Rensselaer Union, Volume 3, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 April 1871 — The Republican Party and its Leaders. [ARTICLE]

The Republican Party and its Leaders.

“Tfthe Rcpnblican parly expects to maintain its present power and influence hi the affairs of this govit is high time it pause and reconsider tonic of its positions. The party has placed itself under the head of men who were unknown to its principles in better daye. Seward and Chase and Sntnrer and Shura have cither left the party or the party has left them.— These eminent won have not gone In the Democratic party, but they stand aloof from the two great parties, awaiting for the masses of the Republican party to extinguish the tendency to evil that new lead oTs have developed. * r * General Grant, whom we believe to be honest is, as a President, a tailure; the people feel it. ' — Valparaiso Vide He.

Such twaddle is sentimental nonsense unsupported by facts. It is not true that the people think General Grant a failure as a President. So far his has been an honest, earnest, peaceful administration marked with prudence and economy. No administration can be successfully decried as a failure that within a space of twenty five months decreases the public debt of the nation $204,754,413. When General Grant was inaugurated he found guvcrningn^securities depreciated at home and scarcely negotiable in foreign markets. Gold sold in New York at 150 at that time.— Now gold is worth only 110 or 112 —just enough, to keep it from general circulation, while United Stitt es bonds arc eagerly Sought by foreign capitalists as safe and j paying investments. Another thing, whatever grounds the Democracy may have had for charging Mr. Lincoln with violating the constitution, or whatever reasons the Republicans may have had for similar -charges against Mr. Johnson, none of them can or do pretend that President Grant has ever attempted such a thing, but on the contrary, we find radical newspapers all over the country blaming him for not assuming the responsibility of correcting certain irregularities of a political nature in some of the Southern States, by the strong arm of Executive power. So far as Seward, Chase, Sumner and Shurz are concerned—the former three are, and have been for twenty years, standing candidates for popular favor. They arc not demagogues, perhaps, but they are ambitious men who can not bear to bo thwarted in their aim> and who arc flattered by the attentions of XTiose who affect to favor their personal aspirations. If these men can not direct, if they can not dictate, if their advice is not followed implicitly, they withdraw, or as the Vidette styles it, “stand aloof,’’from . organizations. In this case it is not true that the party' has developed a tendency’ to evil through new leaders. There was no reasonable occasion for Mr. Seward to “stand aloof,” neither was there for Mr. Ch asc or Mr. Sumner, more than the fact that they would cither control or do nothing. Seward halted by the wayside, Chase sent up his petition to the New York convention for the Presidential candidacy, Shurz manipulated Frank Blair into the United States Senate, Sumner maliciously attacks the administration and hobnobs with Thurman, Garrett Davis land the men who have opposed jbiia<tfHsreprescnted his opinions, traduced his private character, nndered and denounced him for a larter of a century, yet notwithtinding the Republican party les, flourishes and maintains its /ccndency. Right in this connec/on is as good place as any to ymake an axiomatic statement. It is this, As the existence and wellbeing of the universe depends on no individual, so the life and supremacy' of a political party’ does not depend upon the approval of any superannuated hack. Shurz has been a turbulent spirit both in German and American politics. Defeated in Europe and having reachcjLsjriie extent of his popularity M United States, his career is one of those partial successes that appear as the saddest and most tantalizing failures, when looked at through the lenses pf history.— Seward, Chase and Sumner, have been great men in their generation, but Time has touched them with his corroding finger, they have passed the zenithef their greatness; Old Age has set his seal upon their brows, childish petulance has succeeded philosophical patience—all marking-tile ravages of decay.— Henceforth these men will be respected for what they have accomplished in the past, but new men With fresher and more vigorous EwW ■■ . . &

minds will supplant them iu the conduct of public affairs. The Vidette speaks truly When jt says that the Republican party has placed itself under the’JVad of men who were unknown to its principles in former days. But this is perfectly natural and eminently proper, i Fifteen years ago other issues were before the people, many of which have passed from existence. Very . few of the men who now direct public affairs were known when the Republican party was born.— Schuyler Colfax, Senator Morton, | Mr. Butler, General Grant, John A. I Logan and hundreds of others who have since become famous, were at that lime scarcely mentioned outj side of the neighborhoods in which I they resided. The older men of the party had a work to do which was well done —let them rest from their labors.— The present leaders have also ft work to perform after which they must and ought to retire and let the succeeding generation lake their trick at the watch. Let us honor the old, encourage the young and hope for the future.