Year: 1872

ability of the winters debates In the SEN /
ate the real point has been plainly percep- |
tible. The question may have been n com
mttee of Investigation, or an inquiry into |
the sale of arms, but every hearer and
reader of the speeches felt that the Senate
was the see ne merely; the actual audience
was the country, and the purpose political.
We do not accuse motives, but we are
speaking of men and not of men only,
but of men fired with patriotic interest and
party zeal-of men who have political OBJ
jects to achieve. The Senate IS divided in
to two active Republican camps-the friends
of the Administration and It's enemies.
The policy of the Democratic party Is, very
naturally, passive" Why should ii in
tcrfere when it sees its opponents rending |
each other? 1t sits smiling spectator,
and beholds the charge and counter charge;
the steady and brilliant assault, the brill
liant and steady repulse. But meanwhile
what does the scene mean? What Is the
real situation?


1t is easy to see. These debates are real
ly those of the Philadelphia Convention.
They are preliminary to the Republican
nomination. We do not say that the Re-
publican opponents of the Administration
are not sincerely anxious to expose corrup-
ton and to defend the true honor of the
American name and government. But we
know also that they are political chiefs, and
that they are warmly opposed to the re-
nomination of General Grant. Senator
Schurz stated the other day in the Senate,
what he frankly declared in Chicago, that
he should not support the President if he
were nominated. 1t does not follow that,
in the usual phrase, he has gone over to
the Democrats. We doubt if he thinks it
wise for the Cincinnati Convention to make
a nomination. lie doubtless believes that
parties are more dissolved than others sup
pose them to be, and that new combina-
tions are imminent. And the logic of his
position forces him to justify his hopes and
make uch combinations practical.


For see what the necessary result must
be! A Republican Senator announces that
he will not sustain the Presidential nomn-
alton of his party if it fall upon a candidate
to whom, for reasons satisfactory to HIM
SELF he is utterly opposed, and whom he
believes 10 have violated the Constitution.
If that nomination should be made, the
Senator, by refusing to support it, would
relax his connection with the party. That
is to say, he would virtually cease to be re-
| garded as a Republican, and If no new par
| ty had arisen he must either join the De-
mocracy or disappear from public life. We
| do not say that any ant-Adminstration
Senator would be deferred by any such
| ,,r,opaot from, 1oipU xybai ~ bolinyal n ,p
a duty. But if he were politically ambi-
tous his ambition would coincide with his
sense of duty in an effort to defeat the re-
nomination of the President. This could
be effectively done in two ways: either by
proving personal unfitness, or by discredt-
ing the Administration.


If the first course were adopted and sue
cessfully carried out, the party might be
easily persuaded to make another nomina-
ton, and without injury to its prospect of
ascendency. But il the second course were
adopted, and successfully, the discredit of
| the Administration could hardly fail to
bring down the party. When, therefore,
the anti-Administration Republicans call
| for committees Of investigation into alleged
corruptons under the Administration, one


of two things must be done: either the
committee must be granted without debate,
or there must be debate and delay. In the


first case the mover himself, or one of his


friends, would be made chairman, and the


majority of the committee would be COM


posed of Republicans opposed to the Ad-


ministration and Democrats. They might


be very honest men, but still they would


be men and politicians. That committee e


would hold perpetual inquest, with power


of sending for persons and papers, and OF


publication, upon an Administration at the


head of which is n President whose nomin-


alton n majority of the committee would


wish TO defeat. 1t would, therefore, not be


disinteres,ed investigation. Its work


would begin in suspicion, and it could moi


end in the honest persuasion of any mar


who knew what the facts of its origin real


ly were.


On the other hand, If the committee werC


not Immediately granted, debate mus


follow. In this debate the object of cact


side would be evident. The friends of the


Administration would decline to form {


committee composed partly or wholly o
| llOSt W lip nhu olShig uNNieiN' WV hN"N ~


the Administration to be unfit for his place


because they would properly suspect the


impartiality of the investigation. \ per


sonal or political opposition having beer


declared the proceedings would be suspi-


cious at every step. In the debate upon


the committee, the whole force of the case


against the Administration would be ex'


posed and eloquently argued, and the pre-


sumptive guilt which demands inquiry


would be established in advance as fully


as possible. The friends of the Admins


tration would be represented by their oppo


nents as avoiding inquiry, and superficial


ly such might seem to be the fact Blu


their real action would be merely insist


ance that on the eve of n Presidential elec
ton those who are committed against tn
support of the President, If renominated
/ shall not be authorized to collect in sprl
of hostility to a probable candidate ever.
thing that may possibly discrcdt tho Ad
f ministration and tend to defeat the party
, We repeat, 1t is not a question of motives
If those who move an inquiry into corrur
ton must be assumed to be simply patrl
/ otlc-which we do not deny-not less mus
; their patriotism be unquestioned who dc
) cline to intrust inquiry into the conduct G
. an Administration to those who have obvi
/ Gus reasons for wishing to prevent the re
$ nomination of its head.


. This is precisely the situation in the Sen
Q ate, and ,his is the hidden meaning of thi
: winters debate. To spectator and hearc
= who believes that the continued ascender
t cy of the Republican party is indispensi
BILE TO the continued welfare Of the countr,
g the contest, brilliant, bitter, and skillful {
il it has been, has been also inexpressibl
: painful. Now, as in the impeachment tria
o the Washington correspondents of Il