The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1872-10-17
THE GKANDMsT POLITICAL LES.
SON OF THE HOUR,


TaE GKANDAsT POLITICAL LES.
SON OF THE HOUR.
Within the past year certain ambi-
tious men leagncd themselves together
to disrupt and destroy the Republican
party. They were so corrupt and de-
void of principle as to be willing. for
shcpnrpose of cfiecting their object, to
hand the Government over into the
hands of the old Democratic party
that party OF which at least one half is
made up of the men who, eight years
ago, were i'll open rebellion to destroy
the Nation; that party which Horace
Greeley. in his own words. only FOUR.
teen months ago, fifty described, MS
well as its aims, in explaining his po-
sition:
The personal views of Mr.. Greeley
are exactly these: He favors the one
term principle.and believes that anoth-
Republican candidate for President
can be selected who will encounter
less opposition and win more support
than General Grant: and he therefore
advocates such selection. Bnt should
las ricrs be occr3a,led and Gen. Grant
nominated. he holds his election iafa-
sseiy preferable 10 that Of am candi-
date rbom The Democrats moY aoni-
nate, for Democratic triumph in
wolves the return 30 power of the
great mass ofthose who for wears blot
1T length forced the Southern States
into secession and rebellion contrary
TO the wishes. and the Judgment of a
Decided majority Of the pcople."-N.
Z. T'fb,ae. Aug. Is, ISL.
OF the strong men who ATTEMPTED
this despicable job we mention Chas.
Summer, Reuben Fenton. LYMAN
Irumbull. Carl scinrz. Horace Gree
ley, N. 7. Banks. Horace White of the
Chicago Tribune, Halstead of the Gin
cinnati Commercial and Bowlcs Of the
Mass. Republican.
These men formed this conspiracy
and went out of the party, just as has
been the case i'll years gone by, in SIM
lar attempts to break up the party.
Not one Of them had any reason for
his apostasy. except unhallowed ambi-
ton or revenge. Chas. Sumner fell
ont with Grant because he could not
III the most arrogant manner. have his
own way in the foreign affairs of the
Nation. he pressed his dictatorship
in this regard so that ii was found to
be Imperative that he should be re-
moved from the chairmanship of the
Committee of Foreign Affairs in the
Senate. Boiling with rage ever since,
he has sought only revenge, and in so
doing lie has done no damage to the
object Of his hate, but has only most
wofully ruined his own great name.
Greeley and Tfumbull both had the
Presidential mania so badly that they
were willing TO slug any song. or play
the weather-cock to any extent in fur
thcrance of their burning DESIRES
Fenton and Schurz had not had the
run OF patronage TO suit them, and
Schuiz-naturaliy revolutionary and
ambitious-thought hc had risen to
that eminence that he could obtain
of the Republican party what he de-
sired, by threatening to carry off in his
vest pockets the German vote of the
country. if his wishes were not COM
piled with.
The two 1rlbunes, the Commercial
and the Republican thought they had
votes enough in hand to dictate to the
party what it should do and what it
should notdo, and having grown pomp-
Gus and proud as well as rich, they
struck out 10 show their power. Banks
never forgot Grants recommending
his removal from command during the
war for Incompetence. and feeling that
as leader in the party he had lost
prestige, he went Off in hopes of bet
icring his condition.
But the grand lesson taught by the
elections IS. that these giants in intel
lect and craftsmanship are pigmies,
when they undertake to run counter to
the almost universally expressed will
of the great Republican party: that as
long as our great men walk circum-
specify in accordance with the will
and intelligence OF the party they are
honored and respected, but when they
undertake 10 turn the tide of public
opinion, they amount to no more than
any other man, and very little if any
more weight These gentlemen, if
they must and will, will only be left |
behind in the march of progress by
the party. and arc only serviceable for
the future TO point oui to others the
danger OF such a cosfse--as sort of |
guidc-boards to warn others OF the pit |
into which they fell.
This is the most cheering sign that |
we behold for the perpetuity Of right |
in the land, showing that |
it is the people who control andtthat
no set of men can lead them astIay.