Year: 1873

We have significant report from Washing
ton that the prominent Southern republicans
feel indignant at the course of the administra-
ton in the Virginius affair and that they are
dissatisfied with the leaders of the party in
other respects. 1t is said, too, that there will
be an organized movement among these dis
affected Southern republicans in order to CON-
bine and make their influence felt, and, pos
sibly, to unite in action with the grangers to
form the party Of the future. They see on
one side the growing strength and activity OF
the grangers, who, as an agricultural class
chiefly, have interests in common with the
Southern people, and on the other they are
| disguised with the mismanagement and
extravaganza of the republican party.
They express the belief that hardly one of the
Southern States can be carried in future cleo
tions for the present organized republican
party. in consequence Of the conduct of that
party both in Congress and in the late cleo
tions. If this be the political condition of the
South it is easy to understand why prominent
leaving the party and forming new combina-
ton. 1t appears also, that the pretended civil
service reform does not work to the satisfac-
ton of leading men who have worked for the
party, as the claims of some of them have been
ignored, while personal favorites of the admin
provided for regardless of the civil service law.
The chief element threatening disintegration.
however, is the recent political change in
some of the Southern States, and the antici-
pated revolt of all, or nearly all, of them from
the republican party. Shrewd politicians sell
dom fail to go with the public sentiment of
their sections or States. hN
The President seemed to have some idea of
the political revolution that has commenced
or is about to take place, when he said, in his
late Message to Congress, that political par
tisanship had almost ceased to exist, espe-
cially in the agricultural regions. True, he
might have implied by this that his admins
tration or personal popularity is superior to
party. and that the republican party has no
real strength but what lies in himself. At
least, he might have expected that inference
would be drawn Still, from his express





thus indirectly referring to the granger move
ment, it is evident that he meant this move
ment would, probably, overshadow existing
political parties, and, as consequence,
would supersede the dominant republican
party. We attach considerable importance to
this expression of General Grant in his Mes
sage, as it must have been made after mature
consideration. It seems to have been thrown
out both as warning to the repub-
ican party and with q view to ride
hereafter on the popular movement
He appears to foresee that the mission of the
republican party is coming to an end It
may be, too, that he who was a democrat and
became a republican tor the sake Of the Presi-
dency is looking forward to o new departure,
with the agricultural regions" for third
term. AT any rate, he has thrown out broad
hint regarding the disintegration of existing
parties and the political revolution that has
commenced. We hardly think General Grant
intended to convey the idea that political par
tisanship was about to be obiterated abso-
lu,ely-that is, that no other party would
rise up in place of existing ones, and that the
people would be content with his personal
government. We cannot believe he has ad-
vanced so far already on the road to Caesar
ism. Doubtless he meant that the granger
movement in connection with the agricultural
interests of the West, the South and the coun-
try generally, would overwhelm present politi-
cal parties and lead to the organization of a
new one, or more than one, based upon the
material interests of different classes and
sections.


The disintegration of the existing repub-
lican party appears to be inevitable. 1t has
no fixed policy-no principles of poicy-ap-
plicable to the existing state of things or
wants of the country. It was originally
party Of one idea-the anti-slavery idea. Upon
that it came into power. The rebellion of the
South, however inexcusable, was the result
The successful war for the Union, conducted
by that party, and the total extinction of
slavery as consequence, perpetuated the
power Of the republicans. The party con-
tinued to exist and to be overwhelmingly
powerful, without any platform of public
policy-no policy except that mere partisan
conservatism and rapidly paying the national
debt for political capital 1t lived upon the
issues Of war, and in every election loudly
reiterated these in the public ear till they were
exhausted and the people became wearied.
The folly of the democrats ia ad-
herring to their anti-war ideas, which
were no longer applicable, gave strength
to the republicans. Then the democrats
had not, any more than the republicans, prn-
ciples of public policy upon which to appeal
to the country. Thus the republicans, acting
upon the prestige of the past and prejudices
of the people, maintained their power Yet it
was party Of obsolete ideas, Like that of the
democrats-an incongruous party, ruled by
Eastern protectionists chiefly, while the great
AGRICULTURAL West supported it on account Of