Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-11-29
ST AND HIS RADICAL FRIENDS.

GRANT AND HIS RADICAL FRIENDS.
The New York Spirit Of the Times, edit
eddy Mr.. George Wilkes, Jan earnest Radical
and the candidate of his party for Congress
in the eighth district of New York at the
last election, contains this remarkable out
giving:
s'The administration and the journalists
of the regular army of the Empire have
been thrown into a terrible state of excite
ment about a paragraph which appeared the
other day in Washington newspaper to the
effect that there was a formidable 'cOnspl-
spiracy' on foot by certain notable persons,
among whom we were made to hgIre, to
defeat Grants reelection to the Presidency.
The word conspiracy was OF course used
in the imperial sense, to indicate a crime.
That is logical, and accords with the
whole Grant programme. An attempt
was made TO interview us on this subject,
but we declined the honor, and at present
only desire to predict that Grant may be
beaten before he becomes candidate; but
should be run in the next canvass, we viii
further predict that he will be slOughed
along with the spoils Republicans, like
dead branch, from the wholesome body OF
the country, with an adverse majority such
as never disgraced Presidential candidate
before-RoscOe Conkling and Henry VIII
son to the contrary notwithstanding. By
and by We shall be more free to speak upon
this subject
The New York Ecening Post (Radical)
has a lengthy leader severely rejecting upon
Grant for not following up civil service re-
form. After stating that Grant had sadly
disappointed many people who once had
great faith in him, that paper says:
HIf ever there was man who might have
thrown aside petty prejudices, it was he; if
ever there was a man who could have at-
forded to have a conviction and to adhere
resOlutely to it, it was he. Had he taken a
fair stand, had he determined to look at
things only in the light Of reason and justice,
the people would have been with him; and
the abuse of the partisan press and OF te-
dious politician would have run off
from him like water. But he, on the
contrary, took the coarsest view of the stu
alton. He carried into office bitter per-
sonal dislike of his predecessor. He re-
vived the unscrupulous dragooning spirit
which had met its first reverse in the acquit-
tai of Andrew johnson, the tyranny of par
ty over the individual, the intolerance of
various diyergencies of opinion, the eXcom-
munication of every man who differed from
Thaddeus Stevens"
The Ereuing Post expresses the convic-
ton that had irrant retained few upright
Democrats he would have contributed a
substantial service to reform, and would
have been sustained by the opinion of the
country, though, no doubt, he would have
incurred the bitter reproaches Of the ''dis-
interested patriots" about the smoking
rooms of the Washington hotels. But, adds
that paper:
ssThs treatment which our great warrior
President has shown TO his subordinates
has, in very many instances, to speak
plainly. been what is called in civil life un-
gentlemanly.
sPresidents are very great men, but no
mans rudeness is pardoned because he IS
strong. We have right to demand of him
whom we elevate TO the most august posi-
ton on earth. that he sets us an example
of good manners.
i'CorruptiOn and incompetency are not
the municipal peculiarities of New York.
They are general, not to say national. The
work Of publication we have begun i'll this
city we wish to see carried into Washing
ton Cabinets, Congressional Committees,
Legislatures, School Boards, and into every
little corporation that controls county or a
township"