The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-12-17
THE Prenihnnnu-


preferring that he should speak for himself
and take his own time for 80 doing; but, as
General Dent is commended to public atten-
ton as a brother-in-law of the General and
a member of his staff, aud as his letter,
embodies the views Of considerable
section Of General Grants present
supporters, we submit it to public attention.
It is as follows:-
Dear ST. . To be quito frank with
you. General Grant does not wish To be elmer
the Republican or the Democratic candidate FOR
tue Presidency. He would prefer to be elected
by the people, without any reference to the pro
sent party org gAnizations. If IL ls possible, let
there be a new organization, representing the
people and not the politicians. The General is
now in q position which suits him very well;
can be of more service to bis country. He will
not take the Presidency II he cannot enter upon
its office unpledged and unembarrassed by
party affiliations and platforms. He does not
want to decide upon questions of puOllc policy
until they come up for settlement, and hence
his reluctance to be questioned as TO platforms
or confined To certain lines of action. He has
uefnite views OF his own, which are toIerabIy
well expressed in an article written by a young
fIiend of his for the January number OF the
Galaxy OF course he must not be held resp9n.
sible Tor all the views therein expressed; but it
gives about what he thinks of the present politl-
cal situation.
for himself, General Grant does not wish to act
Independently of the people His care would
IL
wishes, and do for them about what they
wanted to do for themselves. Let party ques-
and, whatever the Will of the people is, the
General will try and Loyalty OBEY 1t.
"On one point, the General is quite clear. II
elected. he wiz make no appointments on
account of political services. He believes that
a reform OF our civil service, such as that EN-.
vital moment, and all he will ask of any candi-
date for position is honesty and capacity.
"You may use this note among friends and,
II they think General Grant can be elected
without reference to either of the existing
parties, let them go ahead; but again repeat
General Grant does not care for the Presidency
If 1t is to be the .tygInre ygi1t OF a. party NJ
I'm palpable contrast with General Dents
programme stands the declaration of the pow
erful organization known as the Union League
of America which, at its session in Washing
ton on Thursday last, unanimously
"ReSolved. That the National Council OF the
U. l.. A. is utterly opposed to any departure
I ON the sacred principles OF its organization,
from those of the Republican party: and that
we do hereby respectfully but earnestly and
firmly, urge the National Republican Conven-
ton TO place no man in nomination for Presi-
dent OF the United States In 1868 VINO IS not in
himself an irrevcrsible guarantee that he is
true friend OF the cause OF Union and Liberty.
the equal rights of all mNn before the law, and
of universal manhood suffrage"
We believe considerable portion of those
who united in this resolve are supporters OF
General Grant, regarding him as Just such 'an
for. And we cannot doubt that, if General
Grant shall be nominated for President at Chi
cago next May, it will be substantially on the
platform embodied in this resolution.
There have been times in which President
could be fifty chosen with small regard to his
political convictions; but these are not such
times For, while many voters are doubtless
more intent on the election of their favorite
than the triumph of any distinctive principles,
there is far larger number who will support
the man mainly for the sake of the principle
which his election is to establish. Many of
these are for Grant; others for Chase, for
Wade, for COlfaX, or for Stanton but their
choice is guided by belief that the principles
which they cherish may thus be most surely
subserved. No presentation of candidates will
be generally satisfactory which does not re-
cognize and respect this truth.
Shall We Buy a New African Statet
From the NJ Y. World.
Only one hundred and fifty millions in gold
for the two islands of Cuba and Porto Rico,
with, as we presume, all the ''Spanish Virgins"
thrown in. Was ever such bargain offered
to mortal nation before That it has been
offered even now, and to us, we, at this writing,
may not Over-confdently assert, since the news
comes to us from the same quarter from which
we, some short time ago, received the startling
information Of the entire submersion of the
Island of Tortola with all its inhabitants. 1t
is furthermore remarkable that the Spanish
Government, never in a hurry to take the colo
MES into its confidence, should announce this
news to Cuba before its publication in Wash
ington.
At the price named Cuba and Porto Rico,
with their adjacent dependencies, certainly
could not be regarded as dear. Porto Rico, it
is true, costs the Spanish Government rather
more than it comes to, but taken sin the
block' her West Indian possessions yield
Spain a yearly income of nearly twenty mil
lions Of dollars, so that in selling them out for
hundred and fifty millions she parts with
them at about seven years. purchase. Yet,
when we reflect how weak Spain now is, how
troubled and cloudy is the near future of
Christendom, and how extremely convenient
a thing to the Spanish treasury would be so
large and available a sum as one hundred and
fifty millions of dollars, it must be admit
ted that a Spanish ministry might do
many things much more foolish than to part
with the "gems of the Antilles" even at
this seemingly inadequate rate. 1t is not at
all likely, of course, that the plots and con-
tTivances alleged to be Matching in Mexico
against the Spanish authority in Cuba will
| speedily if ever come to much. But unlikely
as it is, it is still possible that an enterprise
nominally originating in Spanish America, but
| really supported and made formidable by the
| cooperation of adventurers from the United
| States, might result in compelling Spain to
fight for her dominions in the Caribbean Sea-
| and that on a scale and in circumstances
! which whatever the immediate issua might