Year: 1876

Especial Correspondence of the Republican,


NORTHERN POLITICS.


The Final Issue.


| NEW YORK, August l. 1876.
| To-day met friend who is a fair repre-


sentative of the floating" vote in the Dem


ocratic party, for there is small percent


age Of such votes in that party. The con.


versation turned Immediately, and on bis
! motion, upon the presidential question. l
| was surprised at this, because, as general


thing, the person Of whom l am speaking
| avoids political conversation. His intro.
ductiop, therefore, of the presidential
| question, shows how completely that
question has taken possession OF the
minds of all classes of people here.
He asked me if / was not going to


cast my vote for Tilden and Hendricks! 7
replied that l was not party man, and
that if l really believed the best interests
Of the South and the whole country de-
malded Confederate. Democratic restora.


ton, would certainly give my ballot and


influence for such g change. He asked me
if could not see that such change


was demanded l replied that had


CAREFUL = and most conscientiouly examined


the question he thus asked me on both


sidee; that my natural feelings and per-


sOnal interests combined to lead me to the


side of the Confederate-De Democratic party,


which embraced my own kindred, but !


could not obtain the consent of either my


conscience or my heart for such course,
so long as the colored citizens Of the South
occupied the position they now do. / told
him plainly that the pending election
meant peace or war, and that in this issue
tho Confederatic-D Democratic party stood
for war. My friend was rather staggered
by the facts l presented and we parted
both agreeing that the questions involved
in the political contest Of this year were of
more than usual Importance, and required
the best thought of the country for their
just and peaceful solution.


Looking at the Republican "floating"
vote from this liberal Democratic stand
point, as given in this conversation, We see
at once the weak place in the Republican
ranks, and the one which needs to be made
not only "safe,' but made actually the
strongest part of the party organization.
That point is the revolutionary conse
quences certain to flow from a Confederate
Democratic restoration. Too little atten-
ton is being paid to this issue, but it is
forcing itself upon public attention. Aside
from all the other Issues which divide
the Republican and the Confederate-D Dem
ocratic party is this one all-absorbing
issue involved in transferring the national
government to the hands of Tilden, Hen
bricks, Ben Wood, Fernando Wood, Reagan,
of Texas; Gordon, of Georgia; Lamar, of
Mississippi and ct al. Such q transfer would
be an act of sheer madness. Being 80, it is
also sheer madness to suppose that the
North will vote for it or consent to it if the
facts are kept before the people. This is
the one weighiy, solid, final issue" which
still bears down the scale against the Con.
Federated Democratic hope. Now, as dur
ing the last twelve years, the Northern
people will hesitate long before surrender
ing the government with the command of
the army and navy and the control of the
treasury and the public credit, to those
who, but a short time since were in open
and armed league against the national life.
1t is unreasonable to expect that the North
will do this. There is too much at stake.
too many grave uncertainties locked up in
the dark uncertain future to warrant such
a hazard as this.


have taken occasion since my arrival
in this city to study the public mind on
this "pivot point" or final issue" in the
canvass. / feel assured that after all the
facts of the present political situation in
America have been digested, after all the
solicitations of the Confederate-De Democratic
leaders have been listened to, that the
great mass of the Northern Republicans
land who represent the great mass Of the
Northern people) will do at the polls this
fall what their representatives did at Gin
cinnati last sprip g-that is, the body of the
people will unite against a Confederate
Democratic restoration.


This growth of Republican conservatism
is not confined to the Northern States. 1t
is making its way in Delaware, Maryland,
Virginia and North Carolina, certainly.
Possibly it may be making its way also in
West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee,
and even in Georgia. 1t is the spread of
Republican influence Southwark under the
leadership of Hayes, which is imparting
new impulse to the canvass in this State
and all through the North. The men here
who mean peace do not intend that the
South shall remain in her present position
of sectional isolation and discomfort. The
Republicans being now sure of victory, de-
sire to make this victory national, and not
purely sectional, although Northern sec.
tionalism is the outgrowth Of Southern sec-
tionalism. The liberal wing Of the Repub-
lican party is preparing, therefore, to
invade the border Southern States and
thus make breach in the Confederate line
in these States. This political war of SEQ
tions inside of the Union at the ballot-box
will, it is seen, lead to war of bullets in
side of the Un ion unless something is done
to avert it, and go the peace policy of the
Repu bllcan party makes its necessarily ag-
gressive on the one final issue which now
remains to be decided. That final issue, as
before stated, is involved in the question,
which can not be too often repeated, will
q Confederste-DemOcr restoration
lead to peace or war!" We want the con-
servative men of the border Southern
States to see, az we do, that the political
leadership of such men as Bayard, OF Della
wara maana the renawal sooner or later of