New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-03-05
DEE IOIDR-


OFF COLOR
When a diamond lacks the pure white light
which renders it so precious, and is touched
with any stain or dscolOration, it is said to be
"off COLOR It's value is thus greatly reduced.
The fault is incurable, being in the substance
of the gem. No polishing or cutting Will
mend it. The lapidary loses his labor at such
work
We do not think TINT Mr.. FOrncy can polish
the stain out of the negotiations which ne
represents as leading to the nomination ana
election of Gen. Grant. He published the
story of these pournarlers with seeming I'M
consciousness that there was any possible OBJ
lection to that way of treating public matters
He had the satisfaction of hearing, day or
two afterward, universal response OF some
thing very like disgust at the utter lack OF
dignity and morality which he had ascribed to
the President and bis nearest friends. He has.
probably not yet recovered from his surprise
Mt this unexpected response. 1t behOOves him
to exercise all his well-known ingenuity and
skill in the commentary which we hope he is
still to mako upon this extraordinary dis
closure. As the case stands, no enemy OF
Gen. Grant, however INSCRIPTIONS or ma
lignant, has ever succeeded in striking him so
fatal blow as this from the hand OF pro-
fessed and conspicuous friend.
We present once more the salient points OF
Col. Forney's story. He had written an ed
itorial for his Washington paper proposing
Gen. Grant for the Presidency. He sent 1t by
Cen Rawlins to the General of the Army.
This faithful and confidential friend came
back with the article and made speech which
VIC venture to say is unparalleled i'll the annals
of our politics " He said, Gen. Grant does
"'not want TO be President But, the swift
messenger adds, "IIe thinks the Republican
"party may need him, and he believes, as
"their candidate, he can be elected and re-
elected; but what is to become Of him after
"his second Presidential term? 2" If the Cen
eral had been selling a horse, how could he
more skillfuly have SGT forth his merits and
his value, and prepared the mind of the buyer
for the high price he intended to askf He takes
it for granted that he is to be elected and reflect
ed, and then asks how much he is to be paid for
accepting The highest moral position to which
any human being can aspire, is treated like
clerkship in a green grOcer's shop, matter of
cheapening and hagglng. His agent even
foots up the pccuniary loss which would result
from the candidacy Twenty thousand dol
liars year for life )" this must be made up
somehow. 1t must be done promptly also, for
the sagacious Mercury suggests, that IF Grant
st takes anything from the rich whose vast for
tunes he has saved, after he is President,' it
will create remark. 1t was with these pre-
liminaries and in this spirit, through details
about which even so frank historian as Col.
FOrney is silent, that the nomination of Gen.
Grant was arranged and submitted to the pub
lie, who were kept in the dark as to these
extraordinary negotiations.
There are two points in this story which it
is unpleasant to believe. First, that Gen.
Grant accepted the nomination with the secret
understanding between himself and his promi
nent supporters that he was to be reelected,
and that in spite of this fact, The Washington
Chronicle, edited by Col Forney, who was
aware of Gen. Grants intentions, represented
him as in favor of the Onc-Term principle,
and pretended to demand the incorporation of
this principle in the Constitution. But the
second and worse point is the hOpelessy low
tone of the whole transaction. The Presi-
dency seems to be regarded by the candidate
and his suitOrs as matter of convenience and
profit OF that solemn and earnest spirit in
which even ordinary men would naturally ap-
proach position of such responsibility and
power there is not the slightest trace. The
parties do not exhibit even that decent
hypocrisy with which kings and princes add
sembIancc of dignity to their assumption of
crowns. The one side simply says, ave want
"you," and the other answers, DO you think
"yOu can afford itY"
Now in the name of some millions Of old
fashioned citizens, who like ourselves helped
to elect Gen. Grant We protest against any
such blackening of character which is,
whether genuinely or not national property.
We protest against that low standard of politi-
cal morals which prevents so intelligent and
honorable q politician as Col. Fomey from
seeing the ruinous tendency of these reminis-
cences of his. We hope lie may be able to
show that Gen. Rawlins spoke without author
ity; that he may explain the discrepancy be-
tween this incident and his pledges of Gen.
Grants support to the One-Tem principle, or
else that he may, on second thought, conclude
that his memory was at fault, and that the
incident never took place. We are not of
those who think that Gen. Grant is the best
man who can be elected President. But we
would rather see him reelected than believe
what C6l. FOney says of him.
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