The Republican journal., 1875-06-17
Grant and His Candidacy, Past and
Present.

] mere are some "reminiscences connected
with Gen. Grants first nomination to the
Presidency which are OF interest now that
his second term is about to close and the
third is in agitation. 1t will be remem-
bered that he was At one time named and
even urged as the Democratic candidate.
Two Democratic newspapers in Maine
favored that movement, in the belief that
it would succeed
In his late extraordinary letter, Presi-
dent Grant asserts that he never sought
his first nomination for the presidency,
but that it was pressed upon him and ac-
cepted with reluctance, at the sacrifice of
"a position for life" which he preferred
because. rs he says, 81 was made to be
leye that the public good called me to
make the sacrifice" by way of comment
on this declaration a Washington letter
writer gives some of the private history
Of proceedings in 1868 that We're Incl
dent to the bringing forward ct Gen
Grant us a candidate.
Montgomery Blair was the first to start
Il movement for the nomination of Grant
by the Democrats, whose party Blair had
then Joined, and that movement Blair has
repeatedly asserted, on his honor IS a
gentleman. was with the knowledge and
consent OF Grant The latter visited his
house, he states, almost daily, and gave
him to understand that he was fully in
accord with the democracy, that he had
only vote he had ever cast was for the
Democratic ticket in 1863. Blair was
then inspiring articles in the New York
World and the National lntelligeneer at
Washington, which advocated Grants
nomination by the Democrats, and Grant
knew it, lie expressed himself well
pleased with the articles, and manifested
in many ways his appreciation of the in
tcrest which Blair was taking in his be-
half cit is true says Mr. BLAIR, THAT
Grant never in so many words avowed
candidate or expressed desire
in plain English to have the Democratic
nomination, but he certainly did by his
and by his general conversation,
encourage me to go on with the work |
had begun, and Just as certainly did he
give me good and sufficient cause in the
first instance to begin the agitation"
This democratic agitation of Grants
name caused uneasiness, presently, among
the Republican leaders. Forney, then con-
trolling the Chronicle, was in Europe. and
his paper had been giving prominence to
Ben Wade, but he sent instructions to Mr.
Stewart, the editor in charge, to cultivate
the general of the army and not allow
him to be captured by the Democrats.
Stewart began to do SO with assiduity. !
This resulted in series of significant
articles in the Chronicle, setting forth
Grants views on various public questions,
lor the purpose Of assuring the Republi-
cans as to his soundness and of giving
prominence to his name before the party
MIR. Stewart asserts that every one of
those articles was prepared after consul
tation with Gen Grant and full discus
sion of them with him, the purpose of
their publication being unquestionably
at is true, " Mr.. Stewart says,
Just as Mr.. Blair says, 'that all the while
there was not a word said by either of us
about the nomination of Gen. Grant, but
it was so plain from his conduct that Bar
ks was willing nay, anxious, that it was
not necessary to formally interrogate him
on this point. My object was to find out
whether he was sound on the vital issues,
and his aim appeared to be to satisfy me,
and through me the party'
Thus Grant was coquetting for the pres
idential nomination with both parties at
the same time. Blair's unauthorized court
ship on the democratic side came to an
abrupt ending when he discovered the
double game which the coy and cunning
general of the army had undertaken to
play. But Grant succeeded in bringing
the other party to a proposal and obtained
his nomination and election
In the light Of these facts, the truth of
which we do not at all doubt, we can I'M
derstand what meaning to put upon his
words when he says, with reference to a
third term, 81 do not want it any more
than l did the first" He did want the
first very badly = badly enough to be