New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-04-16
BLAIR ON GRANT.

in revolution. II the Times is correct IN
what it says OF Blair, he still retains |
very poor opinion of President Grant and
tie people of this country; and this
will, necessarily, have something to
do with their opinion of General
Blair. We know that in politics
the General has been as versatile as he has
been gallant as a soldier; but we had sup
posed that he could not loose confidence
in the people. As q good Democrat he IS
bound to preserve his faith in them.
When he loses faith in the people and
their power to maintain intact the consti-
tuition and government Of their choice, he
loses faith in Democracy. When he says
that the next presidential election will
result in revolution, be charges that the
President means to subvertthe constitution
in order to maintain his hold upon the
Government; either this, or that the Pres
ident means to rotate himself out OF Office.
Rotation in Office is not without its vicisi-
tudes, it is true. The change may be reg
ular or sudden and unlocked for. But
General Blair evidently does not mean by
revolution" that it shall be regular, for
he insists that the President will not sur
render his position without a resort to
force to sustain himself. If it is not regu-
lar, then i. must be sudden and unlocked
for. If it is regular it will require no force
stronger than the ballot; if irregular
it is but just to suppose General
Blair thinks the bullet will work the re-
volution that is to maintain the President
in power contrary to the will of the
people. AS poor as must be the Generals
opinion of the President in this event, it
must be infinitely worse Of the people
that would suffer the bullet to take the
place of the ballot, that would permit
military government to be erected on the
ruins of one of the best civil governments
the sun has shone upon. We should prefer
to think that General Blair, as true
friend of the people, has much better
opinion of their proves and ability to
maintain civil government; of their de-
| termination to preserve intact the prin-
ciples embodied in the declaration of
American independence.
| We feel satisfied that President Grant
has no such opinion of the people OF this
country, for, as one of them, he enlisted
but few years ego to GO battle IN their
cause. He was one Of The many thou
sand volunteers who sprung from the
bosom of the people, in their hoar OF peril
and the inc of imminent danger to the
government, and went forth as the de-
tenders OF liberty. A man who could fall
into line in 1861, with his musket on his
shoulder, and fight his way up to the su-
preme CO mmand of the vast armies that
were mar shaled from the ranks OF the
people in defense of the Union and the
constitute on, is not, in our opinion, the
one to betray them at any time. But, al
lowing that we might be mistaken, we have
that exalted opinion of the intelligence,
yalor and patriotism of the people Of this
county, and of their unconquerable love
for freedom, that leads us to believe they
would successfully resist the efforts
of any man to subvert It's lib
critics. Party strife may run
high, and political teachers may denounce
their opponents with great deal Of fierce
ness and bitterness; and this spirit may
even to a degree pervade partisan follow
,ers: but the moment a blow is struck at
peaceful revolution, at the constitutional
change by ballot of the administrators of
the government, that moment are the lib
critics of the people attacked, and as sud
den would they be aroused to resist any
force that might be raised to crush out
their liberties. None should know this
better than General Blair, for he has
witnessed the feeling that pervaded
the people Of this country when party
undertook to rebel against the election OF
Mr.. Lincoln to the Presidency. Thou
sands of 10 en-, who had not voted for him,
took up arms to defend and asaist in the
enforcement of the constitution and laws;
to defend and support the authority of
lawful government; to defend the integrity
of the nation. General Blair was one OF
these very men who rushed to sustain the
authority of the government, and in this
way helped to sustain the liberties OF the
people. Does he feel any different now
from what he did then Or has his views
of the people changed? Something must
have come DER the spirit of his dream =
to cause him to have SO poor an opinion
of President Grant and the people of this
country as is imputed to him. If the
General has been disappointed in his
political aspirations, if he has been defeated
at the ballot box, this should not cause
him to lose confidence in the people. He
still processes to be Democrat, and with
a regenerated and purified Democracy
there IS yet hope Of his promotion by th'
| people if he remains true to them.
3 HIGHLY IMPORTANT.
The exciting fact was flashed along th,