The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-08


will DO for Grant and What Grant Gan
Do for tho People.
On pleasant morning In the genial 0ontn
Of May, eight years ago, the sharp rattle OF
musketry, rolling up from the Orange court
House road to the summit of the hill near the
old Wilderness tavern, brought intimation to
Grant and his generals of the opening OF the
campaign whose result was to be the over
throw of the rebel army and the occupation OF
Richmond by our troops From the moment
of the favorable termination of the first
engagement Notwithstanding the desperate
resorts of the enemy, the end was never
doubtful, and the commander of the Union
forces pressed steadily on to final victory.
The present political campaign, in which the
same leader is again in the field at the head OF
the same Union army, has been opened in
similar manner by successes in the first Skin
mishes, and the sound of the voleys that
recently scattered the old copperhead forces
in New Hampshire and Connecticut have
conveyed to Grant and his friends the crafty
ing assurance that he is already "out
of the Wilderness" and that his final
triumph is no longer doubtful. But
good general leaves nothing to chance.
However satisfactory may have been the ter
mination OF the days work, he does not retire
to the rest needed before the renewal of the
strife, until his pockets have been thrown out,
his camp made safe from attack and his prepa-
rations for the morrow perfected. He is aware
Of hoI1 nd a d.
vantage Of every pause in hostilities to
strengthen his position, and, if possible, to
recover the ground he has lost, and that
ceaseess vigilance alone can render the final
victory secure. So experienced commander
as General Grant is not likely to neglect these
precautionary measures, and hence we may
safely anticipate that he will devote the time
intervening between the opening engagements
in the East and the decisive battle of Novem-
Der next to strengthening his position, REIN
forcing his army, and doing all that courage
and fidelity can accomplish to insure success.
The people of the United States have a
character peculiar to themselves. A century
ago, when they numbered three millions or so,
they rose against attempted coercion and
proved that they had will of their own.
England might have held the States for
another half century or more as a .col-
ony, as she has continued to hold Can
ada, if her statesmen had been wise
enough to govern by Cancellation and
concession. They chose to attempt the en-
forcement of unjust laws by arbitrary power,
and the American republic sprang into ex-
istence. To-day our forty million citizens are
in truth the sovereign people, The press,
powerful and. influential as it is, cannot lead
them unless 1t has the wisdom to float with
the popular current; the politicians cannot do
more than control handful of selfish adher-
ents here and there and are themselves fol-
lowers of the people, instead Of being followed
by the people; the government of the hour,
unless strong in the public confidence, can
command nothing beyond the votes of hand
full of office-holders. Englishmen, Frenchmen
and even Germans have the training of the
midshipman apd the cadet, whose golden rule
is obedience to the orders of superiors. The
masses Of the people of Europe follow their
leaders as the soldiers Of an army follow their
commanders, and few of them have will OF
their own. But Americans are their own
masters, and are accustomed to judge and to
act for themselves alone. They are, it is true,
sometimes careless about the exercise Of their
power, and apt to neglect their politi-
cal duties in the excitement of ordi-
nary pursuits; but when aroused to action
| through the force Of circumstances, and gen.
orally in their quadrennial Presidential cleo
| tons, they use the ballot box effectively and
independently. Recently the people have
| shown themselves to be in earnest in the
publication Of their local governments, and
have entirely swept aside the politicians who
usually manage the affairs Of the country in
accordance with their own views and desires
They are in earnest also in regard to the ap-
preaching Presidential election, and all the
efforts of the partisan press and all the elo-
quence and intrigues of political agitators will
fail to turn them from their settled purpose to
re-elect General Grant as their Chief Magis-
trate for another term. The open detection
administration vote in New Hampshire, and
the lukewarmness Of politicians and the re-
bellious hints Of influential party journals
only added to Governor JEWELS chances OF
success in Connecticut. The Cincinnati bolt
ing Convention now promises to be worse than
a failure so far as the interests OF the SORE
headed republicans are concerned; for the in.
dications are unmistakable that it will swell
the popular current in favor Of Grant
| and do much towards giving him the
votes of all the States in the Union,
| from Maine to California. In fact, 1t is now
clear that the American people are with Grant
in the coming fight, and that they will stand
by him, shoulder to shoulder, at the ballot
box, as they stood by him, shoulder to
shoulder, in many well-fought field from the