Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-03-14
GRAxrm 1sss AND GRANT In lszs.

THURSDAY E0RE5Ns. HABcH IA, 1872
GRAKFM Isss AND GRANT In Iszs.
We have heard It ssid a thousand
lines. that the defeat Of the Demo
cratic party in 1865 was eccasioned by
the Encouragement Of Its leaders.
The election Of Grant cannot be sttri-
bated to the fact that the South sent
her representative men TO the New
York convention. The defeat OF 1.-THE
Democratic party in 1868 was as much
preordained as was General McClel-
Ian's in 1854, and would have hap
psned no matter who wss the candi-
date and what the platform. 1t was
zoo o The ashes OF war excite
ment were not cold. The delusion
about "conquering heroes" had not
been dissipated. The mass Of the
people believed in Grant. Even
the South found consolation in
the hope, if not the faith, that
he TO whom their great Chief sur
rendered would give them as generous
terms as he had received. General
Lee himself had shared their faith,
and had written-the letter Is in
print: General Grant possesses mag
nanimity as well as sbilityl" In 1868
no candidate could hsvedeieated him,
and it has always seemed to Us that
the contrary assumption does great
injustice to the leaders Of that fOrlorn
hope. There was need for four years Of
misruh and disappointment, and
these the country has had. Be all this
as it may, it vas certainly not the
presence OF the South that did the
harm, and the precedent has nc force.
Ia accepting the nomination, General
Grant raised the banner Of "peace."
Il was believed, in both the
North and the South, that Grant
was 8 generous soldier, and having
contributed much towards ~conquering
a brave and honorable foe, he would
Lift himself above the mad passions
born in wal and stand firmly on the
great basis Of amnesty and peace, in
in the broadest sense, and thus unite
an estranged people in the bonds of
affection and brotherly love. But an
experiment Of four years has dispelled
the delusion. Instead Of extinguish-
ing the fires OF hate Grant has added
fuel to the flames. The antagonism
between the sections is wider today
than ii was on the 4th Of March, 1868.
InsteOd Of displaying the noble attri-
butes of g magnsnimous conquer :
Grant has developed all the instincts :
Of a petty tyrant. The usurpations
Of his plundeEing thieves have made
the South a veritable hell on earth. |
The Radical party has had control I
Of the Southern States, and is respOn- S
sible for their financial condition. In =
1861 the aggregate Indebtedness of {
these States was S76,415,890. In 1871 o
The liabilities Of the reconstructed F
States" had been increased to $751; S
O16-mOre than So, oO0,O 600 in ex. d
,ess OF the indebtedness Of all the Il
Wenty-seven other States. The war O.
lebt Of the South, having been repu-
by order of the government,
las Of course nothing to do with the
inormous increase between 1861
nd 1871. 1t is wholly due to the h
arpet-bag and negro State gov
.rnments forced upon the South al
m people by Grants parti-
ans since the process Of reconstruc- b.
was entered upon. The President Il
Iss pensiOned his poor kin upon the
'ublic treasury, taken gifts from Office 81
eekers while his adm ~Ristration is d
Oathed for lis cOrruptions and demon
lization. For vile party purposes az
be South has been punished with
re, fsggot and the sword, and all the @
atanic deviltry that the ingenuity Of u
avages could suggest. Every thing "
rs been done TO make the South I'M 81
lbsbitable; to set her people at each Ie
theirs threats; to keep alive and ST
Give the spirit Of luminosity and dis
lrd; to drive approaching peace from M
er borders, and to envelope all with ~
breath of cslumny like a con.
lgion. And wherefore all this? tn
7hy this remorseless policy ofsanger, su
.uelty and crime? Bad indeed must ed
the cause, and bad indeed
is. What Is it but that these = 20
IsligDaut ministers Of Radicalism, cel
? this cowardly and ~atrOcious means,
nked with all the appliances of Re
arbitrary power which from an
ng experience they know 80 well ~
Nv to use, hope not only to keep :
cir party from annihiletion, but to or
stem it permanently upon the str
merican people? The whole thing fri
q desperate and dangerous device, "a.
intolersble usurpation, and it
srits universal e~xecration. With bs,
oh a picture staring the country in da,
e face, Grants defeat in 1872, is as thi
uch preordsiued as was his triumph 2
1893. I'm