The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-07-31

any IuliS eau De mat II General Grant is re-
elected there will be no general sweep of
offices. The civil service will remain in the
present hands mot in good hands it is true,
IN all cases. but better than any INTO which
Mr.. Greeley is likely to give it. The Adj
ministration, at least, is not Tammany-Re-
publican. And the mere fact of general
dismissal of oflice-holders, involving as it
does the change in employment of hun
dred thousand people, and revolution in
the domestic life of many thousand fami-
lies, is no small thing. This revolution will
be entirely avoided ii Gen. Grant comes in
for a, second term. But emitting this
consideration altogether, there is every rea-
son to believe that Mr.. Greeley's appoint
ments would be worse than General
Grants have ever been. General Grant at
least tried, when he came into office, to
improve the civil service. Mr.. Greeley
does not know how to try. To improve
the character of civil service it is -neces-
sary to select men of better character for
the evil service and to do this it is neces-
sary to have knowledge and appreciation OF
character. Nowiit is painfully well known
that Mr.. Greeley's knowledgs of character
is of the smallest. Of this we want no
better evidence than the fact that he is al
lowing himself in the present campaign to
be managed by such men as George Sand
ers, his guest at Chappaqua, and John
Cochrane. }iH 4.'N 7i -
sin the second place our foreign relations
are likely to be far worse managed in Mr..
Greeley's hands than in General Grants.
Certain mistakes which have been commit
ted are not likely to be repeated. But
with Mr.. Greeley the case is quite differ
ent. lie is very ignorant of foreign affairs
filled with the pernicious idea that it is the
first business of Republican governments
to foster the growth of Republican senti-
ments in other countries, without regard to
their tradition OF present condition and,
further than this, he is a total stranger to
the European code of civilized intercourse
between the representatives of nations. Mr..
Greeley does not believe in and has con-
tempt for the dignity and urbanity Of de-
meanor which Is as necessary for peace
among nations as among individuals. To
put the matter plainly, General Grant has
some sense of decency in manners. Mr..
Greeley has none. Aas
q 'ln the third place, there is every reason
TO expect the most serious financial dis
'turbances if Mr.. Greeley is elected. We
do not refer to the question Of protection,
though the advent to power of man who
actually advised the Liberal Republicans
not to nominate him on the ground that he
was a "feroclous protectionist' is alarming
enough. But there is another point on
winch Mr.. Greeley is understood to hold
views of the most extraordinary character,
which, if he should carry them into execu-
ton, would involve the country in fright
ful crash. The Tribune (and this, too, was
before Mr.. Greeley Withdrew from III has
continually and persistently put orth the
idea that the only thing necessary to bring
about resumption of specie payments is
to post notice on the Treasury doors an
nouncing that on a certain day specie
payments shall be resumed, and pres
to, the thing is done. The gold
with which to perform this amazing
feat is what the Tribune calls the ''surplus"
gold. But everybody knows that this sur
plus gold is only q balance, which is no
real surplus, but comes into the Treasury
one day and goes out the next. 1t would
be no joke to resume specie payments in
this way. The immediate effect OF it would
be financial panic from all changes of
this kind we are likely to be exempt if Gen.
eral Grant remains in office. Indeed, If the
administration will only let gold alone, and
neither contract nor expand. in short, do
just what General Grants administration
has been doing, the elacty of trade and
the increase of population alone will bring
gold to par, just as it has been brought
from 300 to H.. .f'H'a = aai.fpa fa4
"In reply to all this it is said: But we
know what the defects of Grants admins
tration has been Greeley's administration
has not been tried, and he may be BETTER.
Now, the fact is that General Grant has
been in office for four years, while Mr..
Greeley has been discussing politics
in pretty open manner for forty years un-
der our eyes here in New York. If we
don't know him no one does" yn II.