The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-10-26

predecessor, he has not skill, or tact, o.
sdroitness enough to serve them "itnou
hurting himself.
| Having thus changed his opinion and
policy on Q vital point OF reform, !. 10 ns'
ural that those Of his advisers should .esse
him who came TO him because OF his trend
I;ne.. IN tina, reform. Thus Attorney Gen
Ho.r lsf, him some months ago; thus Gen
Cor now resigns and it need not surprise
the public to hear that still others follow.
The Missouri Democrat, the leading
repu blican Journal of that state, abiding &c
to Gen. Grants interference by bayoness i,
in the elections of the state, says:
"The habit Of resorting to such extreme
measures in dealing with states disoreau
lied and destitute of we'll established self
government has grown upon the Fedora
authority until the Just limit of national
interference has been almost oblit Grated
President Grant. a soldier by education
inexperienced in political affairs, and incsp
able, as soldier, Of comprehending the
relations of the states to the nation In ou'
complex system of government, has more
than once betrayed an inclination to regard
state government and state authority WIN
contempt, and his dealings with Firginia'
Georgia, and Mississippi have been OF very
| questionable propriety. Yet they were ex.
cused because of the unsettled condition OF
these states; and the habit of interference,
thus unresisted. has gained such mastery
with him that he now boldly undertakes to
use bis xeoutive power to control the election
in state as orderly, peaceful. and thor
oughly organized rs any state in the Union.
If this tendency is not checked, We shall
soon have Capitalization of power as
absolute as that which existed under
Napoleon in France. Elections will become
a mere farce. When the people vote they
will merely register the edicts of their
masters at Washington. The name of locsl
self-government only will be left; the reality
will be lost. and state lines and state
governments might as we'll. for all practica
purposes, be wholly obliserated-"
1t is known to our readers that the
republican party in Missouri, at its state
convention split in the middle on the
question of enfranohising all the disentran
chised people of that state, the party in favo,
Of enfrsnehisement nominating Hon. B
Grstz Brown for governor, and the hateites
dominating Gov. McClurg for re election
The democrats make no nominations, bu
will support the party in favor of enfrsn-
chisement. Gen. Grant having repudistet
his own motto: Let us have peace" snc
being in favor of the extreme radical policy
Of hate, Reorganization land persecution
aud Of still keeping the Union disuemb ered
interfsres in Missouri local affairs, COM
nencing By removing U. S. Distric. Attor
ney Pike. for his proposed enfrsnchisement
Of the people. B. Gratz Brown addressed
the people of St. Joe recently, aud was par
ticularly severe On the President for tire
part ne was taking in state politics. Mr.
Brown said:
" He did not care the snap of finger tor
the opinion of the President in this question
of internal politics. He mad been one OF
those who had helped 10 teach the President
what freedom meant when he came tt
Missouri in 1861, declaring that if this wal
meant the liberation of the slaves he would
| strip off his epsulettes and abandon the
service. He intended to teach him further
that freedom meant the liberation of all the
the white men of this nation as well as the
liberation of sill the black men of this nation
and that he could not go back under the
specious pretenses of T arty policy upon the
freedom of the white man, after having &C
compished the freedom of the black man"
This, it will be observed. ID confirmation
Of what was charged By democratic journals
upon Grant two years ago. The radical
politicians and papers then pronounced it b
'coppsrhesd lie" bat now they take it up and
reiterate t as radical truth" which re
minds one of the old adsge about honest
men getting their dues when q certain class
Of people fall out. But one of the unkindest
things after all In Browns speech, was the
rusinuAtion that the great Grant was subs
stansially nonentity. After pronouncing
the idea of president Of the United States
undertaking to influence the vote of soyer-
eign state as simply intolerable, he proceeded
In the following severe and 'disloyar'
strain
"Who made Gen. Grant? and what was
ne that he should talk in this wise? When
the war began he was one of the humblest
'citIzeDs in the country, without voice and
without influence. WHO had never given di-
rection to public opinion of the nation :; and
oy what right does he assume to do it to day ?
Does he stand as one of the accredited
leaders, of public thought ? Does he stand
as one OF the men who has been identified
With the triumphs of freedom in the past :?
Does he stand as one of the monuments
that we have accustomed to look to for our
inscriptions of freedom heretofore ? If not,
then | have only to say it would be wise and
well for such men to leave the complexion
of the freedom Of this country to the echieve
ment of those who have undertaken it and
have accomplished it, without interference
ON the part of those who have simply reaped
its reward"