The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1869-05-26

PROBABLE DEATH OF PRESIDENT GRANT.-The Chi
cago Times specuates as follows upon the probable
death of the military President:
The Radical party nominated for Vice President the
man Cofax in anticipation of the removal, by i'm
pechment or by death, of q. S. Grant. 1--WE want
no more doubtful Vice -Presidents' the warning
of Wendell Phillips. The party denied that Wendell
Phillips authorised to issue the word of command,
and then proceeded to obey it. Circumstances com
pei u.s." they reflected, e" to head ticket with a
speechess sphynx but sphynxes can be removed,
and may die. We must have, for the second place, a
man of our choosing" And the choice fell Oh
poor simpering Colfax.
The probabilities that Grant will oe removed by i'm
peachment diminishing in proportion the prob
abilities of his removal by death are increasing Private
advices from Washington indicate that Grant failing in
health very rapidly. It doubted if he will be able
to.perform the Presidential functions year, although
he may not before taa time be in his grave. The NAL
aIy under which be is suffering is Of the kind that
kills the mind before the body dies although the death
Of the body inevitably follows
The symptoms in Grants ease are both mental and
physical suffering. He has had to shut up shop "
six times already in many weeks. "He is losing
hesh Visitors complain of his brusqueness, and
many of them OF his temper. He has wholly ceased
to receive visitors at night The few who see him with
his family speak of him as appearing to be thoroughly
tagged ont by each days round of work. He smokes
lncessanty and sits tor hours with his little grS hands
in his own, not uttering word, and never rail- yng
cept when his wife, whose anxiety account Of his
condition is i'll dguised makes point that he shall"
Medical gentlemen will even from this brief descrip-
ton of the symptoms, readily recognise the malady
which is rapidly uniting Mr. Grant for mental effort
Of any kind, and fastening him surely to the grave
Insanity, in any Of the coTInon phases, is
probably not hereditary in the Grant family But that
loss Of which results from what is called soften
ing Of the brain is not properly speaking form Of
insanity but rather the effect of physical disease,
that may result from great many different causes
Excessive intemperance in drink in any habittbat
exhausts the system, is very prolific cause.
The Incorporate of opium tobacco has tae same
effect, Ordinarily, the effects of using these poisons
are not visible, perhaps do not exist, until some
other element is brought into combination just as the
element oxygen is necessary to the combustion OF
phosphorus. In Mr.. Grants case, the vast RESPONSE
bility of the presidential office and the unusual
else Of his mental faculties which it involves, have
doubtless supplied the element which, in system al
ready prepared for its entrance has developed the IA
tai disease. As writer tersey expresses it, the pres
ideney has proven too much for him."
Such is Mr. Grants state of health that the country
need not be surprised if he should be disqualified to
perform the duties of President before the next
ing Of Congress. Whether, in that case, Congress
would proceed Immediately to naugurate Mz. Colfax
or nat, would perhaps depend upon the opinions o
medical experts to the possibility Of Grants
cry. The reasonable presumption, however, is tha!
the only hope of his recovery is in his retirement
private and perfaetly quiet life. As President of the
United States, the indications clearly tpat he can
not lige to- she ead Of the term Ichiesgp Times.