New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-05-09
Grant and Wilson.

The Missouri Democrat expresses its prefer
ence for Henry Wilson as the Republican
candidate for Vice President. We present
its remarks on the subject as we'll worthy OF
consideration:
The Republican convention of Massachu-
sets has presented the best ticket vet sug-
gested for the Philadelphia conventional.
S. Grant and Henry Wilson. General Grant
nomination being foregone conclusion, it is
only necessary for those who have the sue
cess of the party at heart to bring out strong
candidate for Vice President to take the place
of Mr.. Colfax on the ticket, that gentleman
having declined, repeatedly and recently, to
allow his name to be used. 1t is unnecessary
to urge single reason why Henry Wilson'S
name should be favorably received in a Re-
publican convention. He represents all that
is great and good in the party's past record.
He was one of the few who had the courage
to assist at its birth, at a time when its anti
slavery principles were unpopular even in
Massachusetts,. He preferred it to Whggery,
when Whiggery was in the ascendant; he
preferred it to everything else, because it was
more nearly right than anything else. He
preferred it even to straight-out aboltionism,
because he thought it would accomplish the
work of abolition in a better way than aboli-
tionism itself. Hence he was on terms of
Wendell Phillips. He has not always coin
cided with the views of Mr.. Sumner, because
he preferred moderate practice to radical
theory. But he has always been i'm full ac-
cord with the Republican party as to action
and purport. "'-
The personal character of Mr.. Wilson ought
to be a subject of special commentator in
times like the present, when private aggran-
dizement is the prevailing motive with so
many men in public life. He has been
member of the United States Senate for
nearly twenty years, and is to-day, if possible,
poorer man than he was twenty years ago.
He is one of the few against whom no suspi-
cion OF corrupt motive or corrupt deed has
ever been entertained, even by his worst
enemies. They have accused him of want of
ability-to which his record quickly gives the
lie; they have maligned him for low birth
and vulgar origin" charges" which the
American people are slow to prosecute--but
they have never challenged his sincerity or
arraigned his integrity. As to all that most
nearly concerns private character and makes
up the sum of true manhood, he has ever
been found faithful and pure. 1t is some
thing gained to have such man on a ma
tiOnal ticket; it would be creditable to any
nation to honor him, and to any party to
elect him.
There would be special fitness in placing
Henry Wilson on the ticket with General
Grant in the coming campaign. When the
clamor against General Grants military con-
duct was loudest-when the unreasonng peo-
pie demanded Vicksburg sooner than Vicks-
burg could be had-Mr. Wilson was chairman
of the Senate Military Committee, and al
though he had no personal acquaintance with
General Grant, he resisted all entreaties for
a change in the command of the Mississippi
department, and constantly advised Mr.. Lin
coin to "stick to Grant" The battle of Fort
Donelson had given him high estimate of
Grants capacity for the great work of the
war, and no amount of subsequent detraction
or cahlmny ever sufficed to shake his firmly
rooted faith. If Grant can't save us no.
body can," he said to Mr.. Lincoln one day,
after delegation had asked that Rosecrans
be sent to Vicksburg in Grants stead.
We advocate Mr.. Wilson's nomination in
no spirit of hostility to the claims of other as
pirants. No man has claim upon either of
the great national offices to be voted for in
November. But Grant is the foreordained
popular choice for President; and we are
confident that the good of the people, and of
the country, would best be subserved by the
elevation of Henry Wilson to the Vice Presi-
dency. ...t.