New-York tribune., 1872-10-17
4 LITTLE UNSTEADY.

into the Administration ranks the Reverend
Samuel Is TO be reckoned Although such
trouble upon his part was quite unnecessary,
he appears to have thought that the citizens
Of the United States would like to know the
reason of his gyrations He has therefore
published letter in which be recounts
The history of the Rise, Decline, and
Fall of the Reverend Samuel WolcottS
Liberalism and perusal OF tins eplsue mas
at least convinced us that the reverend WrlJer
ought religiOusly to abstain from politlcs LOT
the rest of his natural life. Whether he mas
any mind TO make up, or, having IL, a'As
ability to make it up, is a question more curl
ous than important :" will explain my posi-
"6oDp says tho Doctor. This excites an III"
terest: but when we find that he does MT ex-
plain but merely muddles it, although bitterly
disappointed, we do not blame him for not
doing what no human being, be he ID. d. or
LII. D., or Reverend or 1rreverend, could 90
under the circumstances. 1t appears that Dr.
Wolcott started with desire for "a purlhed
" Administration We call attention to the
phrase, which is his own. 1t is not only an
admission that the Grant Administration has
not been what it should have been, but, as the
Doctor uses it, we have an admission also
that he not long ago thought that the said Ad-
ministraton was past publication, ana ue-
served TO be incontinently turned out.
was therefore" goes on the writer pre-
"pared to sustain the Cincinnati nominee
" and his support by the Democratic party on
essentially Republican grounds, shouiu
g have regarded as a great step forward anu
" worthy of special encouragement" 30 tar
the Doctor is all right, and we follow MN
without any intellectual bOtheratlon. IL is
only when he comes to give his reasons
that he breaks down. 1t was what he ca'ls
" the development of the canvass" which
Aoored. or, to use q still more classical WORD,
fabbergasted him. Now, what does the reader
imagine that the wise man found IN tlis
A." deyelopmentp Simply "a Renewal OF the
cold Issue.1 and with it "a Restoration OF
| "tbe Rebels to POgerr and 'The Delivery OF
"the Freedmen into the Hands OF their FOe5
No wonder that he was scared No wonder
that he backed out! No wonder thas nc re-
sorted at once to pen and ink, paper ana
publication No wonder that he advertised
his change of mind, even at the expense Oh
making an ass of himself in the minds OF the
profane and the ungodly
We wish Dr. WOlcOtt to understand thae
this Is q perfectly free country, and that he
has q right to change his politics and his
| party twice, or even Oftener, in every month
of the calendar if he finds himself moved so
to do. Only lie must not give his reasons
That is a luxury which must be reserved Tor
those who have reasons which will bear pub
lication. This Doctor Samuel Wolcott is
simply a weak sort OF man. who having blum
dered into the Liberal party, or having
| iOined it in q peculiar and brief spasm
| of conscientiousness, found that his
brother ministers, with some notable and
| highly crelitable exceptions, were taking
the other side. That the Rev. Doctor WOlcOtt
arrived at the conclusion that he had done
something unpleasant to some of his pAish-
ioners and to some of his associates we can
easily understand; and that the Rev. Doctor
WolcOtt FASTENED 10 get out Of the scrape,
since he considered it to be such, we can
also understand; but why give his reasons
And such flbby reasons, too! For it happens
that there has been no "renewal of the old
issuer no plan +" to restore the recent
"rebels to power" and no thought of
delivering "the freedmen into the hands
"of their foes.n Nor, in our opinion, does
the Rev. DR.. Wolcott seriously think that
there has been such renewal, plan, or inten-
tion. All this talk of his is merely dust in
tended to blind our eyes, so that we may not
discern the real influences which impel this
uncertain gentleman TO change his coat from
inside to out and from outside to in. This
sort of thing is most decidedly uncomfortable.
In saying this, it is not SO much the loss of
the Rev. DR.. Wolcott that we arc thinking of
it is the fear which fills our souls that he
may come back again. May come, indeed !!
How de we know that he has not already
come back, like the PrOdigal Son, expecting
us to kill calf for him, and to put ring on
his hand and shoes on his feet But we
shall do nothing of the kind for a pretty
sight it would be to see him walking Oft a
second time, with his stomach full of our
veal
In conclusion, the Doctor informs us that
"he fastened home from the meeting of the
American Board to vote the Republican
Estate ticket" and that next month he means
Cd. W to vote for DR.. Grant. This settles
the matter unless DR.. Wolcott should change
his mind again before the big day. Our advice
to the Grant State Committee of Obio is, to
catch the Doctor and to lock him up until
after he has voted as he now fondlY thinks
that he means to vote.
Mr.. FROUDES LECTURE.
AN--A Al