Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-06-20
GREELEY Or GRANT.

The Nation, a very able Republican
Journal, manifested previous to the CinCin-
natl Convention very decided opposition
to Gen. Grants reelection and desire to
have Mr.. adams nominated as the candi-
date of the opposition to Grant. As be-
tween Greeley and Grant, the Nation de-
sires the success of Grant. The New York
World, the leading Democratic paper that
opposes Mr.. Greeley before the Baltimore
Convention, says in regard to this strange
position taken by the Nation:
"If the election of Grant or Of Greeley
were a simple matter of putting either a
horse jockey or an 'old white hat into the
White House, it might be possible to ex-
plain this advice Of the Nation as an appli-
cation Of Hamlet's argument against sui
eide, that it is better to bear the ills we have
than fly to others that we know not of. But
the Nation surely needs not to be told that
the Presidential Office is now become the
pivot Of great system Of official and fnan-
cid corruption, and that a vote
given for Grant is a vote given
not only for the perpetuation Of
the Radical Rings at the North and at the
South but for their development and extern
sion. The Nation persuades itself that the
reelection Of Grant would at all events
save us from "a general redistribution Of
Offices and from Financial disturbance"
No possible redistribution of Offices
could put larger proportion Of rogues and
incompetent persons into power than are
now active all the country over to secure
the reelection Of their patron; and
there neither is 10 be found in
the Cincinnati platform, nor is
there is to be feared in any platform likely
to be adopted at Baltimore, anything what
ever which need threaten the country with
a financial disturbance. If Gen. Grant
had established financial policy a change
Of that policy might in some given circum
ssances lead to financial disturbance. But
Gen. Grant has established no financial pol
icy. He has merely acquiesced in BOutwell's
simple and clumsy practice-it cannot be
called policy-of suborning ignorant Con-
gressiOnsl legislation to the end of enabling
him to extract the largest possible sums
from the country, aud to buy up there
with the national obligations at the highest
possible rates. No change in this practice
can be looked for except through the action
Of the national legislature, and the Nation,
we suspect, will agree with US that any
change in this practice which is likely to be
effected through the national legislature !
will be much less likely than the practice
itself TO lead us on to financial distur-
bance.'
"BUt if we are at q loss to understand |
how honest and Clear-headed Republicans
who recognize the perils and scandals Of
Grantism can conceive of giving their
votes in any other event to Grant, we are |
still more at a loss to understand how any |
Democrat who can conceive of such a |
course can be either honest o. clear-headed. |
The administration of Gen. Grant from the |
Democratic point Of view is simply what |
John Wesley described slavery as being
'the! sum Of villainies.' 1t is the absolute |
negstion Of all Democratic principles. 1t is |
the assertion Of brute power unbridled by
law, of sectional passion uncontrolled by |
justice, of party bigotry unchastened by
patriotism, Of personal greed without shame,
Of deliberate corruption, and Of systematic |
oppression. Gen. Grant himself has been |
proved by his own acts and words to be ut
terly ignorant and utterly reckless Of the con-
stitutional principles on which alone the /
American government can be safely admin |
istered. His personal habits, his tastes his pur-
suits are IS coarse and discreditable as his
civil capacity is mean and contemplate. But /
these are not the most formidable Objec-
tons TO him. To vote for Gen. Grant is to
indorse bayonets at the polls and thieves in
the Treasury, military despotism at the
South and Ring robbers at the North, scan
dals in our home affairs, and shame In our
foreign policy In no conceivable con-
iuneture of circumstances can any Demo-
crat whose Democracy is q conviction and
not a cloak consent to this thing. The
worst Of all possible nominations BY ms
own party can leave him no other option
than abstinence from the polls. In such
case most truly they also serve who only
stand and wait. /"