Year: 1870

In the last Atlantic Monthly is an arti-
Gle by Senator Wilson upon the republican


party. 1t reviews the course of the party
thus far, takes note of its present position,
and offers suggestions in relation to its
future policy. The first fact to be noticed
in the new order of things is that slavery
is dead. For this institution there is no
resurrection or restoration. The govern
ment now is in the hands of the people
instead of being controlled by the slave
oligarchy. But there is possibly another
power to be feared as an agent to lift au-
tocrats into power, that is, the money
power. This is what the democrats rely
upon to raise them into office again. Then
beside having a government in which al
are free we have one in which all vote.
Now having abolished slavery and extend
ed the elective franchise as under the
Fifteenth Amendment. there are still far
ther duties entailed upon the republican
party growing out of what it has accom-
plished. The public debt under its pres
ent management is in fair way to take
care of itself Our currency Is approx
mating to the gold standard, the debt Is
being paid, and taxation is becoming less
so that there is in financial point OF view
nothing to give us concern or the opposi-
ton successful issue. Upon the tariff
the republican party must agree to dis
agree. Neither those who favor protec-
ton nor those who advocate free trade
among republicans should undertake to
make an issue within the party upon those
principles They must be laid aside as
they were by Wings and Democrats when
the republican party was formed, and the
tariff must be adjusted with reference to
our debt, which makes free trade impossi-
BILE, and the fostering of our industries
where it can be done with general advan-
tage. The policy pursued towards the
Indians must be maintained. Reform in
the civil service has already commenced
and will receive more of the attention OF
the administration than has been custom





kept out of power Mr.. Wilson's remarks
are so emphatic upon this point that we
quote them.


ITO keep out of power the Democratic
party and its semi-rebellious adherents
both North and South, has become mat
ter of supreme importance to the nation
and to the cause of humanity itself. None
who correctly gagged the issue of the re-
bellion can fail to deprecate as national
calamity the return to power of the party
which nurtured within its ranks the men
who raised aloft the arm of treason, and
came SO near to rending asunder the Union
itself,-the party that never gave the ma
ton hearty support in its struggles with
traitors, and has never concealed its SYM
pathy with them when overthrown. Sad
lv chilled must be his patriotism, or his
cause of complaint must be very grevious
who is willing, for public or private rea-
sons, to affiliate with such a party and help
it into power again. For does any one
need be told that. with it restored to pow
er. there can be no effective carrying out
of those great measures of emancipation
and reconstruction which the Republicans
have placed on the statute-book and so
thoroughly inwrought into the history OF
the last ten years? Mr.. Phillips accords
to the Republican party as its lone idea"
"to watch over the reconstruction policy
of the war;" and he admits that it is "a
necessary duty, great function :" and
vet he says: 81 don't care chip whether
John Quincy Adams or Governor Clatlin is
the next Governor of Massachusetts. Who
is to "watch over the reconstruction poll
CIV of the war;" if disaffected Republicans
uniting with the Democrats, elect Demo
cratic governors and legislatures? Ifsuch
policy prevails, how can it be otherwise
than that the present movement in behalf
of human rights must be summarily
checked, and the hopes Of human anne
Iteration, recently so sanguine, must be
suddenly darkened? Unless the Republi
can party shall remain harmonious, and
in pired by its past and glorious achieve
ments, shall carry forward its good work
to completion, much of the fearful cost of
the war will have been incurred in vain.
Where then is the remedy? Nowhere but


n the intelligence and right purposes of
the public The people must be fortified
against the wiles and misrepresentation
of designing men, who too often and too
easily make them the tools of their ambi





game of politics.


Senator Wilson then passes to speak of
what he considers the two great necessi-
ties of the country at the present time,
Unification and Education. BY the for
mer he means the moulding of all the va
ried elements of our nationality into
closer nnion, to make the people one in
spirit and purpose, and to remove any
thing that is calculated to engender and
perpetuate sectional animosities and inter-
ests. This is becoming more necessary
because of the large streams of immigra-
ton, of dissmilar peoples and civilization,
rushing in upon us from the East and West
and continually increasing. How this is
to be done is not very clearly defined. AS
to the education of the people be would
have the republican party adopt it rs a
part of its platform of principles, as one
of the living issues of the hour. Aid