American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-06-01
A Glance at Grant.

PRESIDENT GRANT began his Admins
tration under more fiattering auspices
than any Executive since the days of
Washington. As the leader of the Fed
eral armies, whose hand gave the tottering
Confederacy its coup de grace, he had
achieved a large share of that military
fame whose lustre always daZzles the
masses and covers multitude of deficien-
cies; and, with wonderful ability for
holding his tongue, he had gained rep
utation for profound wisdom which in
spired confidence in those who believe
silence to be only another name for
sense. Even the more skeptical portion
of the community, who refused to rank
him as the first soldier of his age, and
who suspected that the sphynx padlocked
his lips because he had nothing to say
worth the expenditure of breath, had
faith in the good intentions of the man,
and felt assured that, if he knew little
himself, he would be shrewi enough to
select able counselsrs, and through their
advice and assistance, manage affairs in
such manner as would restore peace and
prosperity to distracted country. Both
friends and opponents were disposed to
give him fair trial, and the nation, ex-
hausted by the sacrifices and antagonisms
of fraternal strife was prepared to hail as
noble pacificator one who, having won
the brightest laurels of war, was now in a
position to obtain the purer and more
precious garlands which belong to a wise
and beneficent ruler Without rival or
a dangerous enemy; without a defined
policy which might embarrass his move
ments; without record which might
compel consistency at the expense of the
public good; without complications, do
mestic or foreign, which might tax his
craftsmanship beyOund its resources, this
favored child of fortune, who had risen
to pre-eminent distinction with more than
the rapIdity of Bonaparte, entered upon a
civic career which, if rightly conducted
and consummated, would have ensured
him heritage of imperishable renown.
That career lacks but ten months of its
close-what are its substantial results?
Those who thought President Grant
would prove negative quantity in the
list of American Chief Magistrates, and
that, if he did not improve matters, he
would at least leave them no worse than
he found them, have been gIievously dis
appointed. 1t must be acknowledged that
he has left deeper impress upon the in
situations of which he is the guardian,
and set in motion more powerful influ
ences calculated to work important chang
es in the body polite, than any of his
predecessors. The Cabinet he selected,
taken as whole, is composed of the most
miserable stuff that was ever thrown to
the surface by political convulsion. He
has used il merely to register his cdicts,
and prepare the necessary preliminaries
for their enforcement; but the brains
which inspired those edicts have been
drawn from outside. Whether from nat
ural weakness or deliberate intention, he
seems to have abandoned himself wholly
to the management of ring of which
Morton, of Indiana, is the recognized
chief Under the direction of these des-
perate and INSCRIPTIONS men, he has run
the machinery of government without the
slightest regard to law or precedcnts; and,
while creating widespread dissatisfaction
we might say disgust among the peo-
pie, has made his Administration thor
eughly ridiculous in the eyes of the world.
The bullying of Hayti, the chafiering
with San Domingo, and the curious mix
ture of cowardice and insolencc which
has marked recent negotiations with En-
gland, have reduced us-in a diplomatic