Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1872-04-18
The Presidential Outlook.

Elsewhere we copy a very able
and well-considered article from the
pen OF Henry Ward Beecher, favor
ing the denomination of Gen. Grant
tor second Presidential term. We
approve sn2 endorse the reasons
therein set forth for such re-nomina.
ton. Tried by the tests TO which
every President must be subjected
we believe the administration OF
Gen. Grant will not suffer by COM
parison with that Of any President
within our recollection. That OF Mr..
Lincoln, 1t will be remembered, was
assailed no less virulently than has
been that of President Grant. Yet
time has vindicated Lincoln from
| most Of the censures which were so
freely dealt out to him while the
great work Of administration rested
on his shoulders.
In thus expressing our adhesion to
the general sentiment Of the Rcpub
lican party which calls for the re
nomination and ,e election OF the
President We do not overlook the
fac. that he Las committed some seri-
Gus mistakes in administration. The
policy by which, in several states, he
has interiered in local political quar-
rels, aud sided with one faction Of
the party against another, is one Of
the most serious OF these mistakes.
Some OF the best men in the Repub-
lican party-men who aided to found
the party-have thus been aliena:ed
and may, perhaps, be found in oppo-
sition at the coming election.
Nor do we join in, or in any way
endorse the proscriptive and intol-
Grant spirit manifested toward those
who think that some other candidate
would better unite the Republican
party, which characterizes . large
portion OF the Republican press. I'm
til the Philadelphia Convention has
been held, and has formlly announc.
ed its nominations. free comparison
OF views is the order OF the day in
the Republican party. We repudi-
ate the tyranny which denies to any
one the right to express a preference
for some other candidate than Presi-
dent Grant, unless at the risk OF be-
ing lampooned and read out OF the
party. The Republican party is the
child of free discussion. Having for
years held to and labo:ed for the
trinmph OF Republican principles be.
fore the Republican party had an ex
istenee, having aided il forming the
party, we are neither going meekly
to have any party lash applied to us,
or submit without protest to see it
applied to others who choose to ex-
ercise their inaiienable right Of free
discussion. This is the very lite OF
the Republican party. Deprive its
members of this right and 1t will
lose the moral power which the con-
sc.eatious and tree-speaking members
OF the party give it, and will, with
the loss OF their support, inevitably
90 into minority. The Republican
party is not made up OF the materials
to be held together by the cohesive
power of public plunaer."
We do not attribute to the inspl-
ration OF the President himself the
intolerant spirit which has manifest
ed itself among so many Of those
who have arrogatcd themselves the
character OF his special friends. -
| Pos,ofices, custom-house births, In
ternal revenue appointments-all the
corrup,ing influences which spring
from vicious and debased civil SER
vice-are mostly at the bottom OF
the proscriptive spirit we reter to-
The President has suffered i'll the es-
timation Of the country by the super
| seryiccable efforts of Ills friends. -
Their course is swelling the number
of those who will so to. C:ncilnatl.-
70 much larger extent than the
| politicians are willing to acknowl-
edge, or perhaps than they are aware,
there is q want Of enthusiasm among
the sober thinking, unaspiring mem
bers of the party toward the Presi-
dent. TO show them that the Pres
idcut has friends Of another sort than
those who run so large share o.
the party presses of the country, and
that the reasons for his reelection
outweigh the supposed or real OBJ
iect;ons to it, we reprint the article
from the Christian Union to which we
alluded in the outset.-Bel!e Plaine
Iaioa.