CHAPTER XVII.

THE SO-CALLED LIBERAL MOVEMENT.

How and When it Originated-The Grand Hobby-Attempt to Split the Republican Party in 1868-Trumbull's Backbone Stiffened-A Regular Siege-Approaching the Citadel by Parallels-Sumner's Grievance-His Ejection from the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee-A General Misunderstanding-How it Happened-The Civil Service Purists-The Bee in Trumbull's Bonnet-The Newspaper Ring-"We Four and No More."

It is a great mistake to suppose that the schism created and engineered by a dozen individuals, and dignified by the name of the "Great Liberal Movement," originated in any disaffection growing out of the administration of the government by President Grant. The movement had its origin before ever Grant was nominated for President by the Chicago Convention of 1868. Its germ was the theory of Free Trade, which so disturbed some of its more ardent advocates in the early Spring of 1868, that they would then have been very glad to disrupt the Republican party and scatter to the four winds the glorious record of that patriotic

organization, with all the beneficent measures then in the womb of that party's future, for the sake of an opportunity to air themselves upon their favorite hobby of Free Trade, or, as they had then just begun to call it, Revenue Reform. This was the way it was done:

THE GAME IN 1868.

Early in 1868, the impeachment of Andrew Johnson came on. The American Free Trade League, comprising among its members the editors of the Chicago Tribune, New York Evening Post and Chicago Evening Post, as well as all the prominent Democratic journals, and numbering the papers specified among the most valued and industrious of its organs, was then just fairly launched in its active campaign work, and, under the leadership of Mahlon Sands and the editors above named, was beginning a vigorous warfare in behalf of its vital theory.

It was soon perceived that the conviction and removal of Andrew Johnson would leave in the Presidential Chair, for the remaining ten months of Johnson's term, the Hon. Benjamin F. Wade, then President pro tem of the Senate. Now, Wade was a staunch Protectionist, as indicated by his votes in the Senate, and the Free Traders immediately saw that it would never do to have him occupying the Presidential Chair, with an almost certainty of being made the Republican candidate for Vice-President at Chicago, in May. Accordingly, we saw

the Chicago Tribune and Evening Post suddenly veer about, a few days after the Senate took the trial of Johnson in hand, and enjoin moderation upon the Senate as earnestly as they had demanded a red-hot prosecution from the House a fortnight or so before. Fortunately for their cause, there were really some very weak points in the impeachment of Johnson, which presented a good excuse for such Senators as chose, from one motive or another, to vote for acquittal. One of these was Lyman Trumbull, of Illinois, who had, we have no doubt, honest scruples about the propriety of removing Johnson by force. Nevertheless, Trumbull lacked backbone, and there is no telling what he would have done, but for the stiffening up which he received from home. Letters from Horace White, and from one other newspaper knight (since deceased) whose support was important, assured Trumbull that he would be sustained by the (then) most influential of the home newspapers of Republican name. Sustained by such assurances, Trumbull, to the surprise of the country, voted "nay" on the question of Johnson's conviction. Of the Republican Senators, Grimes, Fessenden, Ross, Henderson, Van Winkle and Fowler voted with him-part of them certainly from conscientious motives. By their votes Johnson was acquitted, and Ben Wade was kept out of the Presidential Chair.

AT THE CHICAGO CONVENTION.

Now for the next act in the drama. The reve

nue "Reformers," though they had exorcised their bete noir from the place of authority, still were not happy. There was still a high tariff majority in Congress, and was likely to be, at least in the Senate, for many years-perhaps until the anxious "Reformers" had, to quote the thought of Sidney Smith, wrapped their taxed shrouds about them, and lain down in taxed coffins to their final rest. There seemed little prospect of bringing about the Free Trade millenium so long as the Republican party continue to sit, like Mordecai, at the king's gate. The Democratic party was better material, as Free Trade had been one of the vital dogmas of the Democrats, in their virtuous days. But the Democrats had a war record which would damn them to all eternity, if they should have the temerity to keep fighting under their old colors. To cleave a slice off from the Republican party and work it over into a grand hash along with the cold meats of the Democracy, was the problem of Messrs. Sands, White, et al.

The National Republican Convention of 1868 assembled. It was the hope of the agitators that a split might be brought about through a bolt, organized on one of three pretexts, viz:

1. The nomination of Wade for Vice President. 2. The adoption by the Convention of a resolution sharply censuring the seven Republican Senators who voted against convicting Johnson.

3. The refusal of the Convention to adopt a resolution, presented by Carl Schurz, in favor of the speedy enfranchisement of the Rebels.

None of these delicately edged wedges, however, could be made to enter the glorious old trunk. It resisted them all. Wade was not nominated, the resolution of censure was not passed, and Schurz's resolution, far from being rejected, or quarreled over, was readily adopted, notwithstanding it was irregularly presented.

In short, the gentlemen who were waiting for a rupture found the party disgustingly unanimous and enthusiastic; so much so as to render hopeless the prospects of a successful schism that year. The idea was accordingly abandoned, or rather, held in abeyance, while the schemers sought new instrumentalities and new opportunities. They made a sort of mock fight during the campaign of 1868, and, after Grant was swept into the White House on a flood of popular enthusiasm, the like of which had rarely been seen, they immediately proceeded to right their foundered craft, and take advantage of the reflex wave to get back off the shoals on which the election had landed them.

THE NEWSPAPER SYNDICATE.

It was not long before that newspaper "quadrilateral," which has since become famous-chiefly through blowing its own trumpet-began to take form. This powerful concern has varied in form and magnitude somewhat since commencing its operations for the destruction of the Republican party. As first organized, it consisted of, first, the Springfield (Mass.) Republican; second, the New