Montgomery County Sentinel

The Next Presidency.

The editor of the Sunday Herald, a Washington paper, recently interviewed the Hon. Montgomery Blair, who expressed to him the opinion that the Democrats should let the Radicals call their convention and re-nominate Grant for the Presidency, and then let the independent Republicans bolt and nominate whomsoever they please, and the Democracy rally to the support of the latter.

Mr. Blair backs up his opinion with the declaration that the Democratic party is fast coming up to this. If this were true, it would betoken that it had taken leave of its senses, turned its back upon its old, tried, faithful servants, and abandoned its principles—a strait to which the party is not yet quite reduced, we take it. But we do not believe it is true. On the contrary, it is our decided opinion that the Democratic party can be united on no man for the next Presidency who has not a clear Democratic record. They want no political thimble-rigger, no ground-and-lofty tumbler, no trimmer, no devotee of expediency at the expense of principle, no Jesuit leader. And if such a one should be foisted upon the party by political managers, he would meet with most ignominious defeat, and he would deserve it.

We advert to it now, in order to rebuke that disposition to run after strange gods and strange doctrines, so prevalent among some of those who hold the name but have little regard for the principles of Democracy. Such should be made at once and unmistakably to understand that the true Democratic party can never be made to rally with enthusiasm to the support of any one for the next Presidency but a sound, consistent and undeviating Democrat.

The Conservatives and all other upholders of the Constitution, who desire that the life of the Republic may be preserved, will be satisfied with no other. They want no half-hearted, halting, hesitating temporiser, but one who will take the Constitution for his guide, and cling to it, as the ship-wrecked mariner clings to the last plank, when night and the tempest close around him.

When the proper time arrives, the Democratic party should call a National Convention and insist upon the nomination of a candidate for the next Presidency from among the host of eminent Democrats of the country, who have never been found wanting when weighed in the balance—men versed in the science of government; with able heads, honest hearts, and strong hands, capable of administering the government for the good of the whole people, discarding sectionalism, fanaticism and party malevolence. Let a standard-bearer be chosen who will be able and willing to conduct us back to the principles of Republican government; to rescue the country from the brink of ruin which it has now reached; to equalize and reduce taxation; and, in every conceivable way to curtail the enormous expenses of the government to something like what they were in the good old days of Democratic rule, before the all-devouring swarm, which is now in the high places of the Government, sucked the life-blood out of the nation. Let there be no more running after strange gods—no more searching after availability—but give us a good and tried man, one who can command the respect and have the confidence of the people.

Then the Democracy can go forward with reasonable assurance of success.