The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-08-07
FOR GOVERNOR,
JOSHUA L. CHAMBERLAIN,
OF BRUNSWICK.
General Gran,,- Fortunate Accidents.

General Grants Fortunate Accidents.
There are some persons who unable to rise
to the level of decency, seek to make their
imbecility more tolerable in public estimation
by trying to prove that other people are fools
like themselves
These genuses among other exploits in
their line, have demonstrated to their own
satisfaction, if to nobody's else, that Napoleon
was incapable of planning campaign or of
handling an army, and that Daniel Webster
was neither great orator nor able states
man.
Men of this stamp, including many promi-
nent leaders of the Democratic party, are now
trying to prove that General Grant is block
head, who has by fortunate accidents blunder-
ed into success. In the recent Soldiers and
Sailors Convention at New York democrat
ic) Gen. McClerrand, jealous but unsuccess-
ful rival Of Gen. Grant, sneered at the latters
victories as the result merely offortuitous cir
cumstances; and large share OF the Demo-
cratic editors and stump speakers are doing
their utmost to give credence to the caumny.
NO language can adequately describe the
utter baseness of this attempt to rob of his
well earned laurels one of the worlds greatest
soldiers and pnrest patriots
To be sure, Gen. Grant is modest and to
those who consider the sum total of excellence
to consist in Dragging and bluster, he must
appear very inferior man. But the com
mon sense off the people discerns in General
Grants victories such an uninterrupted series
of fortunate accidents as never happened to
any man before in all the annals of time.
An effect so constant presupposes cause
equally constant, and that cause evidently
was not in the circumstances which were
constantly varying, but in the man who re-
mained always the same.
Besides we have direct testimony of the
most reliable kind to prove Grants transcen-
dent ability. Generals Sherman and Nc
Pherson whose ability to judge is unquestiCn-
ed and unquestionable, and whose opportuni-
ties for judging were unsurpassed. yield to
Grant the palm of generalship. But it is
needless to speak more in defense ofa general
whose deeds speak louder than words. I'm
partial history will give him his due
As however, in the heat and hustle of DO
litical campaign even palpable tallacy may
deceive many, prudence and justice alike de-
mand notice of this attempted imposture
1t needs but to be noticed to be detected.
Let us turn one moment from the slandered
to the slanderers. WHAT are we to infer con-
cerning the candor or the loyalty displayed
by the delamers of the nations illustrious
defender? so long as there was prospect OF
making him Democrat, the Democratic pa
pers found no language too eulogistic to ex-
press their admiration OF his military ability
and civic virtues. Now mark the contrast in
the sly insinuations and open vituperation
with which he is assailed.
If a man can be brought to see and ac-
knowledge his errors, he has taken the first
step toward reform. When he begins to at
tribute things to chance he will naturally ex-
pect chance to righs all wrongs.
From the hopeless, dark idolater of
chance" no reform can be expected.
The same narrow prejudice which leads
Democratic politicians to attribute Grants
successes to anything rather than merit, will
incline them to ascribe to chance those evils
which their own mistakes have caused, and
they will be looking to chance rather than to
a rectification of those mistakes for the rem
edy. As blind to their own mistakes as to
the merits of others, they are unsafe leaders.
All the hope of the country is in the great
party of progress whose standard bearers are
Grant and Collax