The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-08-10
Judge Blacks Letter.
THE POLITICAL SITUATION


The Negroes COrraIied aud Driver
to the PsllS-The Duty Of the De
mocraey.
To William II. Welsh. Esp Editor 0
the Baltimore Gazette:
Ny DEAR Sri promised the gen
tleman who delivered your letter that
would answer it fully and as soon as
could consistently with other engage
ments. am fulfilling that promise
If | take more time and space thar
might be expected, you will please t
remember that | and great many
other Democrats are in position which
requires something more than mere
definition. We cannot avoid miscon
struc,ion without furnishing rather
full explanation.
| admit that the next President mus
be Grant or Greeley. The circumstan.
ces of thu political situation limit oul
choice to these two men, as strictly a:
liz nobody else were legally eligible
We must weigh them against one
another, and, like practical men, decide
the case before us in favor Of the CeSt
Even if we find no good i'll either Of
them, we must take that one who shall
appear to be least bad.
1t is undeuiable that the leading
measures Of this Administration are
not only unconstitutional, but anticon-
stitutional, showing not merely con-
tenn ptuous indifference to constitutional
obligations, but q settled hostility to
those rights Of the States aud those
liberties of the people which the Or
ganlc law was made to secure. The
Presidents appointment Of officers and
his general exercise Of public authority
under the influence OF men who paid
him large sums of money, are scandal
GU. outrages, and the effort to defend
them has combined, with other like
causes, to extinguish among his subor-
dinates all respect for those rules OF
morality which used to be held sacred
When we consider what these men have
done in the North, and add to it the
large-handed robberies perpetrated in
the South by the retainers of the
President, with his direct aid
and assistance. we are compelled
to acknowledge that no other
government now in the world
| is administered SO entirely for
personal and partisan purposes, or in
such complete disregard for the rights
and interests of the general public.
This decentralization is not confined to
the Executive branch, the tide of cor
ruption rolls in upon the Legislature,
and in some places it has risen high
enough to touch the feet OF the Judi
ciary. Even the rank and file Of the
Presidents party nave become de-
bauched. let us hope not altogether, but
certainly in fearful degree. Acts
which in former times a hardened Grim
inal would hesitate to whisper in the
ear of his accomplce can now be openly
advocated by political leader, not only
with safety, but with tolerable chance
of being sustained by sort OF public
opinion. That love Of liberty and jus
tice which used to pervade the who.e
community now "reneges all temper,
and Yields without resistance to the
unprincipled demagogues who would
enthrone fraud.
"Make the hoar leprosy adorea; place
And give them title, knee and appreciation
| With Senators on the BENCH
If General Grant had been equal in
mind and heart to the exigencies OF the
times, he could easily have made him
self a great public benefactor. He
might have purified official and polti-
cal morals by simply setting the ex-
ample in his own person Of clean
handed devotion to duty. His own
obedience to the laws would have re-
stored them TO universal supremacy.
All the objects Of the Constitution as
recited in the preamble would have
been accomplished but for the obstruc>
tons with which he himself impeded
them. Unfortunately the interests Of
certain rings were in the conflict with
the interests Of the country, and they
by large presents, seduced him into
their service. The public contracted
to give him the salary which his pre-
decessors had been content with 1.-The
rings offered him more; he accepted
their bounty, fell over to them, and took
the Government into his hands as "a
Black Republican job"
Now, as to Greeley. 1t cannot be
pretended that his political life is very
symmetrical. He was in the ranks OF
the radical ,Abohtionists for good
many years. That is bad; for such
associations would have a natural ten.
dency to debsse him. Butwe must mol
forget that, though he was pitt them
he was not always Of them. He refused
to be a parts ker in their worst iniqui.
ties; he had none OF their diabolica
hatred for the Constitution; he did moi
lend his lips to their ribald blasphemies
and his feet were never swift in running
to shed Innocent blood. Before the
great conflict began. his opposition tc
the designs of the Abolitiouists agsins
the Federal and State Governments
impelled him to the opposite heresy o
the secessionists. Like the Roman father
who killed his daughter to save bel
from q worse fate, he chose to destro!
the Government, rather than see it dis
honored and violated by lswless force
When the war was fragrant, he pro-
voked the EXTREMIST rage OF his asso-
ciates by exerting himself for peace
which would have left all the people il
possession OF their constitutional liber
ties. After the close of the contest, h
, was the advocate Of regular and legal
+. as well as honest government Tor al
= psrts Of the. country, have goot
! authority for saying that he never CAV
his approval to any form of kidnap
ping, or murder, by military commits
sion. In shert,. although he did joil
the Abolitionists in their devils dance,