The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1872-05-16
THE MEN, AND NOT THE MAN.

misunderstood Us. that in the iresi-
dental aspirants, now prominently
before the people. we are very decid-
eddy of the opinion that General Graul
Is 80 far superior to Horace Greele,. in
fitness and qualifications for the office,
that no analysis or statement OF their
various qualities is needed TO satisfy
the candid. Intelligent citizen of the
irnth Of our assertion Still whether
this be 70 OF not. Il Is not our object
now 10 discuss. and we have snssle the
announcement we have. merely TO pre-
vent oar being ,uisreprcseIaed in ref
ercnce to what we have to say further.
We remark then. To make mora exs
plicit the Object Of this article. that il
!, not 50 much the NUN who is 10 take
the oath of Office. as President Of the
United States. Oh the 18th of March
next. upon the superstition that no
really bad man Is to take the place.. as
II is what men are To be the sponsors
OF thenew administration what set Of
men, what party, are to be the authors,
the supporters, of that administration.
a'M consequently, iuio whose hands
the Executive Of the Nation is really
to be delivered, through Congress.
through the Cabinet, through our For
eign Ministers, through all the various
offices in the machinery OF the Govern
ment, and finally, through the people
who make up the great body Of the
victorious party, and who are to cxer-
else sway over the new administration
and mould To a great degree its char
deter. Therefore. while we firmly and
,'onscieitiously believe that Grant is
lie man for the Republican party to
make its standard bearer. because,
though not free from error, (as who
ainohg men can hope to be). he is.
nevertheless. .,s more than three mil
lions OF republican voters say. Il good
and able President :stW it is not the
particular man. b,rt it is whoever the
great and noble army Of republicans
speaking through their car etuIly chosen
delegates to the Philadelphia Conyel,-
lion. shall sag is the man. who shall
be the servant of this great and "lori
GUS body OF American citizens. called
the Republican Party
" is the men, he r.ters. u tie lie.
Patttca" party in whom we have oui
trust. This nations veal az woe hangs
on no such brittle thread as the
thoughts. the principles. or the acts
of any single man, or coterie of men
as a rule the dominant popular voice
shapes the doings of statesmen and
directs the government conspicuous.
~ ~ has it been the case with Presi.
dent Grant, who by both word ant
decd cvinces that he has 10 will of hi.
own tocnforcc against the clearly cx
pressed will Of the illastrions party
which made him President.
q ri
l. il said that the Republican party
has many within it. and men occupy
ing station too. who are corrupt: adj
mil it: but will mol. the candid inter
rogator be conpclled,,if he be frank
10 readily admit, HAT no party in In,
nation, to-day. contains SO very lary,
81 prcdominahce of the best, the purest
the most Intelligent. and the mos
patriotic elements of American socie
~. Certainly lir will. And there j
the very best of reason for this
The last sixteen years, marked b,
times that tried mems souls. reared
and brought them forth: those time
separated the gold from the dross. Oh
the other hand. those times left tor,
and impoverished. OH the rock of thei
own stubborn and pcrver.e folly,
large multitude who believed not il
the inaliellablc. God-givcn riali I,
man, anHotnccd in the 1itIc-deed o
american liberty. tire right to life
liberty. and the pursuit OF happincs
10 every man.
~f'oiled, beaten, and completely over
thrown, these men. constituting tn,
controlling element Of the Democrat,
party, have labored and sought, since
the close of the rebellion. by every
possible means. to undo the work ac.
compllshcd in tla, greatest of sanenin-
airy struggles. They have cnticed from
the republican ranks. in ambition
coils, some of The ablest men OF our
party, whose political corpses now
mark the way OF the progress of our
grand old party vi progress. Now
they, have laid another anbnscade
they. have delved bemc;,tl, the earth
and prepared another insignificant
mine under our forliiications. prom
Using the handful OF deludcd seceder
that they viii follow them into tn
breach, and 50, they think. they are
by cunning strategy and base hypoc
risy, 10 get possession of the citade
that they once t.sinahticd and scoffing.
~ east aside, defenceless, powerless
The laughing stock uf the titled nobili.
" of the world, 10 go OFT aud erect d
government on a portion of It's ruins
whose chief cornerstone was slavery
Header, are we not right when we
say il is not so much the mans rs il il
the men. who shall direct the ship el
state. There is no contreyerting the
fact that if the candidate OF The Pbila.
delpl,ia Convention is defeated. il viii
be done virtually by those men OF the
Democratic party we have named. and
thereby to them will the government,
OF the country be virtually delivered
Are we not and are yon not. then, il
the line Of duty, in Lboring to dciea
any such result.
Right here. let Us say, no such catas
irophe TO the country Is apprchendet
by Us. The promise vi victory fol
what we deem the right. is very brigh
and cheering. We have no fears O
the result, and vet ii is our duty. u
political Journalists, to labor for VIVA
is right. that the victory may be II
complete us possible. The Democrat
party may affect to be satisfied witt