The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-08-26

republic.
General Grant and the Democracy-The
Lessons of Past Elections.
The democracy, in fighting the unparalleled
assumptions of power, extravagances, corrup-
tions and grinding taxations of the present
radical Congress, have sufficient material for q
vigorous and effective campaign against the
republican party and its Presidential ticket of
Grant and Colfax. Very few of the demo-
cratic leaders, orators or organs, however,
have the sagacity or the prudence to seize the
advantages which are offered them in the usur-
pations and crimes and plumbers of the radicals,
while avoiding the dangers of attempting to
disparage the public services and biacken the
character of General Grant. But no political
party can safely ignore or disregard the lessons
of past elections in reference to the merits OF
principles or candidates.
For instance, in the campaign of 1925, be-
tween Jackson and Adams-a campaign which
marked new organization of parties-the
Adams party unwisely adopted the policy OF
general hue and cry against Jackson, as
man whose personal record and character
would make his election lasting disgrace to
the country. Thus he was presented in the
administration newspapers in pamphlets and
handblls, including coffin handbills, and on
the stump, as one of the most infamous char
acters that ever existed. AS soldier he
was denounced as tyrant and a butcher,
and also as an impostor, for his victories,
| p1 DIM IN 4har
men, AS civilian his qualifications
were below mediocrity. He was an igno-
ramus who could not write single sentence
correctly, and who knew but little more of
affairs of state than an untamed Choctaw. As
q citizen his character was that Of q Southern
backswoods rulian, ever seeking occasion for
the exercise of pistol or bowie knife and dan
gerous to friends and enemies. He was,
moreover, represented as a dueist guilty of
deliberate murder, shameless adulterer and
a rowdy hero of crOssroad taverns horse
races and political barbecues. In short, if the
supporters of Adams could be believed, more
scandalous and detestable nomination could
not have been made for the Presidency than
that Of Andrew Jackson. Yet he was elected
by very decisive popular and electoral
majority over Adams, the model Of all the
virtues, because the people thought it proper
to rebuke this scandalous partisan abuse of
deserving patriot; and thus the very means
employed to defeat jackson insured his tri-
umphant election.
Such was the lesson given to the adverse
party in tho election of 1928. The same
popular spirit of fair play against partisan
persecution contributed to the increase of the
vote for Jackson in 1882, although the bank
question was the controlling issue in that can
vass. Passing over the intervening elections
for the present, in turning to that of 1852 we
have lesson of character totally different
from that of 1928. General Scott the first
soldier Of his day, the hero of Chippewa,
Lundys Lane, in the war of 1912, and of
Vera Cruz and all the bloody battles around
the city of Mexico in the war of 1867, as a
Presidential candidate was overwhelmingly
beaten in 1852 by New Hampshire county
court lawyer and local politician. And how
Because, while Greeley and his abolition faction
of the wing party could do nothing better than
'spit upon the platform" of Scott, which was
the same as that of Pierce, the democrats
fought their battle squarely upon the great
compromise measures of peace on the slavery
question embraced in that platform and won
the day. Scandalous personal abuse and libels
on the character Of General Scott were gen.
orally avoided, and his personal cause and
claims were damaged only by his own impru-
dent speeches and letters, drawbacks which
are not likely to damage General Grant.
Here, then, are two very important lessons
for our democratic politicans-in the first
election of Jackson in 1923 and in the defeat
Of Scott in 1852. In the one case against a
mcritorious soldier we see that personal calum-
MES and abuse only served to enlarge his
claims in the estimation of the people; in the
other case we see that against the highest mill
tary claims great public measures of necessity
and sound policy will prevail, if no general at
tempt is made to reduce the military candi-
date to the level of ruffian, butcher, q
pretender, an ignoramus or drunkard. Com
mon sense, one would think, ought to have
prevailed with the democrats in persuading
them to fight this fight not against General
Grant, but against the measures and principles
of his party, in view of the election of 1852 !;
but they seem determined upon a repetition of
the foolish course of personal abuse against
Jackson which swamped the party of Adams
in 1923.
Ex.AsSistnut Secretary Dana and Brick