The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1872-09-05
Waterman, What of the Night?

Politics, both National and State, are
peculiarly embarrassing inst at this
juncturc. Very many men, indeed,
are diSgnsted with politics, and look
upon constitutions, platforms, and pro
fessions generally, as mere chimeras.
The people, who have heretofore been
led and controlled, under one name or
another, seem determined to exercise
the power Of supreme authority which
IS SAID to be lodged in them under
Democratic rule. And why Because
they have seen that the historian is
right in the assertion that there never
was a government called a Republic
which was not ultimately ruled bv a
single will v and therefore, (howevcr
bold may seem the paradox virtually
and substantial u monarchy. But in
most m~onarChics the will ofthe person
called the sovereign is limited by Ger
tain constitutional restraints which he
cannot transgress with safety. For
proof, just turn to the history of En-
gland under King John, the history of
Venice under her Dogcs, and of Rome
under the Caesars. Yet here in the
United States, while the people have
been tlattering themselves that they
held the sovereign power, what have
we seen? We have seer that the cleo
ton Of L. S. Grant, on account of an
inflated military record, has proven the
truth Of what we have cited from his
tory. True, he was elected by the will
Of the people, hut after his election,
where was the boosted freedom Of the
people The very first &C. Of the l'rcsi
dent elect wa TO demand "A change in
the Constitution SO as to make Stewart
Secretary OF State as Il reward for pccu
mary lavors received. And we are
justified in saying that if he had not
feared 10 too far outrage q conslitu
ton he had never read and did not un
dcrstand, he would have disrcgarded it
and appointed A. L. Stewart his Secrc-
tary of State at all hazards.
The is one instance only. And when
the people saw that U. S. Grant was in
tluenced by selfish ambition and love
of gain that he looked upon the Presi-
dental office as his due, and its pat
rOnage TO be dispensed with in his own
behalf; when they saw that he could
not sink the partisan and military love
and exercise Of power when all his
realms were profoundly at peace; when
they saw that his mental incapacity
was dragging the republic Gown from
the high position it had attained I'm
der Democratic rule, then arose a
party Of Observation-Disclosures possessed
Of distinguished ability, and the Lib
eral Republican party sprang into ex-
istence. How rapidly it grew, and how
it wisely advanced halt way towards
the Democratic party in the enuncia
ton of principles in accord with what
Democrats had commended for, and how
the formal effort at Cincinnati was
made a power in the land by the pa
triotic course of the Democratic party
at Baltimore in agreeing to be allies
in the great and needed work Of re.
form. are matters of too late q date
for rehe arsal here. The Home Jour
nal anticipated this elimination to pc. {
litical movements, but waited the &c
ton Of the Democratic party at Baiti. t
more. When it was announced that {
that party had agreed, almost unani- i
to second the honest effort at d
Cincinnati for u reform Of abuses that f
we're u disgrace to the name Of rcpub
lean government and ever to common
humanity, the Home Journal hoisted t.
he name of Greeley and Brown, and c
re intend to vote and work, cody and
arnestly, with reason and with faith, 81
or the names we have hoisted in our =.
aper. Thus it is that we hope to put "
end to Grantism forever. And to :r
his end We believe it to be the duty Of
All Democrats to work. There is no NJ
other available means under Heaven 6,
whereby to defeat Grant, and when YOU .,
Il man say he would as soon have !,
rant as Greeley that he is in favor ~
the Blanton Duncan Convention AT 70
louisville for a s~traight-out Demo
ratio ticket that Greeley has said
o-and-so about Democrats away back p
onder and therefore he cannot vote IL
,r him,--just put such a man down as u
political fossilized fool, or, an arrant W.
D~li.ical knaye. We care not, under w
resent circumstances uhGt Greeley
Is said. We take him at what he is III"
w and what be promises to be. He ~
8 sunk the partizan and become q
riot. and we have q thousand rea-