The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-10-30
insufficient Grounds.
From The N, Y. World.

From The ~ Y. World.
General Grant is candidate for the Presi-
dency on two grounds-6rst, a suppostion,
and second, an aspiration.
|. The supposition appears to be that, as
successful military man, the highest civil
Office is his due; on which hypothesis General
Sherman, as the next most successful mill
tary man, ought to be Vice President; General
Sheridan, as the next, Chief Justice, and so
on, until We would have colonel-senators, cap
tain judges, and corporal-sheriffs. Further
more, on the same hypothesis, as the navy
did only less than the army, Admiral Farra-
gut, as the most successful sailor, ought to be
our next succeeding President, with Cabinet
of post-captains and bonUh full or powder
boys. This, it is submitted, is not according
to the eternal fitness OF things. Grant is
soldier, q successful soldier. Let him remain
the head of the army. Seymour is states
man, q sagacious statesman. Put him in the
White House. Let us have the right man in
the right place.
IL. AS TO the aspiration, it is let us have
peace. This is a good aspiration. If capacity
to form it entities one to the Presidency,
every mothers son of us ought to be in the
White House to-day. We all want peace.
War hasn't made any of US generals with un-
examped rank, emoluments, and pay. When
we say let US have peace, we are in dead
earnest about it. We don't dictate the senti-
ment to our chief of staff, and then go out
and order Meade to proclaim martial law on
the eve of election in five great States. Not
much. We don't have fifty horses in our
stables, and receive each day eighty poor
mems food at the public cost War hasn't
made as great; and when we come out for
peace we are not turning our back on the best
friend we ever had in the world.
But it is argued that because General Grant
utters the aspiration he will make it fact. If
elected he will enter the White House at a
time of great tumult and anarchy. He will find
that life is not as secure as 1t should be, that
liberty is much in danger, that property is far
from safe. In one word, he will find that those
things which it is the province OF good gov
ernment to conserve are not properly attended
to; and now, what in this exigency will he do
How will he let us have peaceH Once before
he has been called on TO meet such state OF
affairs as this, and in his course then is to be
found an uneTrDg indication of his purpose
now. In the State of Texas it was reported to
him last year that there was condition OF
things analogous to that now extending over
much of the country, and this was his view
thereon;-"Believing it to be the province
and duty OF every good government to
afford protection to the lives, liberty,
and property of her citizens, l would
recommend tthe declaration OF martial law in
Texas to secure these euds." Nor was this
view confined merely to Texas, but expanded
into general rule, thus:-rhat "the applica-
tion of martial law 10 one of these States
would be warning TO all, and, if necessary,
could be extended to others" Nor, further
more, was this view promulgated under cover
Of the so-called Reconstruction acts. 1t was
not until March 2, 1867, that the State OF
Texas was, among others, by virtue Thereof
''made subject to the military authority of the
United States" and yet the 29th of the
January preceding General Grant coolly re-
commends 'the declaration of martial law in
Texas" 1t took an act of Congress, you see
to make Texas subject to the military autho
rity OF the United States, even in the minds o
radical Congressman, and yet General Grant
more radical even than they, recommend
martial law without any act or acts at all. L
is submitted that this is an ugly commentar,
on q serene text.