Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-11-07

I
enough TO confess. and more than need
be told. But there is thing that we de-
sire to say in self vindica,ion. And that
| is, that when we have told our friends We
we're hopeful Of success. and before the
October vote, even sanguine OF Il, We
were really so, aud that too upon the
most cautious aud impartial examination
Of what the press Of both parties IN oil
the Northern States had to say on the
subject of the prospect Of success II has
turned out that we we're deceived; but
not that we we're insincere, or voluntarily
took the risk Of deceiving our friends.
We should very much regret to be sup
posed capable of such an intentional act
for any party purpose.
We can only account for the fact OF on
adverse result on the supposition that the
exceeding falsehood and unscrupuious
and shameless uufairness Of the Radical
press drove the Democratic into the brag
game in self-defsnse. This, on the part
of the Radicals, may have been the re-
suit Of the war education, well understood
by the Northern Democratic press, but
net sufficiently allowed for and taken into
our calculations. We all know how the
war press was educated to pour out
without stint what, as a matter oil
course. enemies would drink in very
willingly. true or false. And SO, in q
canvass in which the principal thing to
he done was to convince the Northern
people that the Southerners we're still
enemies, aud that it would be unsafe to
trust them, as was proposed by the Demo
cratic party, Radical victory at the very
outset was already half achieved. 1t is
true we did hope that the overpowering
proofs aud arguments which had been
spread broadcast through the North
would be sufficient to change the current
of popular opinion. But we moderated
the power of prejudice, and the difficulty
of changing in brief time opinions formed
under circumstances of all others most
calculated to intensity and render them
indelible. The matter is now plain
enough. 1t is the work of time for the
demonstrations of the press in scattered
fragments, and the eloquence OF orators,
no matter with how much right on their
side, to reach people who have been
learning to hate for forty years. They
are not TO be soon convinced, for they
will not hear. And tits . self-sscrihcing.
aud therefore uphill business, to attempt
their instruction, which, for that very
reason, few will undertake. 1t is from
this sort of reasons and causes that Grant,
the lucky, who blundered into the gene
ralship, has now blundered into the PresI-
dency. He has gone there on the Shout
ders of prejudice, which time only can
eradicate, and without which his sntag-
opist would have beaten him four to one.
I" The post of honor is the private sta
ton" after all and nowadays. Our Web
aters, Clays and Calhouns could not
climb to the Presidency, even with pow
ers which placed them always above 1t.
But an accident or two may place pig
my there, who will be fortunate if he has
only friends or sagacity or good luck
enough to select good sscretafy OF
State.
When oar friends, the merchants,
returned from making their purchases
from those who are now disposed to deal
so kindly by US, we were thunderstruck
to hear them say: "Grant will be elected
we heard of nothing but Grant" We
attributed it to mistake, peculiar circum-
stances, partial information, and every
thing but the truth. The letter OF John
oaincy Adams first opened oar eyes We
we're not sufficiently subdued-it was not
"ssfe,D In the view of the Northern
people, to iutrast part Of the governing
power to our hands as yet From that
time forth we spoke with no confidence
as to the result. And our only fault was
that we did not commit the indiscretion
Of declaring publicly what as rather our
fear than our opinion, that we should be
beaten. tits nov evident from the causes
of that result, which are sufficiently ap-
parent, that we really never did hsvs
rational ground for hope at any moment
when we were most sanguine. We were
in the right, it was true. And we have
been taught that truth and the right are
something akin to omnipotent. But it
takes time, and long time. and time alto
gether to make 1t SO, And we have now
learned the lesson that when i does
come, might makes the recognized right,
and that nothing under the sun is 60 sue
as that what is to be pill be--if we may
be allowed to except the legal decision OF
the learned Judge Of our Law court or the
verdict of negro petty jury, which may
be next in order.