Year: 1872

The Absurd szovement


The Nation produces the following.
received from a correspondent, as a very
neat specimen of the reductto ad dbsur
| dunn; some of our Greeleyite friends
may read it with profit:


There are two occasions when the par
ty in power in country is in danger.
First, when it manages affairs so badly
that the opposition party grows strong BY
reason Of its failures; aud, secondly,
when it manages affairs SO well that it
crushes out the opposition party, and be-
Ing thenceforth the only party In the
land, is exposed to bolts within its own
ranks. 1t is needless to say which of
these is the cause of the present danger
to the Republi can party.


The boilers in this case insist that the
Republican party has done its work SO
well that it ought to be allowed to die
as it were when party has done well,
and not when it has done badly that it
ought to die ! If had failed ofits work,
or if it were thought incapable of doing
it, that would be ground for letting it
de- But to insist on killing the Repnb-
lican party for doing well and recalling





practically died from sheer crime and
faithlessness, is strange procedure.


The Liberal Republicans say, that they,
by Withdrawing from that party which
has done well, and uniting with that
which has done badly, will form a new
party that will Go better. AS if those
who are dissatisfied with a good party.
aulitkose who are to constitute bad par
ty, were together the right elements for
a good party!


Let us withdraw our confidence, they
say, from the Republican party, because
it has done everything SO well thatit has
left nothing more to desire. For, the
Republican party having been called up
on to do certain work, and having done
it well, it should never be intrusted with
doing anything more. But there being
other things to be done i'll our country,
we should beware of intrusting them to
those who have done well before.


There is, therefore, they insist, necessi-
ty for new party-a party that will
not be open to the objection of having
done its work WELL This party is to be
made mainly out of the Democrats and
past rebels for they alone have not done
their work well, that work having been
to break up the Union.


It seems to us very strange that any
Republican should talk of letting
the Republican party die when it is in
its greatest strength. Faithful members
of party are ordinarily willing to let
the party die only when they see it can
not live, or that it is irresistiCly going to
dissolution.


But so far from seeing any signs Of
death or dissolution, or even of exhaus-
ton, in the Republican party, the Liber-
ais themselves have complained that it is
so strong and effectively organized that
they have had to groan under the party
whip or tension. And SO, not being
able to complain Of their party's failure
or of its weakness, their next strongest
pretense, after the one that the Republi
can party should be allowed to die be-
cause it has done its work we'll, is that it
should be allowed to die because it is too
strong and vigorous to live. But. as if
to match their logic with their policy,
the Liberals have resolved to let the Re
publican party die by Withdrawing its
unhealthy elements from it, namely them
selves, whom, they say, 1t was in danger
Of crushing out and killing by its too
great strength.


And for the new party, the most COM
monty alleged reason for its formation is
that it might free the individuals from
the tyranny of party. Since Grant was
to be imposed on them against their in
dividual preferences, they thought 1t
their duty to take up another who should
be of their own principles. refusing
accordingly to submit to GRANT because
not of their principles, but only the NOM
inee of party, they submit to Greeley,
who is not Of their principles, for the
sole reason that he is the nominee OF a
party (that Of Cincinnati.) For Schurz,
Sumner, the free-traders, and nearly
every o:her supporter of Greeley, lnclu-
ding the Democrats, all assert that Gree
| ley is not their man, but that they Will
now support him because nominated.


The Liberals accordingly have set out
with the principle not to take up with
any one merely because the choice of a
party, and conclude by takingsup Greeley
| for no other reason than that be is the
choice of party. They think it wrong
to submit TO the choice of the Republi-
can party when it is not their own, but
right to submit to the choice of another
party when it is not their own. In otsl-
er words, they think it wrong to submit
to the decision of their own party when
they do not approve it, but right to sub
NIT to that of another party when they
do not approve it. And so they com
mence to resist the tyranny of party by
submitting to the tyranny of party.


This is like their professions that they
are for principles as against men In thfs
movement, when being of every variety
of principle, they all unite on the single
basis of defeating Grant. Being tol
| principles and not men. they would yet,
however, have remained in the Repub
lcan party if it bad nominated any 9th
er man. And having left the Republi
can party because of one man, they now
will not leave the Liberal party for the
same reason, cCeteyis paribus And many
of them insisting that Grant is good
enough, and that they merely do no
like his party. would yet have been will
ing to remain in his party if it had takeI
up any ore else.