Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-08-29
The Question to be Answered

Inc question to be Answered
The question now before the American
people is not whether the private char
dcter of General Grant is more worthy of
commentator than that of Horac, Gree
ley, or the morals of Henry Wilson better
than those of B. Gratz Brown, but
whether Grant and Wilson are better cal
culated, as the representatives of the Re-
publican party, to advance the interests of
the nation than Greeley and Brown as
the representatives of the Democratic par
ty. 1t matters little whether Greeley
goes with his pants, tucked in lis shoes
or Gratz Brown is addicted to strong
drink. We prefer to believe that, these
personal charges are exaggerated that
both Greeley and Brown are men of good
personal character, and practice the man.
ners which ought to prevail among n
political campaign should be taken with
great allowance. We know that the per-
sonal charges against Gen Grant are un-
true, and that both his character and the
character of Henry Wilson are above re.
proach; yet both have been slandered by
Democratic speakers and rebel organs. In
our opinion the question to be answered
Is not whether our candidates are per-
sonally better men than those OF the op-
position, but whether our cause is better
than theirs. If the campaign could be
conducted with tins simple question as a
text we should have less of that personal
bitterness which robs the victory of half
It's laurels and adds needless humiliation
to defeat.
We plant our standard on our platform !;
we point to the past record of our candi-
dates as the best evidence of what we
have right to expect in the future. The
public record of both Grant and Wilson
is without stain or blot General Grant
from the breaking out of the rebellion to
the present hour, has been before the peo-
pie. Not a single act reflects on his char
acter as private citizen, heroic soldier,
or wise statesman. Both in war and in
peace he has been tried, and not found
wanting. Henry Wilson has been tried
public servant for thirty years. AS the
practical reformer advocating the aboli-
ton of slavery, the elevation of the work
ing man, the cause of popular education,
and as the watchful guardian of liberty
and justice, he has few equals and no
superior Both Grant and Wilson are
firm believers in united, indissolubre
nationality. Their past record proves
this. What better pledge can we have for
the future?
THE DISCIPLE OF CALHOUN
Greeley has been and is noao believer
in that political heresy which has been
the fountain of all our troubles-the State
rights doctrine. Can his friends denv
this? If so we point them to his own
words in 1861, when he devoted column
after column of the Tribune to the sub
ject, and continued his labors in behalf
of Southern secessionists from time to
time during the progress of the rebellion.
In his American Conflict" he defends
the doctrine, showing that his original
views had undergone no change. In his
letter of acceptance he foreshadows the
same doctrine when he speaks of the
Federal subrersion Of the Internal polity Of
The seceral States" and the necessity of
leaving the State free TO enforce the rights
and promote the aoen-6eing Of its inhabitants
By such means as the judgments # its oaon
people shall prescribe" If his language in
the past. and his well digested views as
expressed to-day, fail to prove him dis
ciple of Calhoun, then there is no force in
language.
Do the American people want Presi
dent in the present state of affairs who be
lieves in the right of sccessions That is
the question to answer It is folly to say
that this State rights doctrine will never
recover from the blow it received from
the loyal millions 1t has recovered; it :