The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1872-06-28
THE PERSONAL CAMPAIGN.

THE PERSONAL CAMPAIGN.
The opponents of the present Adj
ministration have paid it the greatest
compliment in their power by adopt
ing its policy a the basis of their par
ty organization, and opposing the re-
election of the President OH account
of merely personal objections which
would be of comparative little impor-
lance if true. AL of the fundameil-
tai principles Of the new party a
enunciated by the Cincinnati COnvcn-
tion, that have a definite meaning and
are not put in the platform merely
for the sake of euphoay, arc vindica-
tions of the policy of Grants Admin
i~stration; except perhaps, that limit
ing a President to a single term, which
is trivial in itself, and so far as it re-
latcs to the present campaign, easily
DISPOSED of. 1t is true that the Oppo-
sition did in the beginning of the cam
paign make grave and specific charges
against the honesty of the Admins
t~ration, which, iftrue, would he valid
reasons for not Collecting the Presi-
dent, and anxious to make the most
of the political capital at their conf
mand, instituted searching Investiga-
lions of the official conduct of the
chief officers, but now having entire
ly failed to prove their charges, and
being q little ashamed of the ridicu-
lous figure made by their leaders hold
ing up to public view the empty nets
in which they had confidently prom
iscd to exhibit a miraculous draught
Of frauds, they take the safer Our
of making only a general charge of
corruption i'm the government, relying
chiefly OIL such personal accusations as
ncpotism, gil; taking, &c, which arc
less likely to be disproved because
few people feel sufficient interest in
them to investigate them.
Buttaking the strictly Liberal Re-
publican view that the only issue in
this Presidential campaign is the per-
sonal fitness of the candidates for the
Office. If they ask us to vote against
the reelection of a President whose
policy they themselves proclaim q
model in the Organic Platform Of their
party, it would not be unreasonable
for US to expect ever extraordinary
personal qualifications in the candi-
date they propose, but if one SO well
acquainted with Horace Greeley as
most Americans are, heard Ofhis NOM
ination without its attendant circum-
stances, he would surely never mag
inc that he was nominated because Of
his peculiar fitness for the Office.
Mr.. Grcelcy's life has been more
conspicuously before the American
public than that of almost any other
citizen, and its result may be summed
up in a single sentence. As a polit-
ical journalist he has reached a pre-
einincnce that few men can ever hope
to attain: his career i'm other respects
relating to the practical business Oflifc
has been q series of entire laundering
failures, without doing anything par
ticularly outrageous, and, apparently
actuated by the best Of motives, his
actions have not risen above respect
chile imbecility.
Ttat q man having a special talent
for = particular vocation should prove
peculiarly disqualified for any, other
is not in itself remarkable, being 80
common that j. is rather the rule
than the exception. 1t is useless, how
ever, to refer to metaphysical rules to
prove well known events. As a leg
islator MI. Greeley only succeeded in
changing the hopeful expectations Of
his friends which accompanied him to
Congress, to disappointment, and the
of his enemies to contempt; |
his skill as a diplomatist is illustrated
by his peace negotiations during the
Perhaps his nearest ap-
Proclamation to success has been as an
Agricultural, in which vocation he
has been at least amusing, a greater
lnarit than can be properly claimed for
any of his other achievements outside
Of journalism. Nor have the bad eff
fcets Of his plumbers always been con-
lined TO himself az sometimes asserted,
but by nsing his eminent position to
indulge an unhappy inclination for
neddling, he has sometimes to some
extent Influenced the action of the
government with schemes Niagara
~es0tiatiOns, for cxamplc) Which but