The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-01-16
General Grant and President Johnson-The
Union and the Constitution.

| Union and the Constitution.
The two most conspicuous public men be-
fore the country to-day are General Grant and
President Johnson-the one the successful
leader OF the armies of the Union in the subu-
| CATION of a gigantic rebellion, and the other
| the resolute defender Of the constitution in the
important work of the restoration of the rebel
States. Upon these two men the eyes of all
sections and all parties Of the country are now
fixed in reference to the shaping of the issues
and the opposing parties in our approaching
Presidential contest and for the simple reason
that Grant and Johnson are each capable of
welding in this contest an important political
balance of power.
Like King Saul among the mighty mon of
Israel in his day stands General Grant among
the warriors of the Union, head and shoulders
above them all From Fort Donelson to Apo
mattox Court House his record against the
skilful leaders and desperately fighting armies
OF the rebellion is record Of comprehensive
combinations, strategy and tactics victories
and captures in their magnitude and in their
consequences unparalleled in the wars of mod
ern times, except in those great Continental
campaigns which made the First Napoleon
master Of Europe. In truth, there is no cam
paign Of even the First Napoleon which, in the
area Of territory and in the various salient
points. embraced, on the land and wafer, and
in the numerous and widely separated co-ope-
rating armies engaged, viii compare with that
stupendous campaign of General Grant which
began with the stirring out of General Lee
from the jungle of the Wilderness in the spring
Of 1864, and which ended in the collapse OF the
rebel confederacy, with the disarming of it's
four hundred thousand fighting men in the
spring of 1865
Such is the record of General Grant % the
leading champion Of the Union in the field
agains. the most formidable rebellion in his
tory. Els services too, since the war, in the
matter Of Southern reconstruction, have added
to his laurels rs q soldier the reputation of
cool and practical statesman. In this ca
pacity both President and Congress, in their
great endorsements, have looked to Gran!
tor advice; and so he has stood the right
hand man OF conservative administration
and the main reliance Of radical national
assembly The marpiots OF Congress, ho yever,
are resolved to detach him entirely from the
President, or between the two stools TO bring
him TO the ground as Presidential candidate.
we may infer, too, from recent events at
Washington, that the radicals have substan-
tally occurred their man, and that conse
9uently bis chances for the republican nomi-
nation are greatly increased.
This desperate crowdng Of General Grant
into a corner results from the vigorous and
persisten, hostility Of President Johnson TO the
radical destructive policy OF reconstruction.
so far too, has Mr.. Johnson succeeded In battling
and arresi.ng the despotic and revolutionary
schemes Of the radicals, that he now stands the
embodiment and the champion Of all the
opposing conservative and constitutions! ele.
menis Of the country, North aud South. Still
there are men processing some degree Of wis.
dom in our political Affairs who, while admit
| ting the great services OF Mr.. Johnson In
| defence Of the constitution, ere inclined TO
class his pretensions and bis position with
those OF John Tyler. This is . great mistake.
| The issue upon which Tyler was detached
from the wbg party was involved IN bis
vetocs Of certain hybrid national bank bills
but with his second veto the question was
settled, and there was an end Of H. Towards
| the close OF his administration the only issue
\ for the succession was the Issue Of the
spoils, and upon this issue she democrats
wisely selected . new candidate as preferable
10 an old one, and Tyler supported
the movement The case OF President johnson
Ia widely different from this 10 is now en-
gagged In the very crisis Of the battle with the
destructive Jacobins OF radical Congress Il
be were to give way the whole cause Of Q
constitutional restoration Of the Union would
be lost All men Of all parties opposed 10 ,hS