The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-06
The Presidency and the Candidates.

-
man may be a-Wade Hamptonl
The Presidency and the Candidates.
From the N. Y Herald
The political parties before the country have
varied their differences with a singular SINH
larity in one respect. Each presents for popu-
lar favor one national man and one nullity, so
that of the four candidates there are two
men of vigorous character-good heart and
brain-apd two nobodies, whose histories are
simply contemplate in view of the Offices for
which they are proposed. In the Republican
ticket the efficient quantity stands in its
proper place-the figure is before the cipher,
the man leads, the nonentity comes after. In
the Democratic ticket it is the other way.
There the cipher comes first and the number
stands behind it, so that the Democracy begin
their campaigning with start in inverse
order, and are likely to go on as if it were a
sum in fractions-the more figures you get on
the paper the less is the represented value.
In this respective distribution of the material
of their tickets we see something of the ten
dency and disposition of the parties. Grant,
the Republicans saw, was the peoples man,
and Colfax they knew was their party man.
But the peoples man got the first place. They
recognized the proprety of giving way in
party inclinations in obedience to popular
impulse. They saw the folly of daring the
people, and they put up man they did not
like because he was the peoples man. They
never thought of putting their party peg in
the first place. But the Democrats, in the
very breath in which they claim to be the
peoples party, refuse to receive an impulse
from the people or to conform to popular
thought. The whole mass of Democratic
voters, desiring to make this election prac-
teal fight, and one in which they would have
some chance to win, wanted to see national
man at the head of the ticket; but the party
plan prevailed, and they have instead figure
something worse than poor Pierce, while the
only recognition the ticket makes of the claim
of national services is in the second place.
Grant is an able man, a man of distinct con-
victions and of firm and positive quality. Sach
man cannot be dishonest, cannot be an in
triguer, and cannot readily be made any mans
tool. Ii he have any vagaries of conduct they
will be outright violent Ones but such as will
afford opportunity to indicate his strength of
character in overcoming them if occasion re-
quire Honest, clear resolute, of un-
copquerable will-such is the very man we
want in the Presidents chair to give its ancient
dignity and force to that sadly compromised
Office. Andrew Johnson is small in his ami
mosities and politician. He lowered the dig
nifty of his position to the prosecution of po-
litical quarrels. He had an opportunity at the
close of the war, when, by taking up the Mexi-
can difficulty and making it, with the army
of the Monroe doctrine he could have kept the
national mind busy on a great subject and,
thus diverting it from our internecine strife,
have directly secured the return to domestic
peace. But he could not see that great occa-
sion. He could see only the small strife OF
small politicians, and engaging in this gave
reason for the assaults of his opponents, and
even for those assaults that, not stopping with
him, aimed at his Office. 1t is through the oc-
cupancy of man of mean calibre that the Ex.
| ecutive has lost the respect of the people and
| is even crippled in the laws, and we need 9
man like Grant in the place to remove the re-
| proach and the oobweb impediments with
which the foolish Congress, with Colfax at its
head, tied down the pigmy Johnson.
| We want Grant, but not ColfaX. Colfaz
| might 60 with Seymour. Both are mere poll
ticans-men of no weight or merit beyond
their acuteness in the management of caucuses
| but Grant and Blair will do admirably. Tha
would be ticket to command the respect aad
suffrages of the whole people, and the people
disregarding the nonsensical machinery of th'
conventions, should scratch and make tha
ticket for themselves. Popular will may
| readily enough make itself felt in this manner
and thus the people may rebuke the impu
dence of the politicians, who count on the
blind obedience of the masses. Such ticke
! as We indicate would be one to unite thu
people and make the country great; not on,
to enrich politicians with the plumber of office
and with government headed by such mel
we might again go back to our national recorC
and start again where the close of the war lef
us, uniting the people of all sections in tn,
struggle incident to the assertion Of our posi-
tion as the arbitrator-the dictator, if need b.
| of the peace of the Continent, even agains
Mexico herself, now that there is no disturbe
from beyond the Atlantic. 1t was Grants ide
three years ago that our civil war was to b
ended in Mexico, and it is not too late to enc
it there yet.