The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-02-09
The Presidential Canvass.
From tho N. Y. Times.

bers of the Republican party. Some
very influential papers are evidently de-
termined to break down Gen. Grant by
hook or by crook-and not only to dis
pose OF him, but to crush any journal
or man who has the audacity to say
word in his favor. II you suggest that
it i, wrong to call the President cor
rupt man, since there is no evidence
whatever 10 support the charge, you are
instantly denounced as friend of cor
ruption yourself, and asked how much
the President has paid you to support
him. If you criticise the Presidents
assailants, you are told that you are per-
scouting the Lords Amounted, and
have no longer any right TO hold up
your head among decent men. All
sorts of disappointed office-seekers come
out with atiidavits to prove that every
man is "a rogue who believes that the
President has not been guilty of dis
honorable action. To call public
journal ian Administration paper" is
deemed enough to brand it with ever
lasting intamy-as if there were no
crime greater than that of endeav-
oring to keep up the credit and
and abroad. Committees of investiga-
ton, which ought to be regarded as
working solely for the public good, are
eagerly used as weapons in a fight of
factions. 1t is assumed that their only
usefulness consists in the help they
afford to "disgrace Grant" Upon this
supreme object the energies of the Tri.
bune and some other journals are now
daily bent. Mr.. Greeley is understood
to have declared that even if Grant is
renominated, he will oppose him to the
last. And SO it is with few other well
known public men. The indications,
then, are that we shall have canvass
of intense tierceness and acrimony.
1t is as well for people who happen
TO think we'll Of Gen. Grant to make up
their minds to face all this, because it
will sometimes save them from getting
out of temper about trfles. 1t is of no
use going into long fight in an irrita-
BILE state of mind such as Gen. Grants
enemies are showing on every side of
us. If people get angry now, what sort
of condition will they be in about Octo-
Der next? There are yet about ten
months of the fighting before us, dur
ing which, no doubt, many hard blows
will be given and received on both sides.
We venture to advise the friends of the
President to take their share of the
punishment with patience and good
humor. There is plenty OF time to get
into a passion. 1t sounds, Of course,
little queer to be told that man like
Carl Schurz, who brings the most scan
II he
dent, must be held sacred from criti-
cism. But what does it matter? All
these things come out right in the long
run. There Is no overestimating the
common sense and spirit of justice
which characterize the great body of the
people. The politicians in the arena
may raise a tremendous cloud of dust,
and give each other very ugly knocks,
some fair and some foul but the public
scarcely condescend to look on, and
will settle their affairs in their own way
at the proper time. We incline 10 the
old fashioned theory that their opinion
will decide, and ought to decide, all the
contested issues, and that the :" boilers"
and soreheads" will do no good for
themselves and no harm to anybody
else.
Some months ago, in referring to this
subject, we said that if IL better man for
the Presidency than Gen. Grant could
be found, he ought to be brought out,
and that he would doubtless be elected.
This opinion is most probably shared by
Gen. Grant himself-he did not seek his
present office in the first place, and it is
not at all likely that he will make any
effort to hold it. But down to the
present moment, we have not heard of
more promising candidate. Many
men have been named" but they are
not the men who are likely to be pre-
ferred to Gen. Grant. Mr.. Greeley's
q" claims" are not generally regarded
with much favor he is a great journal
ist, but a miserably poor politician. In
the Presidents office he would be likely
TO make as m oh havoc as the tradi.
tional bull in the China shop. Mr..
Greeley is the most prominent outside
candidate yet named on the Republi
can side-for that great and injured
man, Carl Schurz, is unluckily ineligi-
bic, owing to a defect in the Constitu-
ton which the World kindly proposes
to rectity. 1t seems TO us generally as
sumed that the time has not arrived
when the country can with safety be
turned over to the Democrats. They
had the greatest city in the Union to
manage, and the mode in which they
exhibited their plan of government is
too well known to need much descrip-
ton. People are not prepared to see
the Democratic system Of Government
in New York extended 10 the whole
country, and line of " Bosses" in.
stalled in the White House. There can
be no doubt that the Democrats are at
this moment largely assisted by the dis
sensions of the Republicans. The arti-
cles against the Administration in
Democratic papers are very watery
things compared with the articles in the
Tribune, Springfield Republican, and
some other papers. But Republicans
will. perhaps, grow tired in time of
manufacturing ammunition for Demo.
cratic guns and if they do not, it will
signifies very little, because we have al
ways the people to fall back upon.
Much Importance may be attached by
some to the fact that so old Republi-
can as Mr. Greeley should decide against