Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-12-20
The President Of the United States.

ldential chair man worthy of his
seat. Nothing could well be for us a
more ungrateful task than to be
obliged to say that we have not. We
have long been accustomed to look
with profound respect to the Prcs.
Dental chair, the emblem of national
leadership, SO often filled by ilustrious
and patriotic men, whose virtues and
valor either did much to create or
much TO preserve the liberties of the
American people. We regret most
sincerely that we can do so no longer.
Most profoundly DO we deplore that
from such source should flow
whence once flowed wholesome and
uncontaminatcd current, strengthen
ing and animatng a brotherhood of
people and n sistcrhood Of States--a
poisoned and dangerous stream calcu.
lated, if not designed, to vitiate and
sweep away the liberties Of a people.
No man ever entered that chair with
so many and amazing opportunities
for doing good, and for retrieving the
jeopardized rights of his countrymen,
as did President Grant and no man
ever so shamefully disregarded them.
He blasted in day every hope re.
posed in him. lie wavercd for awhile
between tho two wings Of the party
mainly, but not wholly, responsible
for his elcction-p!astic but presumpt-
Gus clay in the hands of alternate
potters-and then sunk into the arms
Of the worst, to be moulded by them
into an instrument for the most dcs.
perate uses.
At the time of his election he had
the esteem and confidence of many
whose seIfrespect soon obliged them
to withdraw their confidence, as hav.
ing been misplaced and betrayed.
His lack Of education and antccedcnts
necessary to qualify him for the Pres
idency was well known. Men did not
think him great or fitted by culture
and reflection for his place, but they
thought him patriotic and honest.
He was said to be n soldier, with a
soldiers honor and frankness pa.
triot, with patriots largc-hcarted.
ness and to be possessed Of a sterling
common sense, which would stand
him in good stead for his universally
conceded ignorance in government,
Many helped to place him where he
is from these considerations. How
infinitely great must be their disap.
pointment, if not their disgust, we
will not pretend to fathom. Where,
it is asked on all sides and without
reference to party ties, is his alleged
soldierly honor and irankness now
Turned strangely to dishonor, dissim.
ulation, and intrigue. Where tho i'm
partial large. heartcdncss, character,
istio of patriot, which would move
him to do homcly justice TO all men,
and strive to assuage, and finally to
wholly heal, the bitterness and ami.
mositics of the past? The answer, if
there be any, is to be found in the
callous workings of s.olid and insen.
safe nature, as shown in his treatment
Of one half his country, on whose peO-
pie, to secure his own reelection, and
.or no better reason, he would visit
many stripes. Where is the all atom
ing common sense that was so gener.
ously ascribcd to him, one OF the
strong points put prominently forward
as covering multitude of infrmities,
and as II substitute for multitude of
talents, and which was in many ways
to stand in the stead of so much
Swallowed up and lost in dense cloud
of ignorance.
But not only in our, experience OF
Gen. Grant as President has he shown
supreme want of knowledge Of every.
thing essential to his position, and an
unftncss for the exalted scat of re.
sponsibiity and power in which he
has unfortunately been placed, that
makes sensitive and sensible men
blush for ruler. but ho has shown no
disposition, nor even capacity, to &C
quire needed information and lessen
by study and reflection his glaring
unftness and deficiencies. Antecc,
dent Presidents, even the ablest, the
best informed, the most studious, and
thoughtful found that it needed all
their knowledge, their talent, their
thought, their time, their skill in gov.
ornmental affairs, and all their powers
of body and mind, to perform even
acceptably well the arduous and mo.
mentous duties required at their hands
and inscparable from the position
which they had assumed. Not so
with President Grant. IIo seems to
think that he can administer the Gov.
ornment wisely with half his mind
and that the empty half-whilc, with
the other half, he occupies himself
with matters more congenial TO his
education and instincts, and, il must
be confessed, more suited to his pow
crs. Ills thoughts are evidently not
as our thoughts and such as they are,
we do not know that anything would
be gained by his bringing them to
bear upon the class of subjects that
must, of necessity, como before him
rs President.
Nevertheless, II but Tor mere ap.
pcaranco sake, one would suppose
that now and then he would at least
seem to think upon such subjects. As
to his time, he has but little to give to
publio affairs, and that little is unhap.
ply not given TO advance his country's
peace and happiness and common
good, but the stirring up of striies and
hcartburnings with halEextinguishcd
animosities, showing ready alacrity
to cooperate and give form and au-
thority to mischievous and lawless on.
actments. Wero he complete no.
nontity where he is, he could be borne,
If not with patience, at least with ap.
prchcnsion, But is not so. He is OF
importance at least, If only in that he
can endorse and give effect to iniqui-
ties. President Washington shranS
from exercising or accepting extraor.
dinary powers even when urged upon
him-powers which, in unscrupulous
would be dangerous to the liberties OF
tho nnnnlp President Grant cOuncils