The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-07-26
A STARTLING CONTRAST.
RETERDYJ0HNs0N COMPARES GRANT
IND GREELEY.


and GREELEY.
A Review OF Grants Administrations
Its Faiiures-supertority Of Greeley
His Devotion to Country, and Unchal.
lenged Integrity.
In response to a request of Congressman
James Brooks, of New York, for an expression
of his political views, the Hon. Reverdy John.
son has written long letter, exbaustively dis
cusslng the present issues, in which he says:
BALTIMORE, July Is, 1872.
The question with the people now Is, Which
of the two will they have for their next Preei-
dent. u. 8. Grant or Horace Greeley? The
former, during the past three years, In the
Judgment OF all impartial men, has proved nils
utter undtness for the office; the latter, during
a period OF more than thirty years, as the
editor of leading journal. has proved him.
self, In the judgment OF all Impartial and COM
petent men, to be man OF extraordinary
ability, perfect patriotism and lncorruptiole
integrity. Has not General Grant demonstrated
his unfitness tor the Presidency? His whole
career as President has been full of blunders,
to use no milder term. A few instances will
establish this statement:
GRANTS BLUNDERs.
|. Bis selection of his first Cabinet was
made without consultation with any honest
and experienced friend, and Without regard
10 merit He nominated as the head Of the
treasury highly respectable merchant OF
New York, in ignorance of the fact that by
the 9th section or the act of the 22d OF Sep
tember, 1883, such an appointment Is express
ly prohibited, and this. upon grounds of the
clearest poIicy-the provision being that no
n
recty, ia eligible to any Office created by that
act, and alter finding his error, he ioollshly
requested Congress 10 modify the provision
so as to epable him to make the appointment.
2. His selection Of his relatives Tor high and
important trusts, at home and abroad, ob1i-
ously without ascertaiDing whether they
were fit, and bis refusal to remove many of
them, after their un1tness bad been painfully
exhibited.
3, his negotiations for the annexation of the
Dominican republic, through no minister se.
leetad with the approval of the Senate, and his
undlgnlaed lobbying with senators TO procure
its ratification; and bis imperunent aud in-
sultlng message to Congress, siter tne ireaty sg
was rejected, in which he designated the
rejection as an act Of "folly.n His usurpa-
tions OF the war power In threatening Hayti,
having the means at hand OF making good his
threat, If they continued their hostllites
against Dominica, and doing this not only
while the treaty was under consideration by
the Senate, but after they had rejected 1t.
4, His open and shameless use of his power
OF patronage to support bis personal sdminis-
lration and to secure reelection.
S. His compelling Secretary Cox, gentle.
man of ability, who faithfully served his coun.
try during the war as a general officer, and
VINO was administering the Interior department
to the satisfaction of the country, to resign,
because he had refused to tolerate the assess:
me1t 1,pou the salaries of his clerks for party
purposes, thereby countenanciDg the legality
and propriety of such assessments. e.. NO
greater violation of duty could be perpetrated.
6. His not permitting, but virtually ordering,
the members of his Cabinet aud bureau OH.
GERS 10 canvass the States where elecuons
have been or may he depending in his behalf
thus seriously interfering with the puollc ou'
siness which they alone were appointed TO
attend to, and for which alone they are paid.
7. In not only disappearing of the acts OF
Congress. known as the Enforcement acts OF
1870 and 1871, but In recklessly carrying them
out by means OF the military.
8. By bis utter disregard OF the rights OF tne
States and of the people. By holding the lat
Ter still as enemies, and under this pretence
contlnuDg the military occupation OF some OF
the States, and not interfering IN any degree
with the Unconstitutional, reckless ana corrupt
governments which from the first to the present
lime have plundered those States, involving
them In almost hopeless bankruptcy.
9. His management OF our Foreign relatloas.
His management Of the AIaoaua Oialu4s uuuGr ~,
the Washington Treaty. II Is unfortunately
but TOO true that his conduct In this respect
from the moment that the difficulty presented
Itself to the period when 1t was removed IN
the manner Just stated, has but served to im-
pair our character abroad and mortiiy US at
nome In making the world, at one Time, oe.
lIeve that we were naton OF sharpers' aua
nfh hOpkhpada
10. Bis conduct, and the conduct OF the
party In Congress and out fit, by whom ne
ia supported, in extending the powers OF the
general government beyond those delegated,
in direct antagonism to rights and powers
moi oply Inherent In the States aud the peo'
Die Of the States, but expressly reserved 10
them by the constitution Itself.
In this enumeration OF the objections to the
election of President Grant, do not desire 10
impugn his motives. I am Willing to concede
that they are good, and tina. he believes them
to be patriotic; but my conviction s, and. IL l
am capable OF Judgment, the facts Whlcn l
have stated demonstrate its soundness, tnat,
conceding his motives TO be good, ne does not
know what the constitution is, and is entirely
ignorant OF the principles WHICH shoulo gov
ern republic like ours.
MIR. aREELET's QUALIFICATIONS.
proceed now to submit 70 you some ooser-
VaCl0QS III EeldLlVu w pnts 0teo'Sy' AH $t.N
first place, his love OF country cannot De
doubted. His ability displayed ln the ardu,
ous position of an editor of leading Journal
for very many years, the thousands ana nun.
dreds OF thousands who have been his constant
readers will readily admit. That he has, OF
times, inculcated doctrines which many good
and able men have thought unsound, Is, no
doubt, true. But what statesman has not.
His opinion on the doctrine Of protection le
now contested by many men OF ability and
natriotIsm. Whether his policy Is sound OF
NOT is a point upon which even able men
differ. But this Is certain, that Wheh Mr..
Greeley adopted 1t he had The support OF some
| of the ablest of our statesmen, having at thelr
| mead Henry Clay, name never mentioned I'd
the hearing of Americans without admiration
and gratitude If Mr.. Greeley has erred, II
shonld be he Id to be some eXtenuallon that ne
erred la such company. That his opinion ls
honestly entertained, and has been maintain.
ed with great ability, must be conceded. But
does General Grant hold the opposite opinion!
or has he any opinion on this nice problem o1
noitical economy? 1.-The has Que (TVe no idea
| he has. his studies never having run on tnat
line. ! he certainly never has expressed IL, ano
| from bis enforced reticence, II he was TO DO 3d.
| woud not be able to give his reasons. But
whv should Mr.. Greeley's opinion on thls
noint be any objection 10 his election! He has
| accented the nomination he received at Gin
| cinnati, and with an engagement 10 act upon
the principles therein announced. One Of
Them is. quote It, that recognizing ina
| ther. Ia In our midst honest but irreconcllaole
differences of opinion with regard to the re
| es,Iuo opotonoo of prntpcttOn and free trade