The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-04-29
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND.
SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 1871.



"Now is the time to put in your early sprine
candidates for the Presidency" THIS Is "na'
the makers OF political almanacs ought W say
but they DON'T their meteoroloey ha'iis lo
ference 10 the past and not the future. we
have counted as many as SIX canaidales I'D
one paper-not an extraordinary paper for
nresentinp candidates, either One of the
candidates mentioned lives in Indiana, two in
Massachusetts and the others are equitably
distributed to the rest of the country. The
State that hasn't at least one candidate is be-
hind the times. One of these gentlemen is a
p.olectionist, two are free traders, one is a
"revenue Ieiormer," one holds the three main
positions on the tariff question with praise
worthy impartiality, and one is "smiler"
There is no good reason why either of the
gentlemen named should not receive the Re-
publican nomination for the Presidency, if it
were not that the present incumbent OF that
Office appears at present to have brighter
prospects for the nomination than they have.
1t is idle to say that no Republican but Grant
can be elected. On the issues of 1868, which
are to be presented again in 1872, any Repub-
lican candidate, who is not either nOtoriously
and absurdly incompetent, or man of disrep-
utable character, can in all probability lie
elected by almost as large a majority as
our electoral ticket received i'm 1SeS
But from present appearances Gen. Grant
is the only man whose election would be surf
beyond the possibility of doubt. No one car
tell what may happen before next Summer
The President may conduct himself in such 8
manner as to lose the respect and confidence
of his political associates as fully as his imme
date predecessor did. If his proceeding.
merit it, he would be cut off from poitica
fellowship with Republicans as remorselessly
and summary as Andrew johnson was. But
we would not advise the friends of any other
candidate to found any very confident expec.
taIons on such contingency. 1t is a con-
frmed habit with Gen. Grant to disappoint
all such anticipatlons. few weeks ago the
Misrepresentation of his enemies and the
misapprehensions of his friends had directed
against him strong current of popular feel
ing. Clouds of the darkest hue, charged will
thunderbolts, lowered about him. The maj
who did his duty in the Wilderness and sa
unmoved when the heavens seemed falling
endured with that repose which is a cllarac
teristic of great men, as the ancients feignet
it to be OF the king of the gods, this new com
motion in which his own destiny was at stake
The storm passed over. his character and mo
tives were vndicated, and he is today strong
er in the affections of the people than he was
before the San Domingo business, lot which
we have probably heard about the last, was
preached. The honest attempt to reform the
civil service, the increased fidelity in collecting
the revenue, the reduction of the national
debt, the preservation of peace with the In
dams and the maintenance Of amicable rea.
tions with foreign powers under circumstan
ces OF unusual deicaey, are achievements tba
ought not and will not be overlooked ever
when popular passions are famed into fam,
by the men who covet General Grants leas,
of the White House.