The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-01-25
From the N. Y. Herald.
What is President Grant Aiming at

lie life and the country nau ood~~ 40
first knowledge of him from his recent acts
the universal impression wonia De tnat an
;ncomnetent man had been lifted to sta
tion above his abilities and that his stupen-
dous blunders are the fruit Of incapacity |
and folly. No man of even the most COM
monplace ability as politician could per- |
petrate such astonishing mistakes if actu- |
ated by honest motives and ordinary pru-
dence. Vice President Wilson may not
deserve to be ranked with the highest or
der of statesmen, but he is man Of excel
lent sense, long experience, quick percep-
ton of popular tendencies, and no man in
the country is better qualified to Judge
what the people, and especially the Repub-
hcan patty, will or will not indorse. his
recent letter to the editor OF the Spring,
field RepubLican goes as near as othciai
propriety will permit to making President
Grant responsible for the gloomy outlook
of the Republican party. He does not
think the case desperate, but he sees no
safety for the party but in repudiating the
mistaken policy of the President Vice
President Wilson is an original Republi
can, entitled by long service and unswerv-
ing fidelity to be listeDed to as an advisor !;
and when he is constrained to censure Gen.
Grant in a public communication the Re-
publican party will be disposed to weigh
his reasons, When SO eminent and trust
ed Republican undertakes to show that
the fortunes of the party are not yet des-
perate, and to point out methods ct rescu-
ing it from impending destruction, the
sense of danger which such an effort be-
trays is very significant.
But Mr.. Wilson's letter does not touch
upon the most recent and alarming meas
ures of the President He merely ac-
counts for the astounding Republican los,
ses in last years elections and suggests
means of retrieving them The high
handed military interference in Louis
lana is the most damaging blow of all,
and its prompt repetition In Mississippi
exposes the insincerity of the recent Mes
sage. 1t indicates an unrelenting purpose
to employ similar means in like emergen
cies. When President Grant caps the pre-
vious blunders which the Vice-Presiden
depreeates with this open and persisten
affront to the most deeply rooted sentiment
of American citizens the conduct OF tn
President becomes stupendous enigma
Is he demented, or is he resolutely bent o.
the subversion of our free Institutions
A simpleton might uuwarily fall Int
such astonishing blunders as General Gran
has perpetrated ia his recent employment
of military force; but it is not easy to Civ
him the benefit Of that excuse. Nobod
who has had opportunities for closely Oh
serving President Grant believes him
fool Friends and foes alike who hav
been in personal contact with him unite
declaring that he is man of uncommo
capacity. Alexander Fl. Stephens, who
a person of superior talents himself, an
therefore competent judge of talents, ha
good opportunities to take the measure
General Grants capacity at the time
the famous Hampton Roads conference,a al
his testimony 70 Grant sinteilectua, capa
is most emphatic. General Frank Bl;
had still better opportunities for observi
him in long and intimate army assoc
tions. and nobody can have forgotten til
in the Presidential campaign of 1868, VIII
the whole Democratic press was decryi
General Grant as man of slender capa
ty, General Blair stated that this slight
estimate was mistake, and asserted tt
Grant possessed a vigor of mind and int,
sity of ambition which would make
election to the Presidency a great pub
danger The substance of General Blai
memorable declaration was that if Gene
Grant were once elected to the Presider
he would never relinquish the office. 7
events of the last two years tend to vim
cate the penetration of General Blair.
is only under such President as Bl
supposed Grant would be that the tn
term question could have arisen to ala
the country. The imputation Il
President Grant was scheming for a tn
election, though regarded with incredul
at first, is almost universally credited
present. Vice President Wilson eviden
believes it, If he thought it had
foundation he would emphatically say
in the face of the country. instead of C
ing on the President to make a public
nunciation of such designs. Why sho
he think ii necessary for General Gram
renounce such pretensions if his own
servation of the Presidents charae
had not convinced him of the reality of
danger?
President Grants recent conduct is C
sistent with this theory, but is inexplica
on any other unless it be the theory t
he is dolt in public affairs. If he is
termined at all hazards not to relinqu
his office at the expiration of his pres
term,the extraordinary things he has b,
doing are Ineligible; ON any other by
thesis they are puzzle, So. long as
Republican party maintained its old asc
dancy showed no signs OF decadence it '
natural for President Grant to trust
common political arts. With that party
an assured majority he had only to sec,
its nomination to realize his hopes, and
activity of the Office holding interest mi
have been relied on for packing the
tional convention in his favor. But ST
last years elections have demonstra
that the Republican nomination will not
equivalent to an election the President
been forced to change his third term I
tics. His mere nomination will be NJ
easily secured when its worthlessness to
ordinary candidate abates competiti
The difficulty will be in electing the no
nee, and the game the President is play
looks further ahead than mere nomi
ton. 1t is apparently his policy to br
the Southern states under military con,
and make their votes in the presiden
election depend on his will. By reviv
and infaming the old animosities betw,
the North and the South he hopes to
the votes Of many of the Northern sta
and to secure his success by military cont
of the Southern elections. The third te
question, therefore, comes up in a m
dangerous aspect than ever. 1t looks
II General Grant were determined to
elect himself by tramping down all rig
In the South and making the bayonet
instrument of political success. The sa
means by which he undertakes to cha
the political character of Southern legi
lures would be equally effective in cont
ling the Southern electoral colleges, and
would seem to be trying how far he n
go in employing the army to Illustrate ell