The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-03-04
A Look Ahead.


The glimpse which, through recent ut
terances Of General Grant, the country
has hid of the policy which will govern
the incoming administration, is eminently
satisfactory, for it clearly reveals three
fundamental principles which have been
sadly lacking these many years past
These PRINCIPLES are Honesty, Economy
and Independence trinity of virtues
which, II carried into execution, will come
very near restoring the nation to some
thing like its former prosperity and happi
ness. We believe 1t is General Grants
intention to be thoroughly honest in the
measures he may recommend for Congress
siOnal adoption, and that by these meas
ures he simply desires to secure the great
est good for the greatest number; that he
will inaugurate, as far as lies in his power,
8 rigid system of economy in all the de-
partments Of public expenditure, and that,
best of al, he has determined to exercise
manly independence in the discharge
of the duties pertaining to his high
office And if re can succeed in this
plan of operation; if he can force his
political friends to surrender their schemes
TO his; if he can stamp this honesty,
this economy, this independence upon the
coordinate branches OF government, and
scatter them abroad in the form of wise
and just laws, the glory won by the soldier
amid the shock and blood of battle will be
far outweighed by the infinitely purer ard
n0bler fame of the incOrruptible patriot
and the enlightened statesman. But the
task before the new President is nothing
less than herculean in its proportions.
He must confront at the very outset Of his
career a party which for eight years mas
~ y. !
has been accustomed to issue its orders and
have them obeycd without criticism or
question party which made tool of
one Executive and prisoner of an
other; q marty which has virtually over
turned the Judiciary and clothed the
sword with supreme authority: a
party which has drowned the organic
law of the Republic in the clamors of the
mob and TIE partisan rulings OF factiOus
majority; party which has reduced
Eaud and CORFU ptiOn to an exact sci
ence; party which to-day is better
organized and more perfectly discipline |
Tor aggressive warfare than any this coun-
try has ever before seen.
General Grant was selected rs the Rad
iCal candidate. not because the Radical
leaders wanted him, but because his nom
nation Was necessary 10 achieve success,
and because it vas hoped and believed by
these leaders that he would be q mere
man Of clay set up in the White House,
which the skilful pOtters, who had
moulded Lincoln and tied Johnson could
twist into any shape they chose
But if bis recent utterances mean any
thing, our Radical friends have commit
ted a stupendOus biunder, the full magni-
tude Of which they themselves do not yet
comprehend. They have rolled a wooden
horse into their Troy, out of whose sides
will pour legion Of armed heroes ready
TO fight and able to conquer In other
words, the Radical party has caught a
Tartar" More than this-the Tartar has
been badgered and brOw-beaten for -four
months, until re IS not in the most anna
bic mood imaginable. The very men who
elected him were the first to show their
distrUst, aud the refusal of the Senate &c
repeal the Tenure-Of -Ofice law has put
that distrust in q shape which can neither
be compromised nor avoided Genera
Grant says be shall appoint who he pleases
10 seats in the Cabinet, and If they do not
suit bin, be shall remove them end ap
point others. lie has not consulted with
anybody relative to the matter; nor does
he propose to. Here is the gauntlet llunl
down, and the champion stands ready tC
defend it. If the contest is declined, The
victory is his by default and the reins car
never be snatcbed from his hands here
after If the contest is accepted, it Will bt
sharp, short and decisive-and Grant vii
win. An honest, economical and iEde
pendent President, who can neither b,
bought, scared nor influenced to do wrong
will be sustained by the people OF al
classes and both parties; and a Presiden
with the people at his back is omnipotent
Missouri JteD2fJlicdn