Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-03-22
Eipht Years AGO

sen.tor Wilson alluded il his slecch al Great
Falls, y H, the other day, 10 the critical time
when General Grant, whose achievements ST
Mission Ridge and Lookout Mountain had male
him famous. WAS brought TO Washington to take
command Of the armies Of the country, leading
the army Of the P1t5msc through the wilderness,
Advancing step by ,tsp aal capturing oze
sitter another Of the hitherto improbable strong
ho!ds, until be received the surrender ot the re5-
el army at Appomattoz,-rireteen ba;tle1 be
hind him, auI all victories. This vas the time,
May, 1864. tha, General Grants zane vas first
seriously mentioned IN connection with the Pre-
sidency Military men who had been uutuccess-
full in the field. sentimeuta.ists tired Of Mr. Lin
coins plain sni practical wsys, politicians Ike
Mr. Greeley. vaose faith in the virtas q public
men is limitsi to one term, pisoa-luuters for
whom 10 places could be found, joined in the cry
against Mr. Lincoln's denomination. Grant,
with al the strength Of his nature absorbed in
the work be had undertaken, vas drawing bis
Inca closely aui Iitilestly around the sat re-
fuge Of rebellion; and al over the land meetings
were held for the purpose Of oderinE up grateful
Acknowledgements for bic services ca many p
battlefield, for glorious victories achieved, for
protection given under Providence TO the life Of
the nation. The dissenting Republicans and
others took this time for holding national con-
yCenton 81 Cleveland, for the purpose Of antici-
pA,ing and embarrassing, if possible, the Ia
tionsl Republican convention appointed 81 Balti-
more month later. Missouri, then As now,
took the lead. German delegations were pres
ent from twelve States Lucius Robinson, then
Controller Of New York, fent letter in which,
after Iudorsing the convention and declaring
thSl the administration bad failei Do e.. the Qusl-
tiles OF leadership, he added
81 hAye no hesitation in Saying that believe
The hopes Of the people throughout the country
are resting upon General Grant IS the candidate
lie has displayed 81 the qualities which give
all men confidence. He has shown himself pos
sessed Of great ability ami tkiii the most in
d5mitable courage Sui most unseiEsh devotion
to the cause Of bis country. Victory has at
tended him wherever he has gone In nv
Judgment We should let him who has won the
honors wear them; snl should entrust power
10 one who has shown that he knows nov 20
WELD it,"
Wendell Phiilps aiso wrote = letter from MAG
sachusetts, in which be said that the admins
trsti0n of Mr. Lincoln wss failure, because it
had weighed treasure, blood and civil liberty
against slavery, and up 10 thst moment had de-
cided to exhaust them all before using freedom
heartily means Of battle, and that II Mr.
Lincoln we're reelected he woull sti. pursue the
tame policy and obey the cabinet. He
closed by expressing his preference for
Fremont or Butler-Fremont being his
drst choice. And Fremont was romi-
nstei on much the s&me principle that
Mcclellan wss nominated by tho Democrats the
same year rs the beat avail able protest against
the method Of carrying on the wsr. Some Of
the German delegates we're particularly derCe in
their resentment against the administration, sud
in their speeches called the world 10 witness that
" they intended to overthrow it in spite Of Lin
coin and the Devil" Everybody remembers
how faint = ripple the Cleveland convention
made that year, and how soon the devices Of lie
managers were quite forgotten. When. few
months later, the nation was in mourning on &C
count Of the Presidents death, they, too, were
among his revilers who came, in the spirit Of
Punch's seli-Accusing m0nologue, to pay their
late but reverent homage at his grave:
Beside the corpse that bears Tor winding sheet
Inc stars and stripes be lived 70 re3r anew,
Between the mourners at his head and feet
say, seurru jester, is there room for gol -
1t was SlsO in May, 1861, while these politi-
cal inrigues and failures were going on, that the
New York Tribune made the spt prediction
which came true At that time, and, making al
lowsnce for the military figure, msy be fulfilled
again. :" The people Ike" said the Tribune.
- what the rebels call General Grants blunder-
ing audscity,' since it 50 very seldom subjects
him to defeat and 80 often leads 10 victory
Whether be intends to make bis grand advance
10 the east or IN the west We don't pretend TO
knew, and wouldn't state If we did. Suffice 1t
that he will move when he gets ready, and when
he strikes somebody will get hurt We should
sdyse any one who happens to be in his way to
get out OF it directly. ''-Bosfon -4irerfissr.