The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-11-04
GREELEY Oh GRANT.

The political campaign that terml'
mates with the Presidential election to-
morrow. has been, in many respects
remarkable. The Republican party,
emboldened by long series OF sue
cesses, having held the reIns OF the
Federal government during twelve sue
sessive years, has grown. during each
year more and more corrupt, and during
each year has made more and more en-
croachments upon those reserved rights
Of the States which have always been
considered the safest guarantees Of pop
ular liberty. During all these years
the general tendency OF all political leg
islatiou has been towards centrallzlng
the power of the government, or, In
other words, making the Federal
power supreme in all thiHgs At
the same time, this grave depart
ure from the principles laid down
by the founders OF the government and
embodied in the Constitution OF the
Uoired States has been attended oy
many circumstances that should give
the people warning. One by one the
foremost, ablest, and most prominent Of
the leaders OF the Republican party
have seen and condemned the encroach-
ments that were being made upon pop
ular rights and have called upon their
party to halt. The assumptions OF
President GRANT have, Of themselves,
been sufficient to aliena.e many OF his
former most enthusiastic supporters
His disregard o: law in a number Of
well Known instances his concentration
in himself of the war-mskIng and
treatv-making power OF the govern
ment a. evidenced in the San Domingo
affair his surrounding himself with
military "officers OF staff and
his conduct of affairs as though the
whole United States was a military
camp 10 time Of war; and, added 10 this,
his proverbial nepotism and the well
authenticated instances in which he
has accepted gifts in return for political
patronage; have all contributed to warn
the people that the administration OF
affairs cannot be safely confidrd to his
hands. A host OF Republicans, the
founders and statesmen OF the party
whose uames we cannot here enumerate'
have ranged themselves in opposition to
President GRANTS reelection. But
such was the power Of the Presidential
office that through his thousands
of place-holders all over the
country and through the influence
exerted BY the Treasury OF the United
States, he forced his party to renominate
him. The Republican Convention that
met at Philadelphia last summer had
no option in the matter. The people
did not desire GRANTS reelection the
honest portion Of the Republican party
protested against his denomination with
all the vigor they could put forth bat
the President desired it and by his own
power accomplished his end. :.
The Democratic party Of the nation,
the traditional defenders Of popular
rights, have struggled Intellectually, year
after year, during all the period OF Re-
publican ascen1ancy, to confne the
Federal authority within its coustitu-
tional limits. Year after year they
have been baffied and have, by
repeated disaster, at length learned
the truth that without calling to their
assistance those Republicans who OPP
posed the corruption and lawlessness Of
GRANTS administration they could not
hope for success. Prominent among
these was Horace GREELEY who, ever
since the close Of the late war, has been
lsboring in iavor'o reform and has been
earnest in his advocacy of amnesty
toward the Southern people and OF com
plete national reconciliation. The men.
ton of his name as the probable candi
date Tor the Presidency as against Gen
eral GRANT was hailed with. entbusi-
asm in the Southern States. The peo-
pie and press Of every State south of
Mason and D xon's line clamored
for the nomination Of Mr.. GREELEY
and hailed him., Notwithstanding
his lifelong opposition to their politi-
cal interests, and his having been in
the past one OF the most influential
leaders of the Republican party, as their
possible deliverer from the despotism
that 10 being fastened upon them, and
their saviour from the complete ruin
which the combined reign Of ignorance
and crime is dragging them to. The
Democratic National Convention at
Baltimore accordingly nominated Mr..
GRRRLsY for President, iu compliance
with the despairing cry Of the people OF
the Southern States. Harsssed almost
to death by the thieves who have been
preying upon them under the protection
of the Federal power, they appealed to
the Democrats Of the North to lay aside
their prejudices, unite with those Re-
publicsns who were opposed to GRANr's