The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-10-08
BIair's Attack on General Grant.


it were not for Blair's present position as a
rival candidate, while the labored length and
style Of the charge is evidently intended to
attract attention. Denuded Of the mass of
verbiage that almost obscures its meaning,
the charge Is reduced to the simple, unsup-
ported opinion of Mr.. Blair, that he thinks
that man in General Grants present lofty
station would not surrender such powers
for the transient four-years' glory of the Pre-
sidency. Therefore, and for this cause alone,
he has pretended to endorse opinions at
variance with his own because he knows that
the party nominating him is Gin favor of
absolute and despotic government" Mr.. Blair
is convinced that General Grant would prefer
his present station, better suited to his tastes
and education, but that his ambition has been
aroused, and to satisfy it and the wishes of
the party he is now lsboring to change the
Presidency into a dictatorship. 1t is these
promptings, and these alone, that urge him,
for he does not hate the South nor love the
negro
All this seems to be a queer piece of reason
ing, but logic it is intended to be. In the
WhViO Ohoih bhoAo 10 Ohhy Ouo idOb
and that is that General Grant cannot pos
sibly have any affinity for the negro because
Frank Blair himself knew him once to be a
pro.slavery Democrat. This fact is, oddly
enough, made the main reliance and starting
point of the argument, and we are left to
wonder, from the Importance given to the
statement, whether Mr.. Blair thinks that no
man can ever possibly change a political
opinion, or whether he has that faith in
General Grants strength and vigor of mind
that he believes it utterly impossible for him
to do so.
This ought to be esteemed the highest COM
pliment that the Vice Presidential Democratic
candidate could pay to any nan-that he,
many years ago, was pro-slavery, and has
adhered to that faith through all the fuctua-
tons and mutations of politics-not even
Blair could be m ore virtuously consistent
If the eloquent periods of Mr.. Blair can be
made to mean anything, it is that the Re-
publican party is determined to change our
form of government into a dictatorship for
life, and that General Grant is willing to help
them in case they will make him the dictator.
Otherwise, General Grant is a temperate,
wise, just man, and a good and faithful SOL
dier, who has done right in the most trying
positions, and would do it again, if only the
Republicans would let him alone and not
tempt his ambition!
This seems to us to be ga pretty kettle of
fish," and if Mr. Blair undertakes to prove it
at all, he is in danger of himself jumping from
the frying pan into the fire.
We subjoin a paragraph from General
Bair's speech, that our readers may individu-
ally unravel its mystic meshes:-
ut is not that General Grant is in affinity
with the negroes; because L once knew him
when he was q pro slavery Democrat. II is
not that he has any hatred for the soldiers
or the people of the South, because he asked
and obtained amnesty and pardons for those
who were in arms against the Govern
teach him that the party which has put him
forward is In favor of absolute and despotic
government, and be expects to be made the
permanent dictator of the country. In my
judgment, he would not exchange the Office
which he now holds to be the constitutional Pre-.
then retire from public life still q young man.
He would prefer his present position, as better
suited to his tastes and military education
and equal In emolument to the other, which
lasts for life, were he not tempted by that last
tnfirmity of great minds-ambition; and he Is
willing TO see the liberties of the country over
thrown, If by so doing he can attain for himself
power during life."