Rensselaer Union, Volume 5, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 May 1873 — Parties and Party Fealty The Republican Future. [ARTICLE]

Parties and Party Fealty The Republican Future.

Some discussion is now going on in the paperless to- whether the masses, of Rcpublic'm voters are, or ;.re not, l.j.siiiu' l:ideviffion. to their party, and whether it is not necessary that should be put in control of public affairs, in order to secure just mid Ifcfn eFt govern men t. — As aqu es tion of political theory, it is worthy of candid consideration. Two diff'erent tendencies in human nature give rise to[two. d ifferen tcl asses, of „ associations, clyarly-distinguisha-ble in Church and State. Parties and Stales owe their separation to these general influences, however they may be modified by circumstances. One class of minds is cr.msi.r.va.tive, because veneration is stronger th tin hope. Hence such i persons defer to authority, are i content to hold on toreurreut ideas and habits, and in gem ral deprecate change. Another class is rad- [ ical, because hope predominate's, j and is in.favor ol change, aa .tire., road of progress. Of.course, be- ' tween the extremes of t conservaI tism ami radicalism lie the great mnsß of minds. —-BuUvFrc prepoir7dereiree of Thiluence gi ves eharacter 1o individuals and a-.-mci:;tions. [ A Conservative looks to the past, and sighs over a lost Edet ; a Radical looks, to the future, and longs for a coming Milleniuni. One believes in the past, “the other in the future. ....... Without elaborating this idea, it is sufficient for the present purpose to say that.political parties :ii;e,not. tire arbitrary creations of great , men nor the accidental aggrega- : tions of voters 'under local influenne'u tT.dpubteJ'y great men am l local -i i issue ne es- e x ere ise \vm girt but partie.s are the outgrowth of the agreement or disagreement of their members in general habit of mind. Not that, such habits are unalterable, but. simply preponde-r------ent tor—the time being.- Hence, when any matter of public interest claims general attention, the public mind will assume a conservative or radical attitude toward it, and voters will pass from one to the*dther party as its general character or special position attracts them. And these transitions determine the locak successes of paffies, mite strength or weakness. But, as between a conservative and radical party, made such by the general mental character of its. members, there is a fundamental difference in the principle of cohesion. A conservative party is closely bound loparty organization by the character of its component 'parts,. The very tendency which creates the party makes them submissive to party discipline. Hence a conservative party ik always stronger, as a party, because its members are more subniissive to party authority, and can be counted on to xwte the unscratched ticket, whetbc‘,r\it is.specially approved or not. <m the other hand, a radical -party is -by-the- same irecessity more independent, its members less answerable* to party decisions, and less disposed to follow party leaders. ' Being composed of more positive elements, there is individuality of thoughT :md vbteis are disjjosed „to do as they please. In other words a conservative jiarty is one of organization, a radical party is one of ideas, the one is held-together r by diseipli*©, the other by agreenient.

V eo •- • ■ ’ e ” \ ~ *• „ ~ Since its organization the liepublican party lias been radical.; — This is claimed bv its friends, and charged by its enemies. The years since its accession to power have been marked by stupendous revolutions. The culmination of the slavery controversy in civil war led to the abolition of slavery, the enfranchisement of the negro, and tdie overthrow of.the secession of State Rights. Tiled government now is different from what it was twenty years ago in theory as well as in’daw. All who regard these changes, as beneficent are properly Republicans; only those who think them wrong properly belong to the Democratic opposition. But of course these ell an ges ha re irot been wrotrght by theories wholly right or practices perfectly consistent. There have been aberations, positive oppressions and wrongs. To admit this is simply do avow the movements to have been human. Neither the j Republican party as a whole, nor

any of its particular leaders are jnfallable. Mistakes, wrongs, inconsistenpies abound in the history oi' .these changes* and these weighing on individtTah minds and-joined with personal -ambitions, and disappointments, and local influences, have soured and driven away many of its supporters, and made frequent changes in its Readership.— But throughout all, the party has held its radical ideas, maintained its progressive attitude, and hence commanded the conlidence and support of the public mind of the country. It is . a consideration of these general principles which enables us to explain facts which seem utterly inexplicable to the Democratic mind, and to predict with confidence thx? contihuejl success of the Republican party.. Our Democratic neighbors cannot sec h'ow a party abandoned by its most distinguished leaders, betrayed by those on whom it has conferred power and patronage, disgraced by the peculation and dishonesty of many of its trusted officers, can live and flourish,. Ah. matter of fact the Republican party has continued to live and flourish although such radicals as Seward, Chase and Greeley deserted it; Johnson xv.Li.li. all the patronage and power oft lie go ve rn ment turn ed aga ins t it; and Pomeroy and Ames brought it hitmiliation and shame by their dishonesty. The explanation is easy. The Republican party is not held together by organization or leadership, but by community of politic.-il itleas and purposes. The party cannot be broken up by the desertion or dishonesty of leaders, because not created by them. If they - ’prove unfaithful they are simply thrust aside, new men sent to the front, while the mass continues: to follow the banner of progress. To-day, in Indiana, Senator Morton is regarded as all powerful. But if he should leave his party to-morrow he could not carry with him into the camp of the enemy a thousand votes. In the Republican party ideas and purposes are the great thing—party leaders and disciplhm_qiiitir .Aubqrdinate. To a double-edged conservative like the Missouri Repubt/rc)', it seems utterly astounding that a “revelation of bribery and perjury which t-he last Congress . has..made,” does .not cause a-gen-eral abandonment of the party, and no explanation seems to it possible except that “Republicans are not as intelligent and patriotic" as it gave them credit for being. To Republicans themselves there is no mystery in the matter. Their faith is not in men but in princi pl e ; their fealty is not to organization, but to ideas. ' These “revelations'’ were made by themselves, not their _oppo net it <; a n d-are 41 te-s igu aJ j not for the abandonment of the party of progress, but the ruthless political slaughter of the unfaithful mem The dissolution of the Democratic party was the natural re.-ult of the logic of events. Its reconstruction is equally inevitable.—■ I low it is reorganized, or rather on what principle, will determine its future. If the. old elements are reorganized, on the old conservatism, a. ni-ere name will -not -save it from continued defeat. The American mind is radical; the glory of the United States is in the future. It lives on hope, not memory. Hence, as long as the Republican party is the party of progress, it will continue to maintain its ascemicncy, in spite of constant changes, and local and temporary defeats.— lndianapolis Journal.