The Portland daily press., 1870-10-25
THE PRESS.
Tuesday Morning, 0ctsber 25Y 1870



The Democratic and Democratic-hepupll-
can papers are now engaged in making what
appears to be a concerted movement against |
Gen. Grant, evidently with view to damage
his prospects for the Presidency in 1872. If
he should remain in his present position eight
years the whiskey rings, gold rings, Indian
rings and all other combinations formed for
robbing the Treasury would not only be dead
but buried.
Secretary Cox, who for personal reasons has
concluded to retire from the Cabinet, is made
afulcrum for most of the levers that are de-
confidence into unpopularty and political ru-
in. But the Secretary unreasonably refuses
to be a martyr, though earnestly solicited to
appear in that role by great multitude OF
new found friends, who never discovered his
extraordinary prominence as a man of imteg-
rty and the severe morality of his character
which entities him to be regarded as the mod
ern Cato, until he was about to retire from Of
flee. Until that moment all these enthusiast
tic eulogists were laughing at him as worthy
Secretary Cox says he goes out of office OF
his own accord, and without reference to any
difficulty he has had with Cameron, Chandler
and other professional politicians. Mr.. Della
no is reported to be his successor-a man
who as the incumbent of the position of Com
missioner of Internal Revenue, a place now
more important than any Cabinet position ex-
cept that of the Treasury, has exhibited as
much ability and integrity as Mr.. Cox, and
has been as successful in his more extensive
operations against thieves and plunderers. If
Grant on his own account placed one honest
man in another's place, the former being a
stronger and ADLER public servant than the lat
ter, it could not fairly be regarded as an evil
dence of his degeneracy and of his growing
partially for fraud and corruption. Mr.. Cox
is total failure as a martyr, never having
had the slightest inclination to follow that
profession.
Gen. Grant has also become obnoxious to
Democrats, Conservatives and Trimmers be-
cause of his alleged war upon the political
movement headed by Carl Schurz and B.
Gratz Brown in Missouri. 1t is said that he
favors the regular Republican ticket with Gov.
McClurg at its head, and that he is making
some removals from Office with view to pro-
mote the interests of the Radical wing of the
Republican party. If these removals were
made with reference solely to the Presidents
personal interests they would not be unprece-
denied indeed, but they would be hardly de-
feasible on high moral grounds. A Demo-
cratic President began that method of politi-
cal warfare, and every one of his Democratic
successors has followed his example with the
utmost fidelity. But Gen. Grants removals
and appointments in the present important
crisis in Missouri are made ON broad national
principles. Rebel en,ranchisement is the is
sue in the State election. McClurg and his
friends contend that the constitutional provs-
ions prescribing ex-Rebes should be contnu-
ed IN force for the present. They fear that il
these disloyal men are now restored to power
they may eliminate from the organic law and
the statutes of the State all those liberal
clauses intended to secure the rights of the
freedmen. They fear that the State will re-
vert once more to men who still cling to the
obsolete idea of caste and caste privileges
This is a question of national Importance and
if the President can by legitimate methods as
sist in preserving for the people of Missouri
those republican institutions which the wal
gave them, he ought by all means to do so.