Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1872-11-23
Giant.

The Nation, in an article on the second rrss
idency of Gen. Grant, admits that his arst
term was failure, but looks hopefully for.
ward TO his second as pregnant with more pro.
mise. Theirs are two qualities set down IA AZ
once the sources of Geu. Grants failures ana
successes These are, a tendency to mind his
own business, and his instructive sagacity In
choosing men. The "mind- his-own- businesss
characteristic assumes two forms: positive.
ly-reticent, composed self-contained mega.
tively-neither curious, nor inquiring, nor on.
thusiastic, nor sympathetic" As sIibaltern
this quality is admitted to have contributed
to his failure. His misconduct as a soldier
and his forced resignation and retirement
from the army in disgrace, are referred to.
with his subsequent secluded life at Galepa'
'.bounded by the four walls of a little shon5
These are the dark side of the picture. But
when he was called back to the army and
took position az its head, his suborjinatee
found advantage in this same quality, and
felt complimented by the fact that they were
seldom interfered with; that the responsible.
ty OF their commands rested largely on them
selves, and that their successes, whenever
achieved, were generously commended Such
course attached to him officers like Sherman.
Sheridan and Mcpherson, who contributed
SO largely to his military tffumphs. a
His military life had, however. given him
no proper training for the performance of civil
duties, and 1t Is set down as his great mis-
fortune that "he came to the Presidency too
young Looking on Washington as a den of
thieves, he considered it necessary that ba
should be surrounded by the sharpest polifi.
claus of his party, in order to protect his All.
ministration and himself from the intrigues Of
the designing. OF craftsmanship he knew
nothing, and the interchangeable political fight
ers he had chosen as his Geutenants, had not
the remotest idea of instructing him in that
science. Party successes and private advanta-
ges constituted their highest aims In their
selection Grant make his great mistake a.
Presidential mistake resulting from his want
of experience bnt he is credited with de.
termination never to repeat the same mistake
and on that our contemporary observes, the
hopes of his cOuntrymen may now rest Tho
Nation concludes as follows on this head; eve
have reason to believe that during the four
years of his term he has been learning as dur.
ing the four years of the war that little has
escaped his quiet, unobstrusive attention; and
that his knowledge of public men and wants
and interests OF the country is incomparably
greater than it was. On certain subjects, as
civil-serviee reform, he has always been in ad-
vance of his party in Congress- and has proved
to be much stronger than his party and his
party leaders among the people. He owes
nothing to Messrs. Morton and Cameron, and
other managers and they owe all their present
success to him. With the first Presidency we
hope the President will consider his debts Of
gratitude to those gentlemen fully paid, and
himself entirely free to administer the affairs
of the Executive Department exclusively for
the welfare Of the Country