The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-07-28
Reverdy Johnscn Compares Gran. .sa
Greeley.

man James Brooks, of New York. for an
expression OF his political views, the
hon. Reverdy johnson has written q
long letter, exhaustively discussing the
present issues, in which he says:
BALTIMORE, July Is, 1872.
The question with the people now ia.
which of the two will they have for their
next President, q. s. Grant or Horace
Greeley? The former, during the past
three years, in the Judgment Of all i'm.
partial men, has proved his utter unfit
ness for the Office; the latter, during
perld OF more than thirty years, as the
editor OF leading journal, has proved
himself, in the judgment of all Impair
tlal and competent men, to be man of
extraordinary ability, perfect patriotism
and lncorrnptible integrity. Has not
General Grant demonstrated his unfit
ness for the Presidency? His whole
career ns President has been full of blum.
ders, to use no milder term. A few in.
stances will establish this statement:
l. His selection Of his first Cabinet
was made without consultation with any
honest and experienced friend, and with
out regard to merit. He nominated as
the head of the treasury highly re-
spectacle merchant of New York, in
ignorance of the fact that by the 9th
section OF the Act Of the 22d of Septem-
Der, !7o9, such an appointment is ex-
pressly prohibited, and this upon
grounds OF the clearest polioy-tke pro-
vision being that no person concerned
in trade, directly or indirectly, is eligible
to any office created by that Act, and
after finding his error, he foolishly re-
quested Congress to modify the provi-
a q tn Ia 70
pointment.
Q. His selection of his relatives for
high and important trusts, at home and
abroad, obviously without ascertaininp
whether they were fit, and his refusal to
remove many of them, after their unit.
ness had been plainly exhibited.
3. His negotiations for the annexation
of the Dominican Republic, through no
minister selected with the approval of
the Senate, and his undignified lobby
ing with Senators to procure its ratifica.
ton; and his impertiment and insulting
message to Congress, after the treaty
was rejected, in which he designated the
rejection as an Act of "folly." His
usurpations OF the war power in threat-
enlng Hayti. having the means at hand
OF making good his threat. if they CONT
nued their hostilities against Dominica,
and doing this not only while the treaty
was under consideration by the Senate,
but after they had rejected it.
4. His open and shameless use of his
power OF patronage to support his per-
sonal administration and to secure re-
election.
8. His compelling Secretary Cox,
gentleman of ability, who faithfully
served his country during the war as a
general officer. and who was administer
ing the Interior Department to the salts
faction OF tho country, to resign, because
he had refused to tolerate the assessment
upon the salaries of his clerks for party
purposes, thereby countenancipg the
legality and propriety of such assess.
ments No greater violation of duty
could be perpetrated.
6. His not permitting. but virtually
ordering. the members of his Cabinet
and bureau officers to canvass the States
where elections have been or may be de-
pending in his behalf-thus seriously in
terfering with the public business which
they alone were appointed to attend to,
and for which alone they are paid.
I. In not only disapproving of the
acts Of Congress known as the Enforce
ment Acts of 1870 and 1871, but in reck-
lessly carrying them out by means of the
military.
8. BY his utter disregard of the rights
of the States and of the people. BY
holding the latter still as enemies, and
under this pretence continuing the mill.
tary occupation of some of the States,
and not interfering in any degree with
the unconstitutional, reckless and cor.
rnpt governments which, from the first
to the present time, have plundered
those States. involving them in almost
hopeless bankruptcy.
8. His management of our foreign re-
lations. His management of the Ala
bana claims under the Washington
treaty. 1t is unfortunately but too true
that his conduct in this respect, from
the moment that the difficulty presented
itself to the period when it was removed
in the manner just stated, has but served
to impair our character abroad and NOR
tify us at home, in making the world, at
one time, believe that we were nation
of sharpers. and at another, a nation of
blockheads.
10. His conduct and the conduct Of
the party in Congress and out of it, by
whom he is supported, in extending the
powers of the GenaraI Gnvarnmont no