Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-08-24
Con. Grant and the HypOchondriacs,


ored Cass" from Africa-Na deS-
perandum.
The spirit of the imaginative old Don
Quixote seems to have entered the era.
NUNS of some Of the hypochondriacal
political philosophers Of the present day,
melting them to fierce action by fitting
right and left against the two political
parties of the country, the only effect Of
which is to convince US that the enter
prise is too great for their powers; that,
unless-ike General Grant in his battle
campaigns - they have overwhelming
force, they cannot overcome the object Of
attack.
Your free thinking correspondent
seems to be fearfully bitten by the taran.
tula of desire to vote for Grant, and
maintains with praiseworthy obstinacy
that no other man is so available and
competent as the Presidents war clerk
for the salvation Of the country, particu-
larly the South; and to effect the cleo
ton of his idol, is determined to use the
ebony representative from Africa. His
last communication is such compound
of contradictions that like the Gordian
Knot, it will have perforce to be cut, in
stead of raveled apart He says that
Grant fails to place himself in an atti.
tude of hostility to Stanton. That con.
ceded fact proves what | always main
tanned: that he is pledged to Radicalism.
And the President, in removing Stanton
and appointing Grant, only jumped from
the frying pan into the fire. Events will
prove that Stanton still retains his ad-
vantage over the President; for Grant
yet holds command ofthe army, and that,
henceforth, in conjunction with the negro
element in the South, is to be a potent
political machine in the Government.
If other proof were needed, provided
"Free Thinkers" assertions are facts,
we have the statement that If the Pres
ident had assigned the war Office to any
other General, Stanton would have re-
sisted" That clearly veri6es that Stan
ton knew his man, and that there exists
between them perfect understanding.
Grants sugared sentences to Stanton
about his loyalty" and official virtue is
another item ofproof. They always were
hand. Finland, and like barnacles, ad-
hered together under all circumstances.
Grant is weak and dull man; Stanton
is a strong and energetic man. 1t was
only by the aid of Stanton's energetic
measures that Grant was able to defeat
the rebel free thinkers in Virginia and
because General Lee surrendered tC
Grant, some Southern people iseem tC
think that General Grant must neces
sarily be a great man. But the fact thai
by overpowering numbers, he was able
defeat the ragged, halfstarved rebel
army, does not prove him capable OF
available for the Presidential station.
Here is another scintillation of genius
from Free Thinkers " communication
1.-THE nomination of Grant will be
opposed by Stevens, Butler, Phillips, el
id omae genus. Democracy will be ar
rayed against him. In these facts con
sist his strength
l will be accommodating enough to
suppose that our friend tells nothing but
the truth, and if it is truth that the Radi.
Gals will opposeGrant, and the, Democracy
will be arrayed against him, what does
his strength consist of, and how do you
propose to elect him2 The Radical and
Democratic parties absorb the whole
people of the North, and if they are all
opposed to him, will the five hundred
thousand negroes Of the South-presum
ing that he would get their support
which is not at all probable-be sufficient
to elect him And if elected by their
vote, would not that insure "black dom.
.ination ?" These assertions are so pu-
Grille that it seems folly to ask such
questions.
But the question of his election | will
treat as a side issue for the present / do
not care about the modUS operandi, but
do care about his qua lilications for the
station. There is very mistaken idea
in the South as to Grants character and
calibre. They seem to think hisreiicence
is great strength and virtue. Perhaps
in some senses, among the loose CAB
blers of this blatant land, his rigid silence
is virtue and no doubt strength il
is certainly a novelty. But the true rea.
son of bis reticence on the political
questions Of the day is, because be has
no defined opinion, or intellectual COM
prohensisn, of the situation. Intellectu.
ally, he is one Of the smallest menin the
army. Although educated as a soldier,
he has not the solid qualities Of Thomas
nor the brilliant genius of Sherman; (;
neither has he the lying and braggart
character Of Pope, or the rooster cock
airs and ambition Of Sheridan. He is,
eonstitutionally,a "a brave fighter, and give
him overwhelming numbers, be can pile
them on his enemy and stine him. But
in civil service he is a weak, plant man,
easily moved, because he has no lasting
convietions-thus pat to Stanton's, or