Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1872-09-05
Let Us Have Decency.

IL j. too much TO say. OF course. I'm view
OF the excited feelings of the pending poit-
zeal campaign, Let US have jeacr - but
have We not right 10 ask and expect a
greater degree of deceucy than the secular
press /. manifesting in lis treatment of
political opponents: Not 50 fast. gentle
men. moi 30 fast, Horace Greeley i pretty
much the same Horace Greeley to-day that
lie was twenty years ago, when a good
many of YOU swore By him. instead of az
him. He insists that he j. a. much n Re-
publican to-day A. ever. and no one of his
Democratic followers. so far as we have
seen. claims the contrary. He NAV be a
very unit man to be President Of the
| nltsd States: but don't let US for that
reason, call him names which don't be-
long to him, and which are. indeed so
ludlcrou>ly Incorporated that our vliu-
peration influence nobody. His character
aud conduct are. of course, open to crii-
cism. Let them be criticized 10 the full
but honestly. intelligently. fairly and in
cheerful recognition of the not inconsidcr-
able service which he has rendered In the
cause of freedom and humanity: in cheer
iui recognition. we may add, of his evident
intention Ia be honest aud pat riotic
Aud AS with Greeley 80 with Grant
That the private life Of the latter has not
always been what il might have been T..
very likely true; but he has certainly con-
Quoted himself with dignity and decorum
during his incumbency of the Presideu ,ial
chair: and we question whether ANYBODY
ha. right 10 go behind that record TO find
material Tor personal assaults Take him
al the very worst, he Is the same Ulysses
>. Grant who conducted our terrible struy-
gle with the South TO a successful issue
and his eminent services to his country Ger
fulR 10 f..h he.
mon dectncy. That. in the administration
OF the government. lac has done things
which he ought not to have done. and left
undone things which he ought to have
done. we freely admit. We wish he were
great deal better fitted. both by nature
and traing, 10 be President of this great
republic. than We honestly believe him TO
be. His fitness or unfiiness is. of course
like that of Mr.. Greeley matter of leyiti-
mate criticisms; and legitimate criticism
We by no means depreciate. But the real
question at issue. In the present canvas is
not whether Greeley is selfish renegade "A
contemplate vegetarian, louchily dress
ed boor; nor whether Grant stood high
or low in his class at West Point. and drank
lii by-gone days much wine or little; but
which of the men is likely to conduct the
affairs OF the country most wisely and pru-
IDENTITY for four years TO come.
That issue has already been lost sight of
qy good many journals which would do
well TO keep il distinctly before the people
And if thee things be doue in green tree.
what shall be done in a dry: Where will
the partisan press be by November if. even
in the dog-days. it descends to such depths
Of vitupefatiOn! Is there. beneath helrs
lowest deep, lower depth which we are
TO penetrate by-and-by: Or is the present
canvass TO afford us rhetorical anti-clmax,
like the Frenchman's celebrated apostro-
phe to sunrise, Splendid! magnifique.
sublime... pretty good" We seriously
suspect that. before the Tuesday next sue
ceeding the first Monday in November We
shall be told, out Of sheer inanition. that
Greeley Is not the man we toOS him to be.
and Grants character is quite exception
able.
Not so fast. gentlemen, not SO fast From
regard to the grave emergencies Of the :u-
ture. if not from sense Of what decency
demands.