Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-09-18
Partisan Partially in Politics.

Probably nothing makes Us more clear
see or find defects, or see OF find virtues ~
in our political Acquaintance :, than change
in their politics. Greeley, Sumner. Irum-
bull, Schurz, Banks, and many other Bcpub-
Iicans of more or less prominence, who are
now identified with the coalition, havt sud
denly, to the majority Of the Repu5iie1n
newspapers and orators Of the country, be-
come persons of poor ability. and ~ states
manship, and some Of them little better
than swindlers while Gen. DIX and the Dem
ocrats who have come over to the support N
Gen Grant, have as suddenly been trans
formed into noble statesmen, pure patriots
and honest men, This seeing men through
new eyes is not, however, the trick "t kc-
pubIicans alone. When Democrats praise
Horace Greeley and Horace Greeley praises
Democrats when the hard she'll old Dsuoc-
racy Of Massachusetts with = tremendous
enthusiasm = nominate Charles Sumner for
Governor, and Charles Sumner writes q labor-
ed speech to prove that these same Democrats
are the true friends Of liberty and equal
rights; little more can be expected ~ the
way Of startling transformations IN politics
Democratic newspapers now praise b,n-
Banks as a statesman profoundly wise c1u-
corning the foreign relations Of the country :.
the same papers few months ago made hi-
foreign craftsmanship the butt Of their ri 4
cuIe and Banks will lose credit in Repu5I-
can quarters Just in proportion az he gains in
Democratic praises. Republicans used tY
call Sumner a statesman, now he is only
rhetorician. They used to call Schurz most
brilliant and effective orator, fit to sound Chg
keynote of the Chicago Republican CJuyen-
ton which first nominated Gen. Grant
now be Is only word-monger- They used 10
call Banks one of the first orators n the
country now he is only an ut'erer ID p.'''-
tudes They used to call TrumbuI q pu~.
statesman now he is denounced as 2 ~w.a
der and cheat. They used To call Kdpltri.1
a dashing cavalry officer and most brilliant
and effective campaign speaker now he d
a coward, a lIbertine, a liar, and a siander-r
Now. we are not saying which Of these jui--
ments is the correct one as to all these mca.
for that is not the purpose Of this writing
correct and just estimates Of the mon III
question. If man leaves his old associates.
almost Immediately they begin IT, al.
stories about him and to depreciatc INN ami
this seems to be more true Of political as-1
Citations than Of any other All ON our sid" /
in politics are honest and vlrtuous and wise
and patriotic, and all on the other side are
Just the reverse and especially the revcr-.
if they have Just changed their political a-- +.
sociations This can safely be said, we tGlns .
to be unreasonable and We fear that /, u5t .
only demoralizes politics but demorAil
government
Mr. Sumner furnishes a singular ami
marked illustration Of this tendency T. aJl5w
our Judgment of our fellows to he strange
ly colored by preiudices, either political ~
otherwise During Mr. johnson 5 aimini--
tration, Gen. Grant, as viii be remembered.
was sent south to ascertain the temper 30 Jae
people and especially of the late rebels ~
ward the government. lie came back and
reported that they all aequesced in the ra-
suits of the war, and were only anxious f,v
peace and order; and he recommended
policy of conciliation-in other words, john
sons policy. Mr.. Sumner, IN his place lu .
the Senate, denounced this report is
g whitewashing report" aud very m3uy
Republicans in the country agreed with him .
in that denunciation. Now, Mr.. Sumner adj
vocates the same policy he then denounced,
and denounces Gen. Grant because he ldv5r- I.
the policy that Senator Sumner then advJ
Gated Why Gen. Grant holds different vie"
to-day from what he held then We don pre-
tend to know but we believe Mr.. Sumner
personal feeling against Gen. Grant is tile
only cause Of his change, for it is not year
since he expressed directly opposite views.
To-day Mr.. Sumner opposes Gen. Grant bc-
cause he is '' regimental color with tie
forbidden inscription = four years ago DE
supported him, al ohough he was then iu-1a
Objectionable on that account.
Such things only show how difficult t Is
for to judge men and measures honestly
and fairly in our utterances IN a political
campaign. To one side Mr.. Greeley a5e-
not seem to possess single good quality .ad
Gen. Grant has not bad one to the other
Gen. Grant has no merits OF virtues and Mr.
Greeley has every quality of statcsman.aip
and every attribute Of moral excellence ~
one side Gen. Grant is horse j5ckey.
dog lancier, and companion Of men whose
purses are better filed than their heads,
while Mr. Greeley walks in a intellectual
atmosphere, feeds on political economy and
dwelIs apart in the lofCiest contemplation
with the spirits of departed statesmen; t1tac
other, Gen. Grant is the grandest character
Of the time, with the graces and the culture
of Philip Sidney, can write Latin even ID
he cannot speak Greek, and while he WIS the
greatest Captain Of any age be has Yet
shown gifts as civil magistrate which rank
him higher statesman than as a General
while Mr. Greeley on the other hand is a
poor vacillating, imbecile office-seeker These
are hardly exaggerations of the differ nt
styles of eulOgy and criticism freely indulged
IN by both sides in this campaign Ii the
candidates were exchan ged we should prob
ably find the eulogy and the criticism trans
ferred at the time.
Thinking people are not much deceived bv
Lucsc cAbAd' ADSOoS "uA bue result or the
campaign is more influenced by honest
and candid statements and arguments than
BY 6erceness of remuneration, or loftiness Of
praise. Devils do not become saints when
they join our party, and saints do not become
devils when they leave our party. Their
moral char acters and their intellectual abil
ity remain substantially unchanged. So far
as they change their political principles they
can no longer expect or de erve the conf