The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-18
Grant and Seymour.
Fro,, The N. Y. World.

Uihhb anu IVY HiOuis
From the ". y World.
1t is not perhaps, impossible for rational
people, even in the heat of partisan contest,
to comprehend the difference between throw
ing mud at man and trying to find out what
a man is made of. And it is quite certain that
abundant opportunities are daily offered by
the Democratic and the radical journals to
honest inquirers for getting at the exact ma
ture of this difference When Governor Sey-
mour was first nominated for the Presidency
by the National Democracy, the Tribune and
other radical organs at once began throwing
mud at him, and they have continued ever
since so to do, although it is true that, as they
are apparently beginning to find out that the
operation fatigues themselves more than it
hurTies the Democracy, they have of late
somewhat relaxed in their projectile fury.
When General Grant accepted the radical bid
for his name, the Democratic organs at once
began to inquire into the real nature and
value of the man, and into his fitness for so
high trust as the American Presidency in
this year of grace 1865 must be conceded to be.
The inquiry has resulted so far in no responses
which can possibly be satisfactory, we will not
say to Democratic partsans but to quiet and
sober citizens who simply yearn to see decency
and high character in the chair OF State.
So while the artillery practice of the radical
mud batteries is daily slackening, the Demo-
cratic inquisition is daily growing keener and
more emphatic.
The radicals could find at first, and have as
yet been able to find only one pretext for as
sailing Governor Seymour They charged him
with 'disloyalty," vague, un-Americau sort
of word at the best, smaeking disagreeably of
the style in which the Tories of the Revolution
used to belabor Adams and Franklin and
Washington; and they endeavored to give
their charge a meaning before the minds of
sensible men by alleging not only that Cover
1,nl (,,l, !
authorities during the late civil war, but that
be had befriended the "Rebel5." Here then
was form of words, which if its use could be
justified by evidence would be an accusation,
while if this cOnld not be done it would
he mere mud ball. The annals of the
Union refuted the calumuy as soon as
it was uttered. The dead Lincoln rose,
SIS it were, from his grave to vindicate
the PATRIOTS m of that Chief Magistrate of the
Empire State whom the living Lincoln had
publicly and warmly thanked for the salvation
OF Pennsy ylvania and the republic A radical
ex-Mayor, Opdyke of New York, did himself
honor by protesting against the slander
which he SO well knew to be slander; nor
could even Edwin NJ Stanton submit to be
made the tool of an invention at once disgrace
ful and preposterous. The radicals, there
fore, have ever since been throwing mud balls
and nothing but mud-balls at the Democratic
candidate. That they do so is the sufficient
proof that this is their only ammunition.
Turp now to the Democratic batteries and to
General Grant
If the World should charge General Grant
| with being coward or traitor, with par
| taking the passion of Butler for other peoples
| spoons, or the partiality of Wade for unbut-
| tered blasphemy, it would put itself precisely
on the level on which the Tribune stood when
that journal began to arraign Governor Sey-
maur as ''disloyal.'' And if the JVorid,
| irrr oh oh 20
tiate them, it would sink to the lower level on
which the Tribune now Stands whenever it
repeats this charge of "disloyalty," proved,
! seen, known, and confessed of all honest men
| to be a ridiculous falsehood.
But the World found General Grant charged
| by people who have "never loved the
! World nor the World them" with being an
"habitual drunkard,' and with being ''bru-
tally Indifferent to human life." The World
found it of record before the courts that Gen.
| Grants father made merchandise of his son S
official authority during the war. Did the
| World thereupon arraign Grant as ''drunk-
ard" or butcher" or "cotton specula-
tor p Not bit of it.
What the World did was this: Regarding
1t as tremendous national calamity that a
drunkard, butcher, and cotton Spectator
should, under any glamour Of military glory,
| be elevated at this time to the supreme magis-
tracy of the republic, the World demanded that
these charges against General Grant should be
met and disproved by his supporters, The
charges were not made in corner, nor by
"Rebels." Mr. Tilton, of the Independent, is a
rebel to the Constitution indeed but he is
more 'loyal' to Congress than Horace Greeley
himself; and Mr.. Tlton, of the independent,
is of record charging General Grant with
drunkenness. So, too, is Wendell Phil
lips, vigorously declaring that this
rauical candidate for the Presidency in the
most critical hour OF our history cannot
"stand up before a bottle without falling
down." General Grants indifference tC
human life'' is of record in the fearful story o
| his tentative and cOnfessediy disastrous over.
land expedition of 1864 against Richmond. Il
it be true, as responsible and competent au.
thorites stand forward TO show it is, thai
General Grants prestige with the people as
soldier represents rather the eXultation of the
country at its final victory than the genuine
military ability OF General Grant himself, it a.
once becomes very important to know whether
be lacks OF possesses that genial humanity o
character which is at once the most efficient
curb upon the ambition of men of unquestion
able military genius, and the lndis pensablt
corrective Of the bIutelzing influences of wa
upon more ordinary minds.
That it is gravely important for us to know
and TO know beyond all question or pera1ven
tuTe whether General Grant did or did no
suffer his father to make traffic of his mill
tary authority, and contribute to his father
success in that line OF business by abusing hi
martial sway to inilict insult and injury upoI
the "Jews as class" nobody, we presume
will deny.
How, then, can it be said that the Worlc
vituperates General Grant when it insists upo1
one of two thiDgs-either that these cloud