average republican
mind 10 hopeless and on this rock the party ts
likely to founder. measure OF currency reform
win be agreed upon before long. and Is is now
probable that the party win support 1t as unit.
The only doubtful point about 1t is that several
senators are said to have the preparation OF this
measure in charge, and what they produce may
be 10 ingeniousy calculated 10 please all views ~
70 be worthless.


The prospects OF the republicans Just now are
therefore not brilliant II they should determine
on a sound policy Il IL not certain yet II they
could get for it the strong ano determined admin
issraron support which would bring mp iaggards
and make the party Q unit


Meantime the democrats look on with more or
less indifference. and with too much They are
not responsible in Congress- but they seem to for
get that in the country they might and ought to
90 some things to strengthen themselves. II the
president should presently can TO him Senator
&chnrz Senator Penton and q few other promi.
Snent leaders OF the liberals, and persuade them to
Snccept Important places In the administration,
Hhe democrats would see that they had lost an