The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-03-26
COLUMBIA, IS G. :.
Friday Morning, March 2s, 1859.
what President Grams Can Do.

johnson in Baltimore, Ex-Governor Bowie,
of that State. who acted as presiding officer,
took occasion to remark, in his speech in
honor OF the distinguished guest, 'I assume
to say to Gen. Grant in behalf of the peo-
pie of Maryland, that his administration
will receive no factious opposition from
them, but q fair and candid trial, and, if
deserving, warm and generous support. {"
The substance OF this sentiment was repeat
ed by other distinguished speakers, and by
none with more emphasis than by the ex-
which has been finding expression among
the speakers and the organs of the Demo
cracy for months past. So strongly and so
constantly in fact did the Democracy, not
only up to the time of the Inauguration but
afterwards, declare in favor Of judging Pre-
all merited support, that they were uni
yersally charged by the radical press with
ondeavoring to get possession of him and to
turn his official power to their own benefit.
Their true object, however, has all along
been, so far as we have had the means of
Judging them, to turn his official power to
tile benefit of the country. We are sure
that great majority of them, indulging
hopes, some stronger and some fainter, in
regard to Grants action as President have
sincerely desired his eminent success and
been prepared, as they even now are, to
applaud him and stand by him in the right
and to Withstand him only when they must.
He fills, rightfully or wrongsully, the highest
and most important Office in the nation,
and is invested with power which he may
use either for the vast good of the country
and world, or for the most terrible and en-
during of evils. He holds his power at a
period Of mightier moment than ever be-
fore existed in American history; period
when the nation is torn and rent literally
asunder by internal faction. agitation and
strife; when bitter political feelings, hate.
fury and revenge bear sway in the land;
when the party exercising political control
gives every manifestation of being relent-
less, remorseless and inexorablc in the exer-
else of.all the powers, privileges and pre-
rogatiyes which it either holds by law or
can grasp by usurpation; and the Constitu-
tion has been treated as thing fit only to
be trampled on, when the most important
and solemn laws excite nothing better than
contempt and derision. and when the death
blow OF Republican liberty seems about to
fall
Surely in such a fearful condition of
affairs, the Democratic party, the party
which, through all struggles and dangers,
has been rs true to the country as the
needle to the North star, would rejoice, sin
eerely and deeply rejoice, if President
Grant, casting aside ell partisan feelings,
all feelings less worthy and noble than sub
lime devotion to country, should faithfully
discharge nll his obligations in the majestic
position which he occupies, and which, if
he will, he can fill majestically. We must
confess, observes the Louisville Courier
Journal, that President Grant has, thus
far, realized our fears, and we may sny our
expectations, rather than our hopes. He
has been tried in only few things, but in
those few, lie has not seemed to the Judi
cious friends OF the country, to be equal to
the emergency. He has much disappointed
those who had more confidence in him than
we had. He has done several things that
are wrong, few that are not wrong Even
yet, however, we do not abandon hope of
him. Much time and many opportunities
are before him for redeeming his errors and
earning peoples blessings 1t is said that
he possesses sound sense and good intel
lect, and he should be able to view with
calmness his whole situation and its sur
roundings. He had before him the HISTORY
of our Government, it's Constitution and
its laws and he should apply himself to the