The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-10
SPIRIT OF THn PRESS.
FdilsrtaI Opinions Of the Lending Journals
Upon Current TOpics-COmpiled kverV
Day for the Evening TeloErRph.
Is GRANT TRYING TO FORM A PER


From, the NJ Y. Sun.
It has been cautiously but significantly
given out that General Grant intends in every
event to be candidate for reelection. This
being so, il seems impossible to account for
his persistent pursuit of policy which di-
rectly tends to the destruction of the Repub-
Iican party, except upon the hypothesis that
he is resorting to the desperate expedient of
trying to form personal party, and run as
its nominee in 1872 over the ruins of the
organization that in 1868 placed him in the
White House.
Though the attempt to organize personal
political party is hostile to the genius of our
institutions, it is not beneath the ambition
of a really great man. The attempt to form
such party in this country has been MADE mad.
IN two conspicuous instances. De Witt Clin-
ton tried it in the State of New York, and
General jackson on the wider theatre of the
Union Each possessed mental and personal
qualities admirably adapted to give the ex-
pertinent the best possible show for success,
and both made the endeavor at periods in our
political history when, if ever, the attempt
might have ben crowned with triumph.
Clinton was q statesman of the broadest
views and the highest reach of intellect, a
skilful and successful politician, a man of
vigorous will and indomitable courage, who
idoliZed the State of New York, to which he
and his family had rendered distinguished
services. He made the effort to form per-
sonal party during the war with England,
when the Federal party was going to pieces.
But, when he ran for the Presidency in oppo-
sition to Madison, very unpopular candi-
date, though he was able to carry his own
State by peculiar combination of circum-
stances he failed to obtain the vote of any
other Republican State, and was ingloriously
beaten.
With political prospects seemingly blasted
forever, Clinton soon promulgated the policy
of constructing our present canals. The war
was over old issues had passed away, party
lines we're partially obliterated, and the public
mind of New York was prepared to appreciate
the bold conception of connecting the western
and nothern lakes with the Hudson river by
means of the Erie and Champlain canals.
There was strong Clintonian party in exist
ence; but throughout the dozen years that
intervened between the bright day when
Clinton, spade in hand, amid the booming of
cannon and the acclamations of thousands of
spectators, broke ground for the Erie Canal,
down to the wintry night when, in the quiet
of his library, while preparing message to
the Legislature, the pen dropped from his
hand and his heart ceased to beat, it was not
the Cintonian party that gave him victory in
his memorable contests with Tompkins, Tall
madge, Root, and Van Buren,, but it was the
canals that always tided him over all obsta-
cles, and bore him in triumph to the State
Capitol.
But Governor Clinton's partially successful
effort to form personal party in New York
deprived him of political following in the
other portions of the Union, and neither of
the great parties of the country would accept
him as their leader. Though one of the
ablest statesmen in the republic he attained
and kept power in this State by modes which
rendered his election to the Presidency an
impossibility.
General jacksons attempt to form per-
sonal party was a more signal failure than
that of Governor Clinton. The victory of
New Orleans had given him a wide popularity
Amid the dissolution of parties in the Monroe
era, he wrote q series of letters clearly indi-
eating that he was in favor of forming q
political combination out of the dssolving
factions, of which he was to be the central
figure. His bold ideas, his military fame, his
lofty courage, his infexible will, the irresisti-
ble magnetism which he shed all around him,
his political catholicity, the chaotic condition
of old organizations, and his position as the
representative man of the Mississippi valley,
all seemed to indicate that Jackson's efforts
to found personal party might be crowned
with success. He tried the experiment as
Presidential candidate in 1924, backed by &
numerous and powerful body of friends, ant
he failed. He then fell into wiser hands
their candidate against Mr.. Adams, and b,
was elected. Since that event nobody ha
tried to organize personal party on any con
siderable scale, unless we include in this cate
CORY the ridiculous failures of John lyle
and Andrew Johnson.
To compare General Grant as a Statesman
of ideas, as a politician capable of drawing
around him and binding to his standard in
congruous elements, as a civil leader in diff
fcult times, whose words and example ca
electrify the masses of the people-we say
to attempt to compare him with De Wit
Clinton or Andrew jackson, borders on th
absurd. And yet, it looks as if he was goin
to try the experiment Of forming a person,
party to perpetuate his feeble hold upon th
Presidency. That he will fail in field wher
Clinton and Jackson did not succeed, is
foregone conclusion. The wonder is thf
he should be so foolish as to make the O
tempt.
General Grants attachment to the Republ
can party is very weak. Indeed he nevt
belonged to it, nor even claimed to belong
it until it had become necessary to his elevi
tion. Previous to his Inauguration he il
formed Mr. Mcclure of Pennsylvania thu
he had not been Republican. His selectio
of a Cabinet verifes this declaration. Not
member of it was the choice for that positio
of the Republican party of the State whenC
he came. With perhaps one exception the
are men of very moderate attainments, sim
ing into dwarfs by the side of the distil
guished leaders of the party, and therefor
owing their elevation solely to him, and like
TO WELD the great influence of their position
for the promotion of his ambitious schem
and the qualification of his personal aspir
tions.