The Portland daily press., 1871-12-11

LEADERS OF THE OPPOSITION TO GRANT.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Dec. 5, 1871.

WHO LEAD THE OPPOSITION.
First there's Greeley. No one who has
watched the drift can doubt that the philoso-
pher is badly bitten by our national political
mania-that of oficc-seeking He isn't con-
tent with the widest recognition of power that
any man could have, and must needs demand
nomination to some office His quarrel with
the Administration is in large part due to the
same cause as Charles A Dana's. Greeley
would have liked the Vice Presidency, but was
content that Colfax should carry that on
When he was not offered Cabinet once, ne
wanted to be Minister to England. That, I'M
fortunately for Grant had been promised 10
Summer for Motley. and a motley mess he made
of If Afterward Mr.. Greeley was offered the
poo;eo Poilroad Commissionership now filled
hu Senator Wade. 1t wasn't big enough for
| tha oraat Editor and agree with that. Then
| tho wiser Democrats and Republicans of the
| Evarts school wanted to make him Governor
of New York. There was scheme of this sort
on foot which has been blown to pieces by the
collapse of the Ring. Mr. Greeley is essentially
disappointed and soured man, with big faith
that the people believe in him, and would like
to see him President.
Mr.. Sumner, would find it very hard work to.
get along. Talk. of President Grants regard
ing his heads of Departments only as so many
chief clerks-when it is well established that
but few Presidents ever allowed the secreta-
ries so much freedom in the management of
their several departments as Grant. If Mr.
Greeley or Senator Sumner were President the
idea of personal government would be intens
fed beyond belief. Both gentleman allow no
one about them to differ with them This is a
| fact well known to all who have had any close
| relations with either.
MIR. SUMNER
Is especially chargeable with this Anti-Re-
publican tendency. No Que can doubt that the
Senators antagonism to the President is more
bitter and unrelenting by personal antagonism
and dislike. gentleman who carries his feel
ings so far as to declare that no one can be his
friend, who is also the Presidents friend and
who leaving his home, (Boston) rather than
meet the President officially, as Mr.. Sumner
did at the recent laying of the Post Office cor
ner stone shows he has one serious fault, which
units him in an important particular, from the
Chief Magistracy of a Republic. Mr.. Sumner
always took personal umbrage at any ones
differing from him in the committee of Foreign
Relations, unless on party issue. How could
any Secretary under President Sumner be any
thing but a servant. So with President Gree
| ley, if either were ever in that position.
THE DEMAGoGUE
| OF the disgruntled Republicans, is Carl Schurz.
This gentleman, who has been paid for more
than he has been worth at any time, is plotting
in every possible way to destroy the party
which has given him power and position. Look
for moment at his career. No one will deny
the great services he rendered as an orator-yet
no one will deny, who knows the facts
that he has received just COM
pensation for every service. He made
speeches in the campaigns of Sc and
go. For both periods he was paid by the party
managers, as he should have BEEN. he being
comparatively poor man. Mr.. Lincoln made
him Minister to Spain-a good and comfortably
paid position. He was restless there and came
back to America and the stump. He was well,
even largely paid, for all his services as an ora
tor them and in addition attained and demand
ed Major-Generars commission, a position
for which he had no fitness. Up to the time of
mastering out he had the pay of the position.
reer has been very checquered. He was early
a radical of radicals, opposing Henderson,
and elected in his place, on the Missouri poll
cy. AS soon as he became Senator turning
round and demanding universal amnesty,
which if he had done before, would have pre-
vented his election as Senator. Before that
event he was on the stump when the negro suf-
frage question up in the form of consti-
tutional amendment Mr.. Schurz as editor of
the Westliche Post, said nothing in its favor.
AS orator he delivered some plattudes in its
support, taking care however, to do
so, in localities where no German would
be affected. AS soon as he was
elected he struck at the hand that
lifted him. He denounced the President for
nepotism, yet there is ON file here his request
for the appointment of his brother-in-law Col
Jusen, to a Revenue Collectorship at Chicago,
which was obtained. He talks about civil SER
vice reform, yet he has personally taken a per-
son who could not pass the Treasury examina-
ton to the Interior Department, there urging
and procuring his appointment to $1,000 clerk
ship; said appointee being set at messenger
duty because incompetent for clerical These
are mere specimen bricks. SPECTATOR.
GEORGIA PoLTICs.-The Legislature of Geor-
gia has ordered an election to be held on the
18th of this month for Governor for the unex-
pired term of Governor Bullock Serious ques-
lions have arisen as to the legality of this cleo
ton, under the constitution of that State At
first many of the Republicans were disinclined
to make contest, preferring to leave the field
to the exclusive occupation of the Democrats,
who have determined upon an election under
circumstances of doubtful constitutionality and
of manifest inexpediency.
But it has been finally resolved to make
contest, and James Atkins, of Atlanta, has re-
ceived the Republican nomination. Mr.. Atkins
is native of Georgia, staunch friend of the
Union during the war, and a man of talent and
integrity. He was the Republican candidate
for Congress in 1865 in a strong Democratic
district, and, though defeated, received flat
tering vote. He is in thorough sympathy with
the Republican party of the nation In State
matters, he has been clear of all connection with
the transactions that have brought discredit
upon the late Republican Administration The
Republicans of Georgia have done wisely in Sc
Letting such man for their candidate and it is |
to be hoped that they will give him a warm
support
His competitor, Mr.. Smith, of Columbus, was
Confederate Colonel, and a member of the
last Confederate Congress, and is now the
Speaker of the representative branch of the
Legislature.
CLUsERET NOT DEAD.-Cluseret, the Com
munst general who. was reDorted dead soma |