The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-05-16
George wilkes ON Grant.

York, was looked upon as one of the
ablest aud best men of the country by
the entire Radical press. lie was
Grants most confidential friend and
adviser his intimate personal COM
panion, and his paper the oracle of
the party. But three years of Grants
administration has served to wean
him of his 1admiraiionafor the great
g Gift taker,' and he refuses 10 longer
do his dirty work Though be is to-
day the same man he was four years
ago, the Radical papers are pitching
into him most unnercifulis. aud he is
denounced as SPORT and tho .sbot-
Itle-holder of alTize-fghtcrs,I merely
because he opposes the reelection OF
Grant and the contiDuance of military
rule. Fw 5
/ This is the way in whichthis former
adniirer of Grant goes for him and
his party now: 80
1t is evident that the Grant party
intends to run this canvass upon an
evasion of all the important issues OF
the time. Thus far cowardice, has
been the distinguishing feature of the
military administration. The Phila-
delphia Convention 6aTes not meet
the Cincinnati Convention in q. fair
and open field, and we predict that in
this campaign the Grant; party will be
guilty of more timidity, insincerity
misrepresentation and "dodgingp than
has ever been known in the history of
our political parties. s- r. y no4
Definite and distinct charges have
been made against the decentralization,
and new and important reforms have
been urged. The charges are received
with an affectation of indifference,
and the movements for reform are
/ treated will contempt. The policy
of the admiration is one of evasion OF
every question in which the people are
! interested. $50 7t,.-,.E es,,,,F. M
/ 1t is a policy W hich seeks to estab-
lish victory upon rthe records sof the
past, and not upon the duties of the
present nor the. grand opportunities
/ of the future. Grant and his friends
are celebrating TO this day the sup
preston OF the rebellion. They tell
US of the. capture of Vicksburg, the
battles of Gettysburg and Chattanoo-
gar and the surrender of Appomattox
! Courthouse. These were itriumshs
for our brave soldiers long to be re-
membered; but what they have TO dc
with the one-term amendment, civil
service reform, the suppression OF
revenue abuse, the reduction of taxa
| tion, is impossible for us to discover.
1t is not all to Grants glory that the
American people maintained the
| nnInn MANY nj ho l.
names are resplendent. for military
and civil services during that memo
rable struggle now iHlpeaaA him for
his infidelity to the nation after he as
sumed new duties, for which, he is
notoriously untitled, The radical re-
publicans, who are now among the
national reformers7-the men who adj
yocated principles which Grant even
during the war repudiated ;ythe gen
erals and many brave, soldier who
now, ask no reward fromtheir country,
the pioneers of free thought and free
action are all opposed to Grant. 1T Is
! not Tor him, who was but of many, to
monOpoiiZe the fame which properly
belongs TO the whole people, nor to
claim that the usefulness as a CON-
mander, which we eencede him, is to
excuse or palliate his assaults on the
/ Constitution, his Writ ual complicity oil
official corruption, and his anpardon-
able attempts to supersede q free gov
ernment by the spirit of military
dictatorship. The rebellion ended
seven years ago. The. Southern peo-
| pie have long ago accepted the ineyit-
able result. The north leans towards
the South with fraternal feeling, and
all true Americans long for aD era of
amnesty and good will, in which all
States shall unite to advance the gran
deur and power of our common
country. The rebellion is no longer
question for Presidential campaign.
To make it so, as Grants organs are
trying to make it, is an insult to the
American nation. The people call for
reform" and they are answered by
sc Vicksburg." They Insist on civil
| service bill, and are reminded that
Mr.. Lincoln proclaimed emancipation.
| They demand that Grant shall not use
the influence of q hundred thousand
office-helders to re-elect himself pres
ident and are told that in 1862 he cap
tured Fort Donaldson. =
But the people do not want presi-
dent of the pasta president whose
sole merit is that he was successful
soldier, and reaped the bloody har-
vest which by other soldiers had been
sown; a president who owed civil
honors entirely to a political necessity,
and who was elected for temporary
purpose, long since fulfilled, and who,
when nominated by the republican
party, pledged himself to a policy to
which he is now a renegade and the
arch-apostate,p 90 9ii3 sa4fisfssR 40
What the people do want Is a can
vass which shall result in q forward
step of civilization. Theyi want pro-
gress. Were it not for Grants in
domitable purpose to be reelected at
any cost, the Cincinnati convention
would not have been heard Of His
course made it compulsory. What
the republican party expected In 1872
was a convention opeB to the people;
one to which they would freely send
their delegates and wherein deiibera-
tioB and final choice would be- posi-
bic. Instead of this they find the
Philadelphia convention the personal
tool of one man; a. congregation of
office e-hoiders, who viii, with slave-
like readiness, obey the mandates of.
the chief Off ce-holder.of the country.
They know that they have no Cpart or
share in any sdelibefation.9 Who at-g
taches any Importance TO the Phlla-i
delphia convention2 No one Not
only is it decreeil, but it is shameless
ly announced, that no candidate but
Grant will be permitted to be named
for the Presidency; Hardly can it be
said that it will meet, for it has already
met. 1t met ihethei White House, and
in every custom-house,0 revenue office
and sinecure from which Grants de-
pendehts derive their subsistence. 1t
is not a representation of popular
opinion, but simply, q formal matter of
routine ASS national convention it
is farce hzm guy 19jlRq-iifY5 rsd
r9i z2-al.E1-L 1-L--ass.-.-a IL Il ----4og ssal,
A curious reminiscencG of Revolu--
tionary times has been brought 10