New Orleans Republican., 1873-06-28
PRESIDENT GRANT.

At the risk of being called sycophant
by partisan press that lets no oppor-
tunity to pass to misrepresent the man
whose military and civil achievements en-
title him to be ranked with the truly great
men of this country, and who now occ0-
pies the highest Office within the gl1t OF
free people, to which position he was re.
Gently reelected by his adnlirlnS ane
grateful country. we propose to say a
few words in praise Of his good deeoS
and those traits of character that have
SO distinguished him. and made nm
the most popular man IL the eona-
try with a very large majority
of his countrymen. Following the light
of the New York .>un-the luminary that
enlightens the opposition press OF TINS
country-the New York World and the
New Orleans IInsss and Picay"ne paint
our President upon all occasions in very
unbecoming colors. They picture him as
an avaricious, ambitious, cruel. remorse-
less. brutal tyrant, who has already placed
his foot upon the constitution OF his
country. and laid violent hands on the
liberties of the people by sweeping from
their temple of freedom the beautiful
columns that were placed there by
patriotic hands as its main support. Now,
seriously, we object to this style OF paint
ing our worthy President because in the
first place it is very Objectionable to a
very large majority of tie American peo'
pie, and, in the second place. can accom-
plish no good to the very industrious ar
lists of the press who labor SO hard to get
them up. Ordinarily, We think the la
borer worthy of his hire. but have no
sympathy for those laborers who wlllfuliy
misapply their industry and talents. No
man with brains enough to honestly study
and understand President Grants char
acter would ever accuse him of being
ayaricious This is not a trait OF his
character. He certainly displayed no ex-
traordinary desire for gain in his boyhood
and early manhood.
In making choice Of business at that
time Grant gave good proof that he was
not avaricious. He entered upon a legiti-
mate business of industry instead OF q
speculative business that sometimes gives
sudden wealth He became literally
newer of wood and drawer Of water from
choice, though his education-having
been educated at West Point-htted him
for almost any station in life. But the
chief evidence that he is not avarlclous
was given afterward, when he held an i'm
portant command during the war for the
Union When in command OF the army
investing vicksburg, and after the
fall of that place. if he had been
an avaricious man be could have
secured all the money he wanted. But
he was not, and he left the army again a
poor man. The manner in which Presi-
dent Grant re-entered the army when the
integrity of the country was assailed is
sufficient to gainsay the charge made
against him by his political enemies.
namely. that he has bad ambition-an
ambition that is dangerous to the liberties
Of his country. When other men were
seeking commissions in the army. he en-.
listed in the ranks and took his chances
for promotion. and soon rose from
a. \, Md n n
of all the armies of the republic. and as
such brought the war to successful close.
His devotion to freedom and valor saved
the republic in its entirety. and as a
recompense for his services to the country
his countrymen called him directly from
the army to the Presidency-an honor
that had been conferred on no other man
in this country until then; not even Wash
ington. That noble patriot had resigned
his commission in the army and returned
to Mount Vernon when he was elected first
President of the newborn republic. But
we are little in advance of what we In
tended to say and prove. Having shown,
conclusively we think. that President
Grant is neither avaricious nor ambitious,
as his enemies assert. to a degree thai
is anything but beneficial to the country,
we desire to show that the charge Of bru'
tality and cruelty is also false. We
can best do this by referring TO his
conduct TO a vanquished foe. His
treatment of General Lee, and The
brave soldiers under him. when
be surrendered is full refuta:ion Of the
charge of cruelty. What then is there
| in the conduct OF President Grant to war
| ran. the charges that are daily preferred
against him by political enemies
Nothing, in fact. He made faithful and
| efficient soldier and commander OF the
| armies Of the Republic, and in considera
ton of the high services he rendered to the
country in its time of imminent peril he
has been twice called to the highest civil
position known to a nation of freemen
That his conduct as President is approved
by his country has been clearly and
strongly demonstrated by his recent re
election, in which he was honored by the
almost unanimous vote of the people
Let the press who attack President Gran
| remember this, and remember, also, tha
in attacking him they indirectly attacl
the great majority of the American peo
pie, for whom. they profess such a deel
regard. President Grant is the same
silent, efficient worker at the head OF civi
affairs that he was at the head OF the