The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1872-04-11

who have been absent most and who |
have done the least, are in favor of an
extra session, while those who have |
been scarcely absent at all, oppose it.
The Senator from Wapello, who, / |
venture to say, has missed as few roll |
calls during the~session as any other
member, opposed the resolution for an
extra session.
In reporting the proceedings in the |
House, omitted to mention that the |
Normal School bill was knocked higher
than Gilderoy's kite. Just how high |
that is, / cannot say, but / venture to
say it Is that high that it will never
come down again. Caro-.
GENERAL GRANT.
General Grant was called to the Of !
flee which he now holds, not through |
any solicitations of his own, or man.
agement of political friends, but by
the wish of the voters throughout the
North. is there any evidence that the |
great body of intelligent citizens re-
greet their choice, and are disposed to
put some other man in his place? That
there has been much fault found; that
many thoughtful men have severely
criticised the real or supposed dcficien-
cies of his administration: that many
able newspapers have contested the
wisdom of re-clccting General Grant,
is true. But is there any evidence that
he has lost the confidence of the great
body OF Republican voters throughout
the North or that, taken as whole,
they are dissatisfied with the result of
the past three years1rsftsis our ,,belief
that when Mo people come to the very
business of selecting the candidate for
the next presidential term, the more
| they reflect upon it the moro they will
| be inclined to rcnolninate and elect
General Grant.
When he was originally selected, it
was without any guises or false pre-
lenses on his part. His education had
been for the army, and his great
achievements were military. Every
one knew that he had been without
experience in political affairs. Indeed,
that very fact weighed with many.
| They had the impression that better
President could be made out of u can
/ iidate who was unhackneyed in poll
tie-, ..asstl who-sllnuld bring to::the office
good sense and impartiality, mot warped
vi Ddistu w tnC lhu uOo VI party pOl-
iticians.
| IT, when Grant assumed the reins of
government, he was under the delu-
sion that politics had nothing to do
4 with governing, that a man without
te&perience in civil administration was
more likely to be skillful and honest
than one who had been educated TO
the conduct of public affairs, he only
erred as tens Ofthousands erred. And
if, in the early period of his admins
tfation, he attempted to carry on the
the government by Cabinet staff, as
| he would conduct an army in the field,
he only did what he was expected TO
do. The result of the experiment was
what might have been toret0ld. He
was not Cromwell. But the faults
of Grants early selection of advisers
arose from an attempt to fulfill public
expectation, and bring into his counsel
! men not much versed in politics. Yet,
| in spite of the vice of this principle of
| selection, his Cabinet has been in the
main excellent. The Department of
State does not suffer in contrast with
/ the more snowy, but not more wise
administration OF Seward. The treas
ury has nothing to fear in a compari-
son with the great Treasurer under
| Mr.. Lincoln. There will not be two
such War Secretaries as Mr.. STAN
ton in the same age; but, happily,
peace has required other service than
that which has rendered Mr.. Stanton's
nane forever iIlustrious, and the de-
| Ulftinent has been wisely re-adjusted
IL The guage ofpeacc.
The field for brilliant service open to
! the other members of the Cabinet has
not been great. But it is certain that
hereafter, when men look back dispas-
sionately, they win regard Genera
! Grants cabinet as one eminently IN -
| iical. wise. and safe. Indeed compare
atively little criticism has been made,
16ipon the Cabinet. TO be sure, the
Secretaries hnye been blamed for want
! of energy In discipline. In particular
| instances. their deliberation has been
| thought TO verge upon tpaefation of
\ corrupt men.
! But, considering the state of the
! public mind, this Cabinet has been pre-
| eminently reforming one. All wars
more or less deinoralizc the busines1
habits Of a people. The great civil
| war createda vastjobbing interest, and
| stimulated Il laWless and immense
speculative greed which could not be
cnred.in dav.ss But if one cQrapares
Tie pre-. TESS OF affairs in tl)6 States,
with the administration of federal az
! fairs, involving almost incompatible
treasures, and offering boundless OPP
| portunity to fraud, administering on
| the whole with a fidelity and integrity
| which have won the the confidence Of
business men throughout the world. =
II is net just to Judge Of a continent by |
the condition of an acre here and there. |
/ General Grant has learned much. |
| and has suffered much in learning. We
appreciate the just criticisms which |
have been made upon him. We are !!
not his indiscriminate enlogists. We |
have marked his faults, and we clearly
perceive his deficiencies. But IN what
other man will be found all excehen-
tcies and no faults: Where can we
find 1 combination of qualities which
have, upon trial, produced. on the
whole, better results: He is far better
fitted to-day to exercise the executive
functions than he was when he was
enthusiastically selected. IT he Is a
slow scholar, lie is a scholor who re-
tains all that he learns. 1t may be a
pity that the Administration men, parI
erceAence, iii Congress, have among
them so many thatare not models OF
virtue. But a President must employ
those who will be employed. lie can
not 90: upon his knees TO imperious
Senator'S. The people have made {
Presidens8hiaier than Senator. 1t IS
for publiSnn,a who are truly patriotic
IN nlecc 4her counsel and influence | i
with tho Incentive upon terms which
lie can acc'1t with self-rcspcct. II Is
they are col arrogant, derisiye, il Is ]
NOT for Nh to complain that the 8
Pre- sidenfI sses by them to men who
are plac~c and who help by cordial /
sympatI* lther than by moral lee
Gene1hl rant has not failed in any e
pledgelp rdeby the Republican party II