Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-11-12
GRANTS FAILURE.


The truth Of the old saying put 4
beggsr on horseback and he will ride to
the devil' is fully illustrated in the fail
ure Of political mendieants who acct
IDENTIFY ride Into high places. The world
knows that L. ). Grant is wholly unfit
for the place to which he was elected.
He IS utterly devoid OF craftsmanship
and the result is he has brought his par
" to ruin, just Is rapidly as the beggar
rides to death the poor beast which
he stTsddles. There is a refreshing sim
plicity about his administration which
forci5ly recalls SsnchO Panza when lie
had accidently become a governor. Sur
rounded as Grant is by sycophants who
are not ashamed to lick the dust at his
feet FOR the fayOrs he has 10 confer, he
supp0ses that his own virtues and mer-
Its deserve and command adulation and
does not for a moment suspect the mo-
tive to be "thatlthrift msy,follow fswn-
ing Ignorant alike Of politics, Of his
tory, and Of human nature, he forgets
the dreary years Of his life, when, hsv-
ing descended from the high estate Of
graduate from West Point, he had sunk
so low in his own and public estima-
ton a. to find no better en-
plOyment than peddling cord-wood
in st. Louis, or serving as clerk In a
lanyard in Illinois for seven hundred
dollars a year, where, amid the deli
ciOus OdOTs Of such place, sycOphsnts
would never have yentured to seek or
fswn upon him, and where no fistterers
could be found more cOurtly than the
Doors VINO brought in the savory skins
OF the loads OF tanbsrk for sale. Grants
military fame il perhsps imperishsble, !
but his career as President of the United
States viii be execrated 10y the future
historian. Had Grant lifted himself
above his sordid passions he could have
given peace to the country i've years
ago, and instead OF subjecting himself
and his party TO the shame and humilia-
ton OF an ignOminious defeat, there
would have been no opposition to his
administration, and he would have re-
tired from Office followed by the love
and affections of the American people. /
But instead Of this he has prosecuted
the south, made and unmsde State gov
ernments by stroke Of his pen. He
has been in Office five years. and the
finances OF the country are still
in the widest chaos; millions of
acres OF the peoples public do
main have been bestowed upon party |
fsvorites and swindling rings; couup- |
ton stalks at MONDAY through every
department Of the government, while /
bribery controls the legislation Of con-
gress. We see whole States with their |
wealth, the lives and liberties OF their |
people handed over to bands OF orgap- |
lied thieves and robbers, such as could |
not be found in any States prison in
the land. He has permitted congress
even to join that infamous body IN |
trsmpling upon the constitution in utter /
disdain Of its authority as the supreme
law, exemplifying and unfolding the
most dangerous usurpatiOns Of power; /
legislating against the south as though |
her people were conquered aliens held |
in subsection to government they had |
no part in originating; melting So
cial discOrd in the old slave States
by embittering the black man against |
the white man; encouraging the |
control Of elections by the bayo-
net; disregarding the opportunities Of
an oppressed people for fair dealing in
the participation to which they were
entitled in directing their own local
affairs turning their backs upon all the
principles and all the precepts OF the
founders Of the republic; snd, in a word.
reversing the spirit, the genius, the OBJ
jects, everything but the name of the
government they have been undermin-
ing and profaning. Washington CITY
is considered the great Augean stabls
and the administration OF General
Grant has been not only singularly stol.
id and indifferent, but has been an active
participant in it. The country has be.
come convinced of this fact, and il has
combined into one vast, Overwhelming
sentence Of condemnation. The people
have made the house Of Representatives
a bulWark 10 stay the further usurpa