Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1872-08-15
JUDGE BLACKS ADVICE
Views OF an Eminent Democratic
Statesman on the Duty Of Demo-
Gratis In The Present Crisis.

Judge JsrsmiSh S. Black to Mr.. Welsh, of
the Baltimore Gazette, a mention of which
was made in our telegrAphio dispatches;
Ny DEAR SIR promised the gentle.
man who delivered your letter that would
answer il fullY and as soon a. could con.
Iissep,ly with other engagements. lam ful.
filling that promise. II tske moro time
and space than nigh. be expected you will
please remember that ! and great many
other Democrats are 10 . position which
requires something more than . mere def
milton. We cannot avoid misoousuucnon
without furnishing ArARhsr full explanation.
| admit that the next President must be
Grant or Greeley. The circumstances OF
the political situation limit our choice to
these two men IS strictly az If nobody else
were legally eligible. We must weigh them
against one another, and like practical meu
decide the case before us 10 favor Of the
best. Even il We End no good 10 either Of
them We must take that one who shall ap-
pear TO be least bad
II is uudsnisble that the leading meas
urss of this Administration are not only
unconstitutional, but anti con titutional
showing not merely oontsmptuous indifsr.
ence to the constitutional obligations, bul
a settled hostility to those rights Of ID,
States and those Liberties Of the peopI,
which the organic law was made to secure
The Presidents appointment of officer
and his general exercise Of public auihori
~, uHder the influence Of men who paiC
him large sums Of money, are scauduloui
outrsgss and the effort to defend them bal
combined With other like causes to eHtin
guish among his subordinates oil respect foi
those rules of morality which used TO b,
held sacred. When we consider what these
men have done in the North, and add to il
the lArgs.bauded robbersS perpetrAtsd il
the South by the retAinerI Of the President
with bis direct aid and assistance, We ar,
compelled TO acknowledge that no other gov
eminent now IN the world is administered
80 entirely for personal and partisan pur
poses, or in such complete disregard for the
rights and interests Of the general public
This Generalization is not confined to the
Executive branch, the tide Of corruption
rails IN upon the Legislature, and in some
places 1t has risen high enough to touch the
feet Of the judiciary Even the rank and
file Of the Presidents party have become
debauohed, let US hope not altogether, bu,
certainly 10 fearful degree. Acts which
in former times hardened criminal would
hesitate TO whisper in the ear Of his accom-
plice can now be openly advocated BY a
political leader, not only With safety, bu
With tolerable chance of being. sustained
BY sort OF public opinion. That love o.
liberty and justice which used to pervade
the whole community now "reueRss al
temper and yields without resistance to
the unPrincipled demGgoguss who would en-.
throne fraud,
Make the boar leprOIy adorsd place thieves.
And give them title, knee and APPRECIATION,
with Senators on the bench.
If General Grant had been equal in mind
and heart to the exigenciss of the times he
could easily have made himself a great
public bsnefActor. He might have purified
official and political morals bysimply setting
the example in his own person Of q clean
handed devotion TO daty. His owa obedience
10 the laws would have restored Them TO
universal supremacy. All the objects of the
Consultation as rscited in the preamble
would have been accomplished bat for the
distractions with which he himself impeded
them. Y Unfortunately the interests Of certain
rings were IN conflict with the interests OF
the country, and they by large presents
ssduesd him into their service. The public
contracted to give him the salary which his
PrsdsceHsors had been content with the
rags offered him more he accepted their
bounty, fell over to them, and took the
Govsrnmsnt into his hands as "a Black
Republican job"
Now, ~ TO Greeley. II cannot be pre-.
hat e..
metricaL He vas in the ranks of the rAdi-
cal Aboli.lonli1S for q good many years.
That Is bad for such association would have
. natural tendency to dsbase him. Bot we
must not forget that though ne was with
them, he was not always Of them. he re-
fused TO be q partAksr in their worst iuiuui-
ties he had none Of their diAbolical hatred
for the Constitution be did not lend mis- lips
10 their Tibald blasphemieS, and his feet we're
never IWiit in running to shed innooe a
blood. Before the great conflict began his
opposition to the designs Of the Abolitionists
against the Federal and State governments
impslled him to the opposite heresy OF the
seossSionists. Like the Roman father, who
killed his daughter to save her from q Worse
fate, he chose TO destroy the Government
rather than see il dishonored and violated
oy lAWlssa force. When the war was fragrant
ne provoked the EXTREMIST rage Of his $3.50
SA'Ss oy s&sr.ing himself for a peace which
Nouio nave lsi' eli the people in possession
" Nneit Son'ntnhonAl liberties. After the
close Of the contest he was the advocate OF
regular and legal as well a. homes. govern.
msns LOT 81 parts OF the country. have
good Authority for saying that no never Fave
MS approval 70 any form Of kidnAppiuS or
murder oy military commissions. In short
aI.aosgn Dc d'd JOIN the AbolitiOnis.s in their
devils dance" he never learned to Ss.n
step with his partners, and we 1li kpov ~,
when he could not stop it he lsf, il and a.
nounesd IL with becoming indignA,ion a.
another point he ought to have credit. Ths
friends Of religious freedom owe him an IN
aeet Of gratitude for the zeal and ability viii
which he resisted the church burners Wis,
Banded together in the secret lodges Of ~,
n%oS No.eiag order. II is but Tsasouabl
i" believe that his opposition saved the coon