Year: 1872

The Free Trade Conference, just adjourned
sine die, shows that in time of deluge all hands
make haste to find craft that will float. The
Conference, called by fine evasion to take
any means to beat Grant, meant also by inten-
ton any means to beat Greeley. 1t relied too
much upon a supposititious notion that both
Grant and Greeley were equally repulsive to
the liberals, whereas the important element of
time had intervened, and it was proved that in
this mean time Of deiberation more than half
the crew had resolved to accept Greeley, and
therefore the Conference was beaten by itself.


This is as it must have been, by the free
traders own axiom, which has taught us for
several years that the security of republic lies
in two well organized and opposing political
parties. 1t is seldom that third party move
ment avails, and this always in the event Of
exceptional and widespread disturbances in the
popular idea. The democratic party has been
the wiser. 1t saw clearly that escape from
its own past lay in taking judicious advantage
of split in the republican ranks, whereby the
onus Of new departure was shifted to those
republicans who could begin the new departure
without compelling any democrat to take back
water and meet his own record. BY this
device the democratic leaders would be enabled
to change column, and at the same time lead
the new column by polling their new COM
mand, which would assuredly vote them the
seniority on the score Of possessing the greater
number of recruits Men are not willing to
depart altogether from a long record, even
in the face Of impregnable facts, when they
must be put on the defensive upon that record
and yet be unable to change the facts. A friend
with better record must step in to relieve
them, and this friend is liberal republicanism.
1t says:-"We expunge all that has been;
we vote and favor only what must be, and we
invite cooperation" Now, four-ffths of the
liberal republicans are only ancient democrats,
who departed in 1858-'59 on the issue of
slavery extension, and they feel in better COM
pany back in the democratic fold than with
the regular republicans, who see longer uses for
the party of the war. If both schools Of DEM
ocrats can make it personally comfortable to
be oblivious that Bull Run was ever retreat
or Appomattox ever surrender, it will be pos
sible to restore the party of Jackson and
Pierce in all its entirety, and with all its polit
ical knowledge and marching intact The rebel
democrats appear to have abandoned their rem
iniscences already; the Northern democrats
surrender their biographies more slowly; but
Baltimore, where the first blood was shed,
seems probable to be the spot where
the act of expungement will be per-
e. a,nI thA fxrn nnIr nf thn
democracy propose, awkwardly enough, to
reunite under the standard of regular old
whig who supported Harrison, bolted Taylor,
and finally, in pursuit of his own individuality,
bolted even Seward and Weed. The free
trade coterie is an excrescence respecting men
rather than opportunities it cannot forgive
Greeley for his old beliefs, and it is hazarding
the doubtful possibility of floating in q second
ark over the waters of the political food tide.
While we respect these amateur mariners we
must give the good Mosaic advice, EITHER get
in the bigger ark with Greeley, or refuse to
believe in the deluge and stand out on the
solid ground with Grant"


The Good Writ says that on the occasion of
a previous deluge it was ordained that the end
of all flesh had come, and that the earth being
filed with violence, new departure was nee
essary. Otherwise, parties we're breaking up
after the war and new beginning had been
resolved upon. So the old man Noah, aged
six hundred years, received the COM
mand to take charge Of the ark, other
wise Horace Greeley. He was good old
nepotist, and took in his sons and his sons


wives first. Next the animals were invited,
and they poured in by sevens and by pairs
the sevens being the clean beasts and the