The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-06-20
A Few Words to a Few Fools.


ia great and good President. II is two
mortal columns long and in defending the
President the writer finds II indispensable TO
attack Mr.. c. A. DANA He accuses him of
pursuing the Administrator with amnesty
because he has a grudge to pay of, spite
to crafty, a revenge TO satisfy"
There are fools in every community and
this kind is one that we habitually pass
by without attention but it is perhaps as
we'll TO remark for once that this accusation
is not altogether irrational. As for Gen.
GRANT personally we have neither spite,
grudge, nor revenge. He never refused us
any personal favor, for we never asked any
thing of him, save only the appointment of
HORACE GREELEY as Minister TO England !;
and az he sent a man there who isn't half as
fl for the place as Mr.. GREELEY, we have
never borne him any grudgc on that account.
But toward Gen. GRANT as President we con-
Tess that we cherish very profound feeling
Of disappointment and dissatisfaction. There
were few men in the country who had taken
more stock in him than we had. During the
war, when he was digging canals at Vicks-
burg, and was on the point Of being relieved
from his command, Mr.. DANA did what he
could to have him retained at the head of
the army in the Mississippi Valley and the
effort was successful. But for his agency
GRANT could than haze Jccn seat back to
Galend !; and in that euent he couid Hciher
haze become Communicated isf Of tie army
nor President Of The United States.
Next, when he was candidate for the
Presidency, we did what we could to secure
for him the nomination of the Republican
National Convention and then we helped to
get him the votes Of majority Of the Ameri-
can people. All this we did simply because
we thought it best for the country and
all we demanded of Gen. GRANT was
IN honest, sensible, disintercstcd, and pntri-
otto administration of his Office Docs any
body think that was too much to expect of
him2
But instead of this, his administration is
bad, foolish, weak cowarlly, corrupt, anti
American, contemplate at home, and more
contemplate abroad 1t is impossible to
speak the truth and deny that this is So 1t
lie impossible for an independent journalist,
anxious TO discharge his obligations to the
people, to conceal or palliate facts so fearful
and 80 notorious
The President is incompetent, lazy, neglect.
full of his duties, unable TO comprehend them,
and careless about performing them He ap-
points men to office simply because they have
made him presents, or are his relations, or
because some foolish caprice prompts it. He
degradcs the country in the eyes of oil the
world, and stands trembling ike a coward
for fear of a corrupt and bankrupt power like
Spain. The man who saved the nation rs
a soldier is covering us with shame as a
President.
Must we forbear to tell the truth about
him because it is unpleasant to him and
his satellites? Must we prophesy only
smooth things because few fool,
charge us with personal luminosity
We do not 80 understand our Office In oul
judgment, if there is any man who has the
right 10 speak the whole truth in this case
TO state all the facts, and TO urge them upor
public attention until the mind Of thu
country is entirely aroused to the subject
that right is ours. Nor is il q right alone
it in duty.
II is alleged that Mr.. DANA wanted tn
New York Custom House. Bah What if h
did, or what if he didn't? Does that affect
one way or the other the great historical
truth that GRANTS civil administration is
failure dreadful, dcplorable, shameful
failure How ridiculous What has Nj
DANA or the New York Custom House I
do with all this? If he has ever mildly dis
approved of the appointment of MOSES Il
GRINNELL TO that office, how many live Re
publcans are there in the State who hav
not bitterly cursed the Administration 70
making it? And now, once for all, if Ger
GRANT would walk into the Sun Office in pc
son to-day and tender with his right hand I
the editor signed and sealed commission Q
Collector of this port, Offering in addition I
the fees Of the Office a duplicate sum mad
up out of the contributions which he has +
ceived from A. T. STEWART and other rio
importers, llhl OucT WOulu NC decline
Years ago, ROBERT J. WALKER said that !
considered the position Of editor of a gre
leading daily paper-like that Of the Herat
which he then mentoned-as far superior
that Of President Of the United States al
certainly wo consider it far superior TO tn
of Collector Of New York
But Let Gen. GRANT change his conduc
Let him cease to do silly acts. Let hi
make himself a man again. Let hi
take of tho vile white feather viii
he wears, and put the red, white, al
blue Lack in it's place. Let him bani
venallty, corruption, stupidity, and co
urLce from his administration, When IL
blessed reform has taken place, The Sun "
DO prompt to recognize the fact and to co
mend the improvement We have no a
mostly AOainsi GRANT as an individual |