New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-07-18


quite as many defeats as successes, and when
our country was beginning to doubt of her
ultimate success, General Grant was sum
moned to the supreme command Of oul
armies. His policy of persistence con
tinuing to hew his way on the same line,
though it should take all summer long to
| reach victOry-was much censured by Gen
eral Cluseret and other distinguished military
men. Nevertheless, it preyaied-hc won
the final battle. General Lee surrendered,
and our divided nation again became one.
by the way, the charge of General Grant
severity toward the South is very unjust.
The easy terms ON which he allowed Lee to
surrender, prove the kindness and @encr-
oslty OF his heart toward the South. | said
that he serves us well in time of peace also.
lie preserves us In amity with all nations.
lie pursues a friendly and peaceful policy
toward the poor misguided Indian; and,
though ku-kluXsm is still countenanced by
the still prO-slavery and still negro-hating
spirit OF the Democratic party, he is fast
overcoming it, and bringing its crimes to an
end. The vast debt, which the slavery and
DemOcracy-pr0mptcd war brought upon the
nation, is fast disappearing under General
Grants Presidency, and this too while our
taxes are rapidly diminishing.
But 1t is said that President Grant should
retire at the end OF his term, and give place
to another. Common sense, however, ar
CUES that his having been good President
once Is strong reason why he should DO
President twice. Thus did common sense
argue, when it reelected Washington, the
first savior of his country. Thus did it ar
que, when it reelected Lincoln the second
savior OF his country; and thus does it now
argue when it is about to re-elect Grant the
third savior of his country.
Ii Is said tp1 that proSiIan (,r,nt hoe
made mistakes. In beautifully modest terms
does he himself confess it and hope to learn
from experience. All men make mistakes.
Not even Presidents are exempted from the
aphorlsm that "tO err is human.'' Some of
his appointments have turned out badly. So
was 1t with larger proportion of the appoint
ments OF part, if not, indeed of all his pre-
decessors. One thing more--all the efforts
(and they have been as malignant as inces-
sanD of President Grants enemies to charge
him with money-making motives or with any
other corrupt motives in his appointments,
have signally failed. But he has given office
to his relatives. Yes, it is true that of the
scores of thousands Of offices in the gift of the
Administration, some half dozen or a dozen
have gone to his relatives. He has even al
lowed his old father to continue to be what
previous President made him, postmaster of
little town in Kentucky. If President
Grant has given offices to relatives simply
because they were his relatives, he has done
wrong. But it it were mainly because being
his relatives he could Judge better of their
qualifications, then, surely, no great blame
should attach to him in this matter.
Another charge against the President is
that during his Presidency he has accepted
presents. The charge is mtrue-thoueh, in
saying so do not admit that there would ne
cessarlly have been moral wrong in his ac-
cepting them. 1t is true presents were made
10 nm as well as to other successful Generals
to express the gratitude and admiration of
those who made them; and it is also true
that to single him out for blame in the case
proves that General Grant is basely perse-
cuted man. No other General is complained
OF Tor doing what he did and in the case Of
no other General held to be other than en-
tlrely innocent and proper
What, however, shall we do with Mr.. Sum-
ner's speech against President Grant? We
cannot make light of it and toss it aside for
Mr.. Summer is, at once, both great and good
man. No one has spoken more frequently or
more powerfully for his country and especially
Tor the cOlOred race. He lives to-day i'm the
true American heart and many generations
will pass away before his honored and be-
loved name shall be forgotten. How shall
we account for it that such man should dis
like President Grant, whom we should all
thank and love and honor, and dislike him
more than any other man dislikes him?
Some say he Is impelled by revenge for not be-
ing put again in the Committee on Foreign
Relations. This is not true-for, long before
that, he had revealed to myself and doubtless
to others also, his intense dislike of the Pres-
dent. May we not look for the origin (not
the eXtent) OF this intense dislike to the diff
1erent tastes and habits of the two men
Mr. sumner was born in atlluencc and bred
III elegance. He was moulded in some of the
best schools of America and Europe, and by
intercourse with some of the most cultured
minds III both, he became one of the most
accomplished of orators and statesmen.
PRESIDENT Grant, on the contrary, was
poor boy and laboring man. 1t is true
that for this Mr.. Sumner would not desnise
nor, at all, undervalue him. Nevertheless.
and Notwithstanding the great intellectual
power manifested by the President, Mr..
Sumner would be one of the last men to see
In hun illness for craftsmanship or for the
Presidency. Hence, Mr.. Sumner, instead of
interpreting the President in favorable lights
and with generous spirit, has been more
disposed to follow his steps with criticism
and censure. This has become such habit
with him, that now, at last, we see him, as
in this bitter speech, hunting for occasions
dSoiioo tiIC iCSlucllG where MS canuOr and
dignity should not have allowed him to hunt
for them, and finding them where only his
disordered vision could find Them
MIR. Summer speaks of President Grants
insult to Frederick Douglass, and through
him to the colored race. The insult exists
but in Mr.. Summers imagination. Certain it
is that MIR. Douglass is insensble of it, for he
is still the accomplishing and warm friend of
the President. Mr.. Sumner says that the
President, in inviting the San Domingo Com
mlssioners to dine with him, forgot Mr.
Douglass. But Mr.. Douglass, though Mr..
Sumner speaks of him as one of the Commits
sioners, was not one of them, Like General
Sigel, he had served the. Commission i'm the
capacity OF assistant Secretary, and like him,
he was not with the Commissioners (Senator
Wade, DR.. Howe, and President Whte)
when they called informally" upon the
President and were informally invited to
dine with him.
l will speak of but one other uniustifiable
attempt on the part of Mr.. Sumner to depre-
clate the President. He says that MIR. Stan
ton, our eminent War Secretary, exclaimed:
'he president Grant, cannot govern this
country" Doubtless Mr.. Stanton said this.
for Mr.. Sumner is man of truth But who
was Mr.. Stanton when he said it pa divine
man-''his hands," as Mr.. Sumner saws,
ALREADY clammy cold" Very unjust was
it Mr. SImnpr fn cnpa,t ,,,I