The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1872-05-25
COMPARING REG0RDs-GREELEY
AND GRANT

| Hileu uy tic fotcS VI inc peuplc, dHt
so long as men are nominated to FL
them, there will be a continuance Of
the habit so prevalent at the present
day of comparing the life records Of
the opposing candidates. Any and
every incident in the past career Of
each aspiFant, calculated to affect his
chances of election, will be recalled
either by his friends or opponents
and used as argument for or against
him, as the case may be. Taken as a
whole, the system is undoubtedly
beneficial to the public interest, for it
oftentime prevents the. selection OF
bad men to important positions which,
if placed in, they might use the pow
ers and privileges of to the detriment
of the peoples welfare. But like all
other good systems it is liable to
be abused, and is abused, giving rise
to much misrepresentation and de-
ceit, and blackening characters in the
opinions of the masses which are in
reality spotless as the monday sun.
OF course the newspapers, public
speakers, and men in every walk and
condition of life, in all parts of the
country, are comparing the records of
Horace Greeley, the Liberal Repnbli-
can nominee for President of the
United States, and .. S. Grant the
probable nominee of the ultra Repub-
lican party for the same high position ];
and of course much is advanced in
favor of and against both gentlemen.
To attempt to recapitulate even the
sense of all that has been said would
occupy more space than we can afford,
SO we will simply give a comparison
of our own, in very condensed form,
for which we shall claim at least the
merit of truthfulness.
Looking back some thirty years, we
find Greeley just rising to prominence
as founder and editor of the New
York Tribune, a paper that has gone
on steadily increasing in influence
and public favor until it stands to-day
at the head of American journals in
both particulars Grant is scarcely
known outside of his native village.
an obscure Democrat.
AS time flies on, Greeley grows in
prominence and the good opinions of
his fellow men, being found with his
newspaper ever advocating zealously
his honest convictions of right and
justice and fighting wrong wherever
in 1860, he adds fresh laurels to those
already gathered around his brow, by
exerting his personal influence in the
National Convention held at Chicago
to secure the nomination of that
model President, Abraham Lincoln,
and defeat the aspirations of VIM. H.
Seward. Having used the balance of
power which he held in that Conyen-
ton to accomplish this end, he
labored hard for the election of Mr..
Lincoln and had the satisfaction of
the success of has candi-
date, as it were. Up to this period |
Grant has remained in comparative
obscurity, the highest positions he
having attained being those of cap
tain in the army and manager of a tan
1ery, though we do not wish to be
as advancing the latter fact
rs anything to his discredit.
In the early part of the rebellion,
oreseeing the devastating and ter
IDLE effects of II civil war upon the
Greeley counseled peace at
ii hazards, and incurred the dis
pleasure of many from a course
alone by motives of human
ty and sincere desire for the vel
are of the nation, but when the lines
t battle were fairly drawn and com
romise rendered impossible, he es-
oused the Union cause and advoca-
ed it with vigor until the final tri-
mph of the Government over the
ebels. 1t was this civil war which
rought Grant into prominence, and
ut for which he might still be run
ing a tannery in Illinois, or pursuing ]
'me similar commonplace .occupa-
on. His tastes and talents were :
Iilitary, and he gradually rose to the /
cad of the armies of the Union. 9
artly by his own merits. Dartlv nv