The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-03-05
puitital.
Grant Yields at Last,

Gun readers are familiar with Grants
speech to the congressional committee
which informed him Of his election. They
are probably, however, not 50 familiar with
the fact that there was n sort Of supplement
to that speech, in the shape ola brief let
ter, forwarded to the committee with a re-
quest that the committee would commune
cate il TO congress, for which body it was
intended.
Grants speech to the committee has been
generally interpreted as not a very good
thing ft the radical party, but m excellent
thing for the country at large. II was so
esteemed by the committee at the time Of
its delivery, as was evidenced 10y the spon-
taneous promptness with which Mr.. Pruyn,
democrat, assured the President elect that
in carrying out such principles he would
have the cordial aid and support of the
| democratic party. Naturally anything sat
isfactoTy TO the democracy and the country
at large could not be satisfactory TO the rad
icals. Hence although on the suriace
things appear smooth and acceptable oil
round, il Is not the less a fact, that the feel
ing In the radical camp was intense and
exhibited itself 80 clearly and unmistakably
that General Grant could not blink its ex-
istence. Here was a crisis. just such a
one as arises in the first quarrel Of newly
married couple, when it 1t is to be deter
mined who shall thereafter rule the house
hold Want Of frmness, yascilation, or
hesitation; ON either side would prove fatal
to the party exhibiting il. Which would
yield2 The result iustifes what we have
always predicted that the party would rul .
Grant, and not Grant the party. He vas
cilated, yielded, succumbed.
On the day following this speech TO the
naWaVafNNga 10 NUasaVafNNa1 20 II tho GallnVr-
ing.
GENrLrMEN: Please notify the two
houses of congress Of my acceptance of the
important trust which you have just mott
fed me, Of my election ~ President Of the
United States, and say 70 them that 1t will
be my endeavor that they and those who
elected them shall have no cause TO regret
their action.
The chief insiguihcance Of this document
is not so much in its language rs that it
should have been sent at oil. II is entirely
without precedent, and was as much called
for and as appropriate as il would be for q
member Of assembly to thank the board
that canyassed the votes and sent him the
certificate Of his election. Provision ia
made by law for declining the office ofPres-
idont, but none whatever for formally ac-
9epting it. For this extraordinary and IN
~precedented. course on the part Of a person
SO little given to the sensational as Gen.
Grant some unusual reason Of necessity
must be sought. The reason is plain. His
speech Of the day previous mad raised a hor-
nets nest about his cars. II created a pres
sure he could not stand. The letter was
simply intended and designed az a with
drawal and q supervision Of the speech the
day previously. The speech is obliterated,
~expunged it is as if it never had been. All
hopes based on it, all conclusions drawn
from il, are without foundation. As it now
stands Grants speech Of acceptance simply
is, that the radicals shall have no cause 10
regret his election. Grant has yielded to
radical pressure and the future is reasona-
blY clenr of doubt na 70 his snbieclion.