The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-05-27
The Character OF the President.

A correct understanding of these acts OF
the Executive can best be obtained by a
consideration of his character as President.
have purposely italicized the words "as
President" because, as such, the character
of Grant is very different from the charac-
tiers he displayed as a boy, cadet, subaltern,
tanner, farmer, clerk, general, and candi-
date, which careers and which characters
have been adequately written about.
Since ~ o'clock on March 4, 1869, Mr..
Grant has in characteristics been wholly
another sort of man than he was in any of
his previous relations. In classification
he should, think, be called the " leaning
President" for he has in every act reposed
on some one for assistance, direction, and
support He leaned on Senator Morton
when he wanted the Tenure-of- Office law
repealed. He then leaned on Mr.. Conk-
iUg when he accepted the modification of
the law. He leaned on Mr.. Washburne in
the oriental draft of his Cabinet. He
leaned on the Foreign Relations Com
mittee of the Senate when they told him
to nominate Mr.. Motley to England. He
leaned on John A. Griswold and Jackson
S Shultz when he nominated Mr.. Jay to
Vienna. de leaned on Mayor Bowen in
making the Washington appointments.
He leaned on the politicians when he Sc
lected Mr.. Boutwell,. He leaned on Sen,
ator Fenton in nominating Gems. Merritt
and COrnel, and on the Union league in
nominating Mr. Grinnell, and Horace
Greeley in commissioning Postmaster
Patrick Jones. He leans on Gen. Banks in
reference to Cuba. and for some time has
been leaning on Mr. Sumner in reference
to our English affairs.
Indeed, in every act which has been
done by the President, he has leaned upon
somebody, and, unfortunately, like most
men who do not move, but who are moved,
he has been cursed by bad helpers. In
this city, where the administration is en-
acting, the personal aspects with which
every incident every determination, and
every appointment is invested become real
and graphic to the eye What at distance
seems an Executive act is here known to
be Banks act, Fenton act, Sumner
act, according as the case may be. This
suppression of the individuality of the
President is attributed here to three things
The utter civil inexperience of the Chief
Magistrate, his sensitive and exaggerated
idea of the intricacy and delicacy Of his
duties, and his unconditional surrender to
the furious onset of the politicians which
they made upon him after his mere verbal
assumption of independence in his inau-
gural. Consequently, at this period the
President receives really more sympathy
than criticism, now that his self helpless
ness is so well understood, and the re-
morseless servitude in which he is held
appreciated. 1t almost passes realization
to see the contrast between the energetic
self contained General, and the badgered,
headless, exhausted, confined President.
The pitiable plight of Gen. Grant is COM
plete argument supplied to all novices
against allowing greatness to be thrust
upon them. To become the comedy
which he is, even to the heartless humor
of the party he plays for, the tragedy of
his past has been made by comparison
truly awful and heart-rendipg. - Washinq-
ton Correspondence Neao York World,
MaU 10.