Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1872-08-27
PRESIDENTIAL CONTEST.


Now that the battle in our State has been
fought, and we believe calamity won by the
disciplined troopsyof the Democracy, we have
little more leisure to devoteito the last grand
battle of the campaign to come off in Novem-
Der next. As the spirit and animus Of an
army may be some times judged by the con-
duct of the different regiments in the various
skirmishes preceding the battle, so the re-.
suit of the presidential contest may be fore
Swallowed with some degree of certainty by
the conduct of the different divisions of the
democratic army, stationed in the several
States of the Union. 4a9ils}f
Rarely has there been a campaign in which
there has been so much personal abuse hurled
by each party at the other. Heretofore reason
has generally been met by reason, and parties
seemed to rely upon Logic, based upon undeni-
able facts, to convert their opponents. But in
this campaign, men who have been the life
long political friends of, Horace Greeley
men who even yet believe that he is greatly
more honest, capable and energetic than
Grant, still pour their Billingsgate upon their
former political friend just as might have been
expected of them, had he really abandoned his
political faith for four years residence in the
White House; or had he already parcelled out
the offices of the government in return for
the support of the known and avowed enemies
of his country. There. can be no difficulty in
understanding why old States>rights men can
not, even at this day, see thepolicy of defeat
ing one Republican with another. They do
not recognize the fact that Grant can now be
beaten only by the Cincinnati and Baltimore
nominees, and that the first step towards
restoration of the rights of the States is the
dethronement of the party that can see no
limit to the powers of the Federal Government
except the one defined by party necessity or
expediency. The Federal Constitution is q
perfectly dead letter to that party, But while
there is, in our opinion, a difference between a
party which recognizes party necessity as the
only limit to the powers of the Government,
and party that believes merely in liberal,
instead of a strict construction of the Federal
Constitution, there is also personal difference
between the two candidates for the Presidency
which entities one to the support of all honest
men to whatever political faith they may
belong. We do not condemn Gen. Grant so
much for having appointed score or more of
his relatives to Office, as for keeping them
there after they had demonstrated their un-
fitness for the service. We do not condemn him
so much for having appointed dishonest men
to office-whom possibly he believed to be
honest-as for persistently keeping them in
office after their demonstrated dishonesty, and
the clamor Of the people for their dismissal.
We do not condemn him, of course, for insti-
tuting an investigation of the conduct of some
of his officials, but in covering up their Off
cial misconduct by turning the investigation
itself into mere sham and burlesque. We
do not think that tondness for horses and
bull pups necessarily incapacitates a man for
Presidential duties, although fondness for
jockeys and grooms may, and does, indicate
depraved taste unbecominga President of the
United Ststes. But in the person of Greeley
we think it safe to say, we will have Presi-
dent, who is better educated, a more honest.
wiser and a naturally more highly endowed
man than our present military incumbent of
the White House. .'.fa" ..l