The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-09-28
Campaign Enthusiasm.


of enthusiasm for GTant-meaning, OF course
an absence of nervous excitement about his
name or his person, and an indispostl0n to
give violent and uproarious expression to the
feeling of admiration created by the oontem-
plation of his career. This defect was sup
posed to be particularly remarkable in the
West, which has usually been considered,
owing to the greater freshness of its popula-
tioH, the home Of enthusiasm; and we remem-
Der meeting with more than one shrewd
observer who came back from that region
troubled by the calm with which the
mention OF the Republican candidate was
received. There did not seem, they said, to bs
any magnetism" about him-msgnetism, in
political parlance, meaning that personal
quality which in Europe causes the populacs
to take the horses from mans carriage and
draw it themselves, and which here exnites
intense eagerness to shake hands with him,
and get his autograph, or lock of his hair,
or, in the case of woman, to kiss him.
sMagnetism" does not seem to be necessarily
connected with any particular kind of intel
lectual constitution. Webster had it, and so
had, in q far greater degree, Clay. Jackson
had IL, but Calhoun had not, and the want of
it Is constantly mentioned still as reason
why some of the ablest men in the country
need not look for high place in the man age
ment of public affairs.
Now there is no denying that Grant does
not possess magnetism" in the sense in
which the word is ordinarily used. His
general bearing is not that of a sympathetic
man, of a man on whose breast one Is tempted
to lay one's head and weep. His looks does
not invite kisses, and his hair does not lend
itself-to use Gallicism-to being cut off in
locks. He makes poor figure at receptions
when few of his fellow citizens "desire to
take him by the hand" He shakes hands,
even on the greatest occasions, with cold
stern, impassive air. which naturally begets
the impression that he does not enjoy shaking
hands with some hundreds of people whom he
never saw before, and this ohills the more
gushing Of his admirers. We have on more
than one occasion besn present when the sight
OF his unmoved, and apparently immovable
features has reduced smiling, glowing hand
shaker, who had just danced up to him with
extended arm and an inane but carefully pre-
pared compliment on his lips, in the twink
ling of an eye to limp, broken-down bore,
for whom life had lost its charms and from
whom earth had withdrawn its welcome. In
fact, as show candidate Grant is probably the
worst that ever took the field, and to the class
OF politicians who attend to the spectacular
part Of campaign, get up the serenades, the
PROFESSIONS, the great effects and striking
situations, he must be a source of continual
trial and disappointment. For the use of
these gentlemen Seymour is worth ten Grants,
putting aside altogether Seymour's immense
ttAo1oiionl oupsTiOTlty. seymour really mas
magnetism" He has the power of putting
on his face show of interest in the small
affairs of other people, and of putting on an
air of dignity which, strange as it may seem,
is worth more to public man in America
than in any other country in the world; and he
has what is perhaps more valuable than all,
tears within easy reach. Gas weeper," to
use Colonel Browns language, she surpasses
Job Trotter;" and though tears shed publicly
have in all ages been regarded by the more
reflective of the race with extreme suspicion,
they are still, and will probably always rem ain,
very powerful with the multitude, if used
spariDgly and with tact.
1t is undoubtedly this want of availability
for spectacular purposes ON Grants part
which created the doubt about his popularity
which existed three months ago, and which
have even made their way to Europe, and
have been made the subject of wondering
comment in a recent number of the London
Spectator. There has never been Prssidsn-
tial candidate with whom those whose bus-
ness it is to shift the scenes and arrange the
lights and roll the thunder barrels of the can
vass have found it harder to deal. Compared,
for instance, from their point of view, with
Fremont, he seems heavy burden for manu-
facturers of enthusiasm to carry. Fremont's
way OF wearing his hair was itself sufficient
to exert powerful influence on the popular
mind. while Grants straight, and not particu-
larly well-kempt locks, parted low down at the
side, are singnlarly wanting in pic
is one of those which, particularly
to women, suggest vast possibilities, and it
really did suggest vast possibilities during his
canvass, as was shown by the expectations
entertained of him when he went West to
take the command at the beginning of the
war. He was confidently expected by the
sentimental portion Of the Republican party,
aIthOnpb ha hAd Of ua1r in ha
field, to sweep through the Confederacy like a
whirlwind, and the teDacity with which the
same set of enthusiasts slung to his "Body-
Guard" " as one Of the wonders of the contest,
long after the generals own military preten-
sions had been reduced to ashes, was a
striking illustration Of the kind OF stuff of
which political enthusiasm is made
Moreover, Fremont hal the immense advan-
tage-we are still looking at the matter from
the theatrical point of View-of resting his
claims to confidence on an exploit of which
few people had heard till his nomination. and
the nature OF which was only imperfectly un-
derstood at any time. He was sung all over
the land as "The Pathfinder OF the Rocky
Mountains" What this was exactly not many
knew, but it had an awful sound, and closed
the mouths OF doubters as effectually as M.
Jourdain's was closed by being raised to the
dignity of "Mammamouchi" Grants ex-
PLOTS, on the other hand, were SO we'll known,
10 long dwelt on, SO familiar in our mouths
before he was presented to us as Presidential
candidate at all, that none Of us is much
moved or excited when he is asked to vote
Tor the hero of Vicksburg and Chattanooga
that is, for the man who has performed
twe Of the great military exploits Of century
Whioh is crowded with the greatest wars of
history. It would be hard to cite more re-
markapie proof OF the injurious effect on re-
Putauonb Wnloh the exceeding publioitv ofour