The Portland daily press., 1871-10-18
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1s, 1877,
Letter from washiavten.
WASHINGTON, D. G.. Oct. 11th 1s7

THE PRESIDENTS DETRACroRs-AN HIS
ToRICAL PARALLEL.
At the great meeting held here last
remained through most of the proceedings,
gave his $1,000 In quiet and modest way,
and left without being Noticed by the inter-
ested audience. / could not help thinking
that the admirers of republican simplicity OF
manners ought to be content with the Presi-
dent There is no want of quiet dignity and
gravity about him, but have never before
seen public man, unless it be his British
prototype-for such he may IN many respects
be termed-Wellington the "Iron Duke"
whose simple habits have been historical.
Grant does not impress one with any mag
netic force-he has none of that personal
quality which attracts the multitude, but one
accustomed to study human nature would be
held to examine his face, even il not know
ing who it was, as that of a man of remark
able will, strength of character and COM
pactness OF brain. The Presidents head is
powerful one, though the commonplace
ness of his general appearance, to cursory
observer, would lead one at first not to see its
salient points.
cannot say that the Presidentshas any
attraction for me, yet felt as watched him
last evening that his face is one of the best
OF answers to the calumnies and detractons
OF the Dana school. 1t is the face of a man
OF simple sincerity and honesty, yet with all
that subtility OF power and reticeDce which
simple but strong natures oftimes possess.
was reminded OF the abuse heaped upon
Washington, Jefferson and others, by the
Danas OF their day, and having recently had
occasion to examine the files of the aurora,
Eoenang Post and other papers and pam
phlets shall illustrate the SANDERS. Before
doing so let me mention one of the more
RECENT STORIES.
The New York Sun and the World recent
ly paraded a list of stockholders in the "Sen-
eca Stone Quarry Co." business corpora
tion who own and work an extensive Mary
land quarry OF what is reputed to be an ex-
cellent specimen of Red Sandstone, which is
being largely used for tagging and other hur-
poses in this city. This Company was organ
lied more than four years ago. At the time
efforts were made and successfully to get as
stockholders therein, the leading public men
OF the city. Seward purchased about $4,000
on time; the President, then General of the
army, bought In, and added to his invest
ment, until about the time of his election
he was the owner, it is reported, of some
$4,000 worth. Gen. Babcock bad some lit
tie interest. Nearly all the shrewd busines a
men of the city had more or less interest in
the quarry. What was natural followed, and
that, too, without corruption. The stone
grew gradually into general use, pdolic and
private. 1t has been laid down extensively
as tagging. Grant, like prudent man, has
held on to what he honestly obtained and
found to be rising in value. Now come the
slanderers to intimate that it was given him
which is without doubt as false as the other
charge that he has in any way aided in it.
| growing use.
SPECIMEN ISLANDERS FROM THE PAST.
We may CLEAN instruction from perusing
the files Of the opposition press of Wash
ington and Jeffeison's time. We nigh
congratulate ourselves on the manifest
improvement since then, if the New Yorl
Sun was not in existence As long as tina
cesspool is under our nostrels, and applaude,
OF men the more unsavory its contents, W
can take no credit to ourselves.
The violent calumnies hurled agains
Washington have become matters of history
He felt them keenly, and did not hesitate t,
denounce his detractors. In the Ana Jefferson
says.of some Cabinet proceedings, that
"Knox" in foolish incoherent sort of q
speech introduced the pasqoinade late ly print
ed, called the fuueral OF George WI
| and James W--D, King aod Judge &C.
where the PIesdent was placed on eulllotne.
| The President was much iDfamed; ran on
much on the personal abuse which had b. en- be
slowed on him; 1efi-d any man on earth to
| produce one single act OF his since he had
been in the government, which was not done
| with the pusest motives; that he had never re-
| pented bur once the having slipped the mo-
| me Mt OF resguing his office, and that was eve-
| ry moment since he was lnaugurated; and that
he had rather be in his grave than % his pres-
situation; that he had rather be on bis farm
| than TO be made Emperor of the World; and
| yet they were charging him with wanting to
be King. That that rascal Frenqu sent three
| Of his papers every day, as il he thought he
/ would become the distributor of his pape rs
that ne could see In this nothing bnt an im.
| pudent design to insult him; he ended in thl.
| high Tone
Thomas Blount opposed a clause in the last
paragraph of the address sent to Washington
by Congress, when the President was retiring
to private life, which was as follows:
For our country's sake, for the sake of Re.
publican liberty, it is our earnest wish that
your example may be the guide of your sue.
ce.sors; and thus after being the ornament and
safeguard of the present age, become the patri-
moDy of your descendants.
Twenty-four votes was given to strike this
out, and twelve against the adoption of the
| report itself.
A Virginian member, Gov. Giles, spoke as
follows in criticism of Washington. One
| might easily fancy some one--Carl Schurz, fol
instance-using the same language to Presi-
dent Grant:
As to those parts of the address which speak
| of the wisdom and firmness of the Preside t
| must object to. Oo reflection / can see q
| ,cdnt of ecisdom and JfTnneSs in the Admins
| tratcn for the lat six years. l may be siDgu
| lar in my IDEAS, but behave our Admin istra-
tion has been neither wise or firni.
| The aurora has become another name fol
vituperation. How well this is deserved can
be seen by the following paragraphs in. its is
sue of March 9th, 1797-Washingto having
retired to private life:
IF ever there was period for rejoicing, thi;
is the moment-every heart in unison with the
freedom and happiness of the people, ought tc
| beat with high exultatOn that the name o.
| WASHINGTON from this day, ceases to give
currency to political iniquty, and to legalizt
corruption-a new era is now opening upon US
| a new era, which promises much TO the peo
| pile; for public measures must now stand upon
| their own merits, and nefarious projects can nc
longer be supported by name.
| "When retrospect is taken of the Washing
| ton Adm nistratiOu for eight years past, it Is
| subject of the greatest aston ment, tnat sin
gle individual should have cancelled the prin
| cples OF Republicanism 10 an enlig htened peo
pie. just emerged from the gulf of despotsm
and should have carried his designs against tn
public liberty 50 far as to have put in leopard
its very existence. Such, however, are thu
facts, ard with these staring US in the face thi
day ought to be JUBILEE in the UNrTEl
| STATES"
ABUSE OF JEFFERSON.
AS the Philosopher of Monticello was rad
ical, of course he got it worse than his com
patriot and predecessor. He was charges
with all sorts of crimes, and the worst punish
ment to which he was subjected was the pub
lication of some Hudibrastic dogge'el by on'
Thomas Green Fessender, in 1905. Th,
"pome" is entitled Democracy unveiled; OIL
Tyranny Stripped of the Garb of Patriotism.
In the third canto he speaks OF Jefferson as
"Phlegmatic cunning, and wrong headed.