Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1867-05-08
wendell Phillips and Grant.

gated through tho loyal press, conveying
the present impressions Of the arch.agitator,
Wendell Phillips, upon the political situa-
tion-together with his recommendations as
to the proper measures to be taken ~ his
adherents. AS our readers are not much in
the habit OF looking in that quarter for
counsel and advice, We shall not trouble
them with this letter in ectenso-and we
only alude to it because we wish to make
some remarks upon theme which we con.
slider worthy of serious consideration at all
times but especially now, when, in the stir.
ring language of Hon. r. j. Walker "the
very foundations Of the government are
rocking on their base" and it may be that
it is to become mere mass Of broken
columns aud moudcring ruins. j"
Wendell Phillips takes occasion 10 enter
lis protest against the redoubtable Grant as
a candidate for the Presidency. We don't
often agree with Mr.. Phillips, but in this
case we most heartily coincide with him,
and curiously enough, for the very same
reason. Phillips has no confidence in Grant.
Neither have We. We never had. He is
"ncithcr fish, nor flesh, nor good rcd,her-
ring" Phillips says many earnest Radi.
Gals are urging the nomination of Gen. Grant
by. the Republican party, because, say they,
if We don't nominate him the Democrats
will" "Here is pretty spectacle" quoth
Phillips; "RcpuI'icans urging the nomi.
nation of man who is such swiss that he
will suit either party indi!lercnt!y."
We don't pretend to give the exact
language Of Mr.. Phillips, as We have mis-
laid the paper containing his letter. But
the sense is as we have above recited-and
the cpithet S,ciss is certainly Phillips own.
Now, we agree with Mr.. Phillips in this
that, while we do not know exactly how far
Gen. Grant may possess the requisite char.
ac.er and qualifications Of Rad cal no nince,
and therefore express no opinion on that
point. we are very sure that there is no single
trait or characteristic about him to render
him acceptable to the great mass Of the
Democratic party. We have had to resent,
and too severe an experience on this sub.
ject, 20 fall soon again, and suddenly, into a
similar error. We have always had very
decided opinions against military chieftains
as Presidential nominees or incumbcnts-
and, AS we turn our eyes towards our afllict.
ed sister states Of the South, and be.
hold, a, this moment the spectacle there
afforded It's, Of what the late Rev. Sydney
Smith used to call the square men in the
round holes men placed in positions for
which God and nature had equally denied
them the proper qnalidcations-military
men, whose education and habits of thought
and action totally unfit them for the func-
tions Of the statesman, sent into the South
to take out Of the hands of an unwilling
people the control Of their own civil and
domestic affairs-we feel, more strongly
than ever the soundness of our views on
this point, and shall never cease to lift up
our voice in earnest protest against the pol
icy that will surely ruin any party--and
which in our humble judgment did more
to demoralize, cmasculate, and finally to
hopelcssly overthrow the old Wing rarty,
than any other one thing. The nomination
Of that pompous old humbug, Gen. Scott,
sealed the ruin Of that once formidable or.
ganization, and it was beaten out of sight,
and scattered to the four winds a. the elec.
ton which followed.
Now, we do not wish, to be mistaken
nor to be supposed to include all military
men in one general condemnation. We
could not be so unjust. We have many
noble and true soldiers in our ranks, of all
grades, and better, braver and more consis.
tent and steady Democrats do not ex s.--men
who have made large sacrifices Of proics.
sional advancement to their sincerity and
fidelity to political principle. These brave
men will, on reflection, concur with us, we
doubt not, on the general policy Of military
nominations. Dut we have peculiar distrust
Of this man Grant. We ewatched his course,
with considerable interest last fall, when he
was Swinging around the circle with
President johnson and suite. A great deal
of unnecessary fuss was made over him, we
thought, and too much trouble to ascertain
his precise opinion Of the question of the
hour taken by all parties, considering the
exact value of the article when obtained.
One day he thought this, nextday he though.
that, and one could have supposed that the
illimitable universe hung with speechless
and rapt excitement upon the lips of Gen.
Grant for the magic sentences of his ipse
dinit. This was sll very foolish, of course,
especially as he had, at the outset, declared
that he would not mcddlc with politics. He
was soldier, who accompanied the Pres.
dent in obedience to the command of his
superior officer" This was a very proper
position for him to take; if he had adhered
to it no one could have complained We
b ,uld not, most certainly. But the wilderness
Of his duplici.y, his cpquetry with the Radi-
Gals, and his betrayal Of his tacit under.
standing with the President, were numerous