Year: 1872

, rne Baltimore disbursement OF the
Liberal Republican Candidates-The


Outlook for November.


The Baltimore Convention yesterday COM
pleted its business with the same harmony and
enthusiasm manifested in its preliminary
stages, and made the candidates of the liberal
republican party-Horace Greeley, of New
York, and B. Gratz Brown, of Missouri-the
unanimous nominees of the national democ-
racy for the Presidency and Vice Presidency
of the United States So the work of the
campaign fairly opens to day, and we are at
last enabled to take an intelligent survey of
the situation and to make some calculation on
the chances of the respective tickets. While the
action of the Democratic Convention was un-
certain, and while it appeared likely that
serious secession might occur in the event of
the acceptance of Greeley and Brown by the
majority, it was impossible to form
any reliable judgment as to the prob
abilities Of the campaign. Nothing could
be more certain than the fact that the
country was unprepared to restore the old
Bourbon democracy to power, and hence
large number of influential republicans
remained purposely uncommitted to either
side until it should be seen whether the
democrats would endeavor to take advantage
of the division of the republican party
to put forward candidates of the old unrecon-
structed stamp upon the dead issues of the
past. If so insane policy had been pursued
at Baltimore these uncommitted republicans
would have declared for Grant in preference
to restoration of the Bourbons on an old
copperhead platform, and Greeley would have
been left almost without supporters and would
probably have retired from the contest. But
wiser counsels prevailed, and the people are
now left free to choose between two loyal
men, both candidates of the republican
party: the one q soldier who has carried our
arms to victory-the other O civilian, man
Of peace and bearer of the olive
branch the one the type of all there is good
and bad in the national administration of the
past four years-the other a radical representa-
tive of the new reform party. No citizen will
therefore be longer left in doubt as to his posi-
ton in the campaign and, despite the general
breaking up of old party lines the statistics of
former elections will at last be of use in afford
ing light as to the probabilities of the present
contest.


In view Of the overwhelming sentiment of
the people in all the States in favor of a dis
tinct issue and fair fight between the rival
republican candidates, the Democratic Conven-
ton was obliged to act almost as unit.
There was just enough opposition to give
tone to the proceedings A few objec-
tions were made to the adoption of
'the Cincinnati platform, pure and simple"
as General Butler used to say, and, out Of the
seven hundred and thirty-two votes given by
the Convention, forty-six were cast against
Horace Greeley on the formal call of the
States. Of these West Virginia cast two and
Florida two. The rest were given by Delaware,
Georgia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania; but as
the three former States roll up large democratic
majorities, and as Pennsylvania is calculated
on for Greeley by the liberal republicans with
great confidence, the hostile demonstration
does not seem to be threatening Besides, the
nomination was subsequently by force
Of circumstances made unanimous, and





anh-Greeley side in Pennsylvania The politi-
cal wire-workers who regarded the proposed
union between the democrats and the liberal |
republicans simply as bargain for the spoils,
and who were present at Baltimore endeavor-
ing to manoeuvre some sort of policy by
which the electors were to be mystiied proved |
themselves to be altogether behind the age
80 80
country. The people in the several States
who favored the Greeley movement cared moth
ing about them or their intrigues. They
desired to make a united battle against the
existing state of affairs in the national adminis-
tration; to bury the hideous skeleton of the
rebellion out of sight forever; to unite the
States once again in the bonds of fraternal
regard; to establish in our relations with
foreign nations frank and manly policy that
will neither bring the government into ridicule
by bravado nor render it contemplate by
weakness and vacillation. They wished
to secure a real civil service REFORM !
and to break up the mischievous rings
surrounding the present administration. What
ever foundation there may be for their objec-
tions to General Grant, whether their con-
demnation of his Presidential policy may be
just or unjust, their purpose of united opposi-
ton was evidently earnest and serious and the
Convention was only faithful to the people it
represented in making the issue distinct and
in boldly and openly accepting both the plat
form and candidates of the liberal republicans
as their own.


We regard it as fortunate for the country
that the present election is thus to be fought
out upon the single question of the endorse
ment or condemnation of the existing admin
istration, because, whatever may be the result
it is likely to lead to desirable reforms. The