Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-04-09
THE PRESIDENT FEVER.
Awful Warning to New Aspirants for the Pres.
tdential Chair-The Good NJ en- and Frue
that Have Been Killed In the Ef-
fort to Reach the White
House.
From the Boston Traveller

Report says that the Illinois Dem
ocrats are anxious that Judge Davis
should receive the nomination of their
party for the Presidency, now that
be is the Labor Reform candidate
for that station. This is so much in
favor of "Passivism," supposing the
report to be we'll founded. But what
would become of Gratz Browa, if the
Judge is TO be the Passive" candi-
date Gratz is mad after the Presi-
dency, appearing to have the Presi>
dental fever as badly as it was taken
by Mr.. Douglas or Mr.. Clay or Mr..
Webster, or half dozen others of
the dead and gone big wigs of the
dead ears-men who fretted them-
selves to death because they could
not accomplish the object of their
lives. Senator Trumbull is almost
as far gone as Gratz Brown-but not
quite, his object being to unmake
President rather than make one. He
gave in for revenge and other little
games, though he would accept the
Presidency, should it be thrust upon
him. 1t is in his favor that he has
not yet been struck down entirely by
that hot and high fever which has
proved so destructive ia every other
case, and for which no cure has been
found. Note how many clever men
it has killed. Dewitt Clinton had it
badly, and weat the appointed way
and his uncle, George Clinton, suffer-
ed from it, and died in the Vice Pres
Idehcy just as he was in the position
TO get the nomination of the 'disal-
tected Republicans" of his early day
and generation. Mr.. Clay was assail-
I'd by it in early life aud suffered
thirty years, being often tantalized
by the near approach of the Iongfor
prize. He was beaten three times
when running for the laurel in 1924,
in 1892 and in 1914; and he twice fail
cd of nomination when to be nom.
mated would have been tantamount
to an election; in 1910, and 1913 No
wonder he went mad and was pres
maturely cut off at seventy-five, fight
ing TO the last, and not without hope
OF comprising his end in 1851, where
as that year made an end OF him.
same time with Mr.. Clay, and was
sick almost as long, he dying in 1850,
having survived all his prospects, and
cheered (amiable creature y on by
the certain assurance that the Union
would be destroyed in q very few
years. As the country would not
make him President, he did his utmost
to unmake the country; and he pre-
dicted that civil war would follow the
election of 1S60-as it did. Had he
never sought the Presidency, that Of
fee would have sought him, and he
would have won the fame of patriot
statesman, instead of standing in our
history something like Peter
Schlemihl, who was perpetually search
ing for his shadow, early lost. And
yet the pity of the thing in Mr.. Call
houn's case is greater than it is in the
eases of all the others, for he was a
man of talents as gigantic as his per-
sonal integrity was beyond suspicion
Mr.. Webster was attacked later in
lite, not catching the Presidential pes
thence Cor Black Death for Black
Dan in this instance) till he got up TO
fifty, and his first essay was not of a
character to encourage him to perse'
we're in ill.doing. 1t was in 1899 he
received his first nomination for moth.
ing, he being the candidate of he
Massachusetts, Wings for the national
Chief Magistracy, and almost fifty
five years old. He got the electoral
votes of Massachusetts,, and nothing
more or less; but we thought then and
still think, that be could have been
elected, had all opposition gone in for
him, as they might have done. Even
Mr.. Clay would have supported
him, because he could not have
found any reason for not doing 50.
But Mr.. Wcbster's chances ended in
1886, fact be could not see, and so
nc is said to have wept when Mr..
Hildreth, with more honesty than po-
liteness. told him that he had no
Presidential prospects. 1t was
shame that one of the greatest men
Of all time should have been chained
down by the ligatures of the Boston
plutocracy, as CULVER was fastened
10 the earth by the threads of the
Lilliputians. Mr.. Webster never
could understand his position, and be
was candidate for the Presidency
when on his death-bed, and his dead
hand dealt General Scott damaging
blow. That the great soldier was
one of the noblest victims of
the Presidential fever, he seek king
the Wing nomination for years, and
getting it in 1852, only TO be hor
ribly beaten by General Pierce, who
does not appear to have sought the
office. General Cass was another of
The old ruined Presidency seekers,
but be came nearer winning the
palm than the most of the tribe
Mr.. Seward is yet another, and he
was thrown out by Mr.. Lincoln, who
got the Presidency without asking
for it, and who was reelected. =
Mr.. Douglas painted for the Presi-
dency, and painted in vain. In the
list must be placed Mr.. Jefferson
Davis, Chief Justice Chase and Gen.
Fremont. Mr.. Justice Davis will be
placeable in it at no distant day,
from the event of the campaign OF
1872 He may get the support OF
the Democratic parry, but be will
never get the Presidency. David
Davis will go to Davy Jones locker
the appointed limbo for all gentle
men who undertake to navigate the
stormy seas of politics without
knowing anything of political navi'
CATION. He has done nothing for the
people, and the people will do the
same for him.
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