The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-07-02
MIR. Greeley the Choice Of the Democrat
lie Party,

The New York World, compelled at last to
admit that Mr.. Greeley will be nominated at
Baltimore, cries out in fever ofrage and dis
appointment, that the Convention has been
packed by political wire-pulers and tricksters,
and that the wishes of the Democratic masses
have been entirely ignored. In the World
opinion it win not be in any sense represen-
tative body, but a congregation Of profession
al politicians, who are drawn toward the edi-
tor of the Tribune, as the embodiment of po-
litical tact and adroitness, by strong sym
pathetic cord" There is no doubt some
truth in what the World says. 1t would be
indeed strange if the Fenton-Blair combina-
ton which packed the 'reform Convention"
; at Cincinnati so far as possible, and then
stole the nomination III spite of an adverse
majority, was not felt in the Democratic con-
vention also. A political manager of so
much experience and skill as Mr.. Greeley,
surrounded aud controlled by men whose
names are synonyms for trickery and fraud
everywhere in America, would not be likely
to omit any Of those delicate preliminary ma
nipulations of which he is the consummate
master. So that the Baltimore Convention
will doubtless present the rarest collection of
'bosses" of ward caucuses ever seen on this
continent. Yet for once, at least, the pur-
poses of the Democratic managers
are in perfect harmony with those of
the Democratic masses. The World appears
to be mistaken in its conclusion that the
Democratic voters would have made differ
ent choice had an opportunity been afforded.
Judging from what we observe in this State,
the Democracy almost to man are anxious
for chance to vote for him. Democratic ba-
bies cry for him. The first words their in
FAINT lips are taught to utter are the two
names of the gentleman who was the central
figure in the caricature calculated only year
ago by Mr. Kimball. The old hunkers in the
back towns would feel, if he were defeated at
Baltimore, very much as they did when they
heard of the surrender of Vicksburg. There
is no installing the fact that Horace Greeley
is the Democratic choice, just as Gen. Grant
is the Republican choice. If the nominate on
ola Republican candidate had been submitted
directly to popular vote, Gen. Grant would
have received ninety-nine in every hundred,
and Mr.. Greeley would have been accepted
with almost equal unanimity by the Democ-
racy under like circumstances. The two
men represent fairly the two parties. Mr.
Greeley has sacrificed his principles, and the
Democracy have sacrificed theirs. So the
two, having thus established perfect moral
solda riff s,,fo al,
Grant has been singularly true to every
pledge he ever made, and the
Republican party has never adopt
ed principle which it abandoned till
its triumph was secured. Here again per-
feet moral union is fifty consummated by mu-
tual confidence and support. The Repub-
licans want man who is safe and true, firm
in the right and capable of great things in
times OF emergency-a man who will do his
utmost to place beyond the reach of malice,
chance or accident those glorious trophies of
the last decade, equal civil and political rights
and national integrity, who will give us peace
at home and abroad, reduce the debt, de-
fend the treasury from thieves and in all
things act in sympathy with the friends of
progress. The Democracy, on the other
hand, want man who will bridge over the
chasm between them and public employ
ment-a weak, vacillating man, patriot to-
day, co-worker with traitors tomorrow,
furious reformer one moment, an intense CON
sentative the next-a man true and false by
turns to everybody, and constantly gracious
only to shrewd fatterers who know how to
manage him through his inordinate vanity
such man, in short, as the Blairs can con-
troll and bring to cooperate with his Demo-
cratic supporters in their efforts to over
throw those legal and constitutional guaran-
ties of civil and political equality which it
has cost so much to establish. 4
Here we are, then, face to face,-each with
leader of our choice; and let us fight it
out in heavens name, and see once more
which is the stronger, good Or evil