The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-07-09

That General Grant should have escaped
the numerous paraphrases of his laudation
without a single poisoned shaft from his
envenomed CULVER, was hardly to have been
expected by any one at all familiar with
the characteristic traits of Mr.. Greeley's
mind. 1t was naturally to be expected,
perhaps, that the great and preGminent
services of General Grant in crushing out
the rebellion, would have shielded him
from these assaults and aspersions, even
longer than they did; but they were sure
to come in the end, by a law which power
fully defects the compass Of Mr.. Greeley's
mind after it has held on to a single course
for any stated length of time. 1t is not the
iron mountain which lies in the way of Mr..
Greeley's progress that produces this de-
Election, but an inherent instability of pur-
pose in his own mind. lie plays ont on
points Of The political and moral compass.
This was true Of Fourierism, Phalansteri-
anism, Communityism, and other socialist
ic theories advocated by the Tribune as the
great reformatory measures of the age at
one time. He strongly advocated these
while his mind had the stability to grasp
them in the direction of social experiment.
Had experiment resulted in established laws
OF development and growth, his mind would
have undergone the same DETECTION as was
shown in the disastrous failure of principle
as applied to experiment in these reforms. 1t
is the law of Mr.. Greeley's mind, and not
the principle or experiment that governs.
AS Webster once said, in speaking ofminds
similarly constituted, there is both a
moral and intellectual screw loose in their
organic structure" And this accounts for
the singularly inconsistent record of Mr..
Greeley, not only on all public questions,
but with reference to the leading public
men of the country. 1t was really Mr..
Greeley-strangely perverse as the act may
now seem-who renominated General
Grant for the Presidency, and that only a
few months before the Cincinnati convention
was first talked of. He then said: .rI.a
GAS to the administration of General
Grant, | recognize no one as q Republican
who is not grateful for its judicious, sue
cessful and energetic efforts to procure the
ratification of the fifteenth amendment.
that keystone of our political arch, whereby
the fruits Of our great triumph over the
rebellion and slavery are assured and per-
petuated. "'
" While asserting the right of every Re-
publican to his untrammeled choice of a
candidate for next President until a nomi-
nation is made, | venture to suggest that
General Grant will be far better qualified
for that momentous trust in 1872 than he
was in 1868. Such, gentlemen, are the
ideas and convictions which have impellcd
me to take my place among you, and ac-
cept the responsibility which you have inn
posed upon me-" l. '
Can a man who is guilty of the enormous
disqualification which these two para
graphs from the Tribune (penned by Mr..
Greeley himself), and his acceptance of the
Cincinnati nomination both of necessity i'm
ply, be really an honest politician?
Again, take Mr.. Greeley's advocacy of a
stringent ku-klux act, urged upon the adj
ministration and Congress less than a year
ago, and contrast it with his attempt to
fasten all the odiousness of that measure
upon the nominee of the Philadelphia Con-
%yention, and then tell us if Mr.. Greeley
can be an honest politician. Mr.. Greeley
then said: . .
II hold our government bound by its
duty of protecting our citizens in their fun
damental rights to pass and enforce laws
for the eXtirpation of the execrable ku-klux
conspiracy; and if it has not the power to
do it, then | say our government is no gov
eminent, but a sham. |, therefore, on
every proper occasion, advocated and justi-
fed the ku-kluX act. | hold it especially
desirable for the South /; and if it does not
prove strong enough to effect its purpose,
| hope it will be made stronger and
stronger" E g.
Mr.. Greeley is now running, or expects
to run, for the Presidency, on a platform
which ~denounces this Ku-klux act as ''an
outrageous scheme TO enable Tie President 10
control The elections and perpetuate has po,cer
by martial laao." Now we further ask,
whether he is an honest politician? Can a
man thus emphatically denounce to-day
what he s%trenuously advocated yesterday,
and be honest in his political convictions ?
But We will not pursue this inquiry further
in this article. Unfortunately the record of
Mr.. Greeley, in whatever direction it may
be pushed, or with reference to whatever
subject it may be challenged, is one of
such enormous disqualification that there
is no answer to it. All that he or his friends
can do, is to enter a cognoU1 the moment
the charge of inconsistency and self-stultifi-
cation is preferred, and let public judgment
be passed accordingly. .- -s t
....r . - .
COMPULSORY EDUCATION.
d.. H. ~ a.