The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-01-14
General Blair on General Grant.

with presidential elections, treat Congress
rs CROMWELL treated the Rump Parliament,
and hand sceptre down to his eldest SON.
Yet it must be apparent to all that he, and
not Congress, is to be the ruling power for
the next four years. Some twelve months
ago We remarked that with GRANT as Presi-
dent Congress would soon become as power
less as Mr.. JOHNSON then was; that the
new President would be az absolute ruler
as Congress then was, and as independent
Of that body as it then was Of the President
The passage by the House of Representa-
tives Of bill for the repeal of the tenure
of-ofiice law is the first evidence Of the new
order Of things that is soon to be IN vogue
If the Senate has the courage to refuse 1fs
assent to this bin, General GRANT will
find his hands tied, and will immedi-
ately become much less formidable than
he now is for though not yet Pre-
sident in name, he is already exercising
much power over the action Of Congress.
But we do not think the Senate is composed
of the right eort of men to face military
hero. ObSta principals is the motto which
that body should take for its guidance but
composed as it in some measure is Of silly
fanatics, carpet baggers, and scalawags, we
can hardly believe that the men of charac-
ter making up the rest Of it's number will
have the power TO resist the influence of n
"barbeI stecds" General GRANT will
probably enter Office with the whole power
Of the Government in his hands. Whether
be will even ociSh to keep possession of this
power during his life-a contingency, it
may be well TO remember, against which
the Constitution makes no provision, since
any man is eligible as long as he lives
and whether he will undertake to perpetu-
ate it in his hands, are questions which no
one can do more than suggest. 1t is at
least possible that he may prove to be a
CESAR or a CROMWELL. General BLAIR,
who has recently held a conversation with
Herald reporter, the substance of which
is published in that paper, truly says
that the people have already sub
mitted peaceably to greater changes in the
government than would be the coronation
of General GRANT rs Emperor. What such
man as General BLAIR says is at any rate
worthy OF attention, and therefore we quote
come Of his remarks. After expressing the
opinion that GRANT proved himself to be
the most skilful General produced by the
late war that he is an able and sagacious
man that he is very ambitious, and cum
ming to the last degree that he has his eye
upon the Presidency as position which he
would like to fill for life; and that his mo-
dest department and refusal to accept prof
fered honors are merely the means en-
ployed by a willy man to aid him in accom-
plishing a concealed purpose, General
BLAIR added:
" No man Is more fully aware of the great
danger that menaces the country through the
Radical doctrine of immediate and perfect
equality between the negroes and the whites
than General Grant. The conviction is, there
fore, unavoidable that some extraordinarily
powerful temptation is leading Grant on to Il
liked goal, 10 reach which the priuciDle of 4
lifetime will BE sacrificed.
" The manner in which the existing political
principles Will overthrow our present form of
government, the General thinks, is now clear
" foreshadowed. A minority rules the conn
try, and, as in all cases where Il minority con-
trolls, the equilibrium is preserved by military
authority. If all the whites in the country had
the right of suffrage, the case would be faI
different; but they have not. A large portion
are kept down by the bayonet. If the qups
III Irn r,,lra CT, ,,,ta
submitted for the acceptance or rejection OF
the loyal States, the pernicious dogma would
be overwhelmingly repudiated. But the domi.
nant party is pledged 10 confer the elective
franchise upon The negroes of every State, and
II viii be done.
1.-The character of the carpet baggers who
now misrepresent the newly reconstructed
States IN Congress isa fair indication of what
depth OF deGradation the ballot. box has reached
through the Radical policy and when the ne
froes OF the whole country vote the character
OF the officers elected will he considerably be.
low the moral and intellectual standard OF
those now administering the Government
"Then the needs of the nation will be ne.
elected or badly attended to. Taxation will
he rather increased than diminished Plum.
dering the public treasury will become resprct-
hoie. Anarchy and m!srule will flourish tri-
nmphant; and no better results than these,
can be expected from so fearful a yitation of
the corner stone Of republicanism-lhe ballot
box.
" When these calamities fall upon us, said
the Generai,-and the day does not seem far
Gistant-the people will be prepared for almost
any change, Tor no change could be for the
worse. Then they viii call upon Grant 10 re.
lease them from their intolcrable burdens
They Will say, Let us have 4 dictator a king
an emperor, but Z" let us have peace Give
us any form OF government, only rid us of the
horrible incubus that is dragging us TO de-
struction.
1t may be said that the people will not
mi frh al, t...
They have endured calmly revolution almost
Us great already within the last few years
The political change that has taken place in
Spain Is not SO thorough rs that which has
occurred in our own country. They have de.
posed 4 corrupt sovereign, but they accept
another In the hope that The government will
be more perfectly administered. They have
simply effected change of soyereigus. We
have submitted TO Il radical change of re-
publican principles.
cone branch of the Government has
usurped powers, and the people bear it; they
have SO iegislated that there is not a thread
or ibre of the Institution that has not been
snapped or strained, and the people bear il :;
they have unlawfully abridged the Presiden-
tial prerogativts, aud the people bear 1t they
htve oyerawcd and silenced the voice of the
Supreme Court, and the people bear it; the
Government is being robbed and plundered of
hundreds OF millions annually, and the people
bear all.
..When the straw falls that is to break the
for how small soever the ruling minority NAV
be, the strength Of the military principle Of
the Government will then be Irresistible.
Al trust that my fears may not be- we'll
founded. l hope that General Grant may
turn out 10 be as wise, us incorruptible, as
faithful, rs patriotic, and as trustworthy, as
his friends fondly believe him TO be but
must confess that my confidence in his disin.
terested patriotism and his modest shrink
ing from the exercise Of unlimited power is
not as firm as ! could wish