New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-08-09

when elected to the Presidency Hs sOio luea VI Wv
duties of his high station appears TO be concentrated III
making provision from the Public Treasury for MS I'M
mediate family and its connection and IN prosutul"s
The public patronage 10 securing denomination anu'
possible reelection forgetting, apparently th3t "o
his oillceholders might secure his TenOmlnauoh u"
people only have the power 10 recect him. Ills prVoe
ngs i'm this regard have been SO baretaced and sao
that it is only necessary TO point TO the removal VI ~
Hon. Moses H. Grinnell to silence those who womb gum
say the allegation. ,,ts
have already said that his shameful disregard oi n
solemn pledge, TO respect and abide by the ono -,
principle" is sufficient with me, ana sno"i
with tens OF thousands Of old Wings and nie-onN o.,
leans why should oppose his reflection pu' ,on
this his admitted ignorance of the duties OF NE III,
his shameful nepotism his prostitution OF INC P'n
patronage TO achieve that which. under ,no 49,, 80
stances 1t il infamy TO accept, together VI &, diel
tematie degradation OF his high POSITION "n" po,,h
cult to conceive how it is possible Tor tno e''''
ican party TO sustain him.
apASr SOCIALLY Considered
o'-NNi Of George Washington till the
-. ~ 60, CIT IN the Presidency believe II Is
. ,,ottor ~ history that Chief magistrate ever
occented OF an invitation to dine Out VI ' nv,
T,e nresent Chief Magistrate mas roioT"ou AZ 'nI7
win whom has he not dinedf Anu 30 universal Is INC
,o,b 1T home and abroad, of the manner in
ostuted the dignity OF his station, that
1870. c,,rrent all over Europe, may not be out OF
'' '' wien as is known the President Through igno
80 r ipadvertcnce no doubD neglected to invite the
a Duke of Russia 10 dine with him, or az the Rus
i saving u.s. ITO break bread with him. as an evidence
- friendship the Emperor and all st. Petersburg felt
outraeed And when subsequently, the President tole
graphed to the Grand Duke at ST. Louis to return and
dine with him. aud the Grand Duke elegraphed TO st.
Petersburg inquirng what he should do the answer
was decline peremptorily" or course, this was sub
iect of everyday discussion in st. Petersburg and on
one Of those occasions Russian gentleman who had
been at Washington quietly responded, iii our Alexis
had been the OF fast horse. or passably good
groOm doubtless Gen. Grant "ou'u nave in''ou "ui "
dinner"
The anecdote has currency all Europe, and Illus
trates the manner in which the dignity of the Presden
ta character has been sustained by the present lncum
bent of what we have taught 20 look upon as the
most exalted station on earth.
In regard Mr.. Greeley, am free to say that ne Is
not the man whom should have selected from all the
great and good men the United States to have headed
ticket pledged to Reform, and to the exposure andpun
ishment of corruption in the administration Of public
affairs And yet verify believe that with the people nc
popular and viii poll more votes than any other can
ddate who could have been named That he Is honest
is conceded all hands; and his eapaDilty admits Oh
no question. THE TRIBUNE is living evidence OF that
fact Ihave broken many lance with Greeley and his
isms n my day. and it is those sms which make so many
advocates Of Reform hesitate to give in their adhesion
10 the Cincinnati ticket But is 1t not fact that one
after another he has abandoned them ALL and under
circumstances creditable alike to his experience ana
commonsense no matter how late in life that quality
came to him.
MR.. GREELEY's MERITS AND CHANCES.
The simple truth is that Greeley, being seedueated
and selfmade like every OF that class have ever
known has, or rather had large amount Of vanity,
and like all the rest Of them, started in life believing
himself wiser than anybody else. Hence he allied him
self with ism after ism, honestly believing that he could
carry them to a successful termination. But wisdom
came with experience and gradually, but surely true
wisdom opened his eyes to the fact that he was not so
much wiser than all the rest Of mankind as he imagined
The consequence of this real knowledge the aban
donmen one after the other, Of all the isns and vaga
ries Of his early manhood; and now when approaching
threescore years, his knowledge, his wisdom, and his
experience have all increased and rpened into well
developed character in which there is far more to ad-
me and respect than in the editor of THE TRIBUNE some
fifteen years ago. Being By universal admission both
honest and capable and having, as believe, acquired
the experience which comes with matured wisdom,
and study, and much mixing with the world,
/ do not entertain doubt that elected
he will prove as able and as safe a President
as the most patriotic advocates Of reform could desire
believe too, that If there are politicians who think
that Greeley when elected, can be easily nodded to
their wishes they are destined TO be greatly dsap-
pointed. Right or wrong, he WILL If elected be Presi-
dent; and hemmed in he is on all sides, by public
life in which Ire fully committed upon all questions Of
national policy, he cannot 30 asray If he would aud
believe him honest entertain such desire He
is committed to the "Oneerm principle" and there
fore he have purpose but TO build mp for himself
the reputation of having faithfully served his country
and ably and honestly discharged the duties Of Chief
Magistrate. Above all, he has neither "a ridiculous
admiration of rich men, the desire Of getting riches
himself and family and the absence OF these petty
vices and is precisely what has become a
necessity in purifying the atmosphere of the White
House. Four years of faithful and patriotic admins
traion of the Office Of Chief MAGISTRATE and four years
Of such legislation Reform President should and
would insure could not fail TO give to the admins
traton of affairs impetus in the right direction
which quarter Of century Of corruption could not
overcome.
As to Mr.. Greeley's prospects of election, you can
Judge far better than T. at this distance from home.
One thing however, is 10 me selfeydent The Demo
cratic party If not demented, will, at Baltimore, nomi-
nate Greeley and Brown. And if they do, or If they
adjourn without making any nomination, Grant has no
more chance OF election than have. While II that
party third ticket, Grants reelection becomes
matter of certainty. Yours very truly
j. WATSON WEBB.
ST. LeOaardS oJ Sea- England, June %, 1872
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