National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-05-12
should be in every library andin every family,
and the success of the agents labors will be
in the interests of general intelligence.
AHanE

CFrom the Wilmington IN. Co. Post.l
It is about time for that portion of the
American people who yet have left any sense
of decency to pause and reflect a little upon
their treatment of the man whose name stauds
at the head OF this article. Man-worship is
not consistent with the self-respect of an
American citizen, but some men ought of
right TO be held in higher estimation than
others, and extraordinary public service rem
dered at periods of public peril, whether 1t
occurred fortuitously or in consequence ofthe
genius of the individual, ought to entitle such
q person to q certain kindly Difference, and at
least to immunity from calumny and insult.
It is admitted that neither length nor emil
hence Of public service, nor unblemished pri-
vate character, nor official position, however ee-
waited, should shield the acts Of public ser
want from Just criticism, but the Prescriptions
ought always to be in favor Of men who have
behind them career sigualized BY repeated
acts which resulted eminently to the public
welfare.
Now we forefend that nobody need suspect
us of announcing that we are in favor Of the
'sthird tern" or that we think 1t necessary to
enter into Iabored defense of Grants admin
istration. We take 1t for granted that when
ever President Grant becomes q candidate for
the Presidency again somebody will announce
II authoritatiVely; that he has no intention Of
declining the nomination until 1t is rendered
to him; and that 1t will be soon enough to CON
slider the question when some sort of intima-
ton is given from some authentic source in re-
gard to it. We have no public patronage; we
ask no favors Of anybody; we publish this paper
because we please to, and no man bic or low
can dictate to US. But we do intend to yindi-
cate fairness and truth and fair play as we I'M
derstand it.
We say, then, that the attitude Of portion
r. r.. T,;Ka ID GNaka
towards the President is UNANIMOUSLY disgrace
full. Nearly every man in the South who was
identified with the conspiracy to break up the
National Union; nearly every man who after
wards Joined in the open rebellion; nearly all
in the South who, since the war, openly, to
the extent of their ability, thwarted the pur-
poses of the Government, notwithstanding
their parole; every traitor in the North who,
during the war, conniyed at and countenanced
the Vaccinations of the rebels and thus
thwarted the Government: all dissatisfied po!-
iticians like Trumbull, Feuton, SchurZ, Tip
ton, and others; every infamous villain like
Charles A. Dana, of the New York Sttn; every
supercilious and INSCRIPTIONS adventurer like
Whitelaw Reid, of the New York T,ibua-,
whose wiles and arts led Horace Greeley to
his grave; many uusophisticated, weak-eyed,
hydrocephalic simpletons, who mean well
enough, but who have not the brains to COM
prehend the situation; all this indefnable
herd are pouring the slime of their calumny
upon the President of the United States.
Every official act is misrepresented. Every
prominent officer of the Government is as
sailed and vilifled. Because the President, in
the forms of law, caused the arrest, trial and
punishment of certain persons in the South
ern States-among them some in North Caro-
lina-for conspiracy and murdG- and torture
of citizens, he is denounced. Because he in
terposed the strong arm of the law against
bandits and coDspirators at New Orleans he is
vilified. Because be did not look complacently
upon the wanton murder Of citizens at Vieks-
burg he was assailed, in q manner and vernac-
ular of which the blackguards in the lowest
slums of New York would be ashamed.
The President cannot walk out of a morn
ing, or take drive in the evening, or dine pri-
vately with a friend in a neighboring city, or
promenade the White House grounds, or stroll
through the greenhouse, or look in at his
stables, without being followed by the harpies
of the scavenger press, hunting for material
for a fresh Misrepresentation. Neither his
wife, nor his son, nor his daughter, nor his
daughters husband are protected from indeli-
cate comments from the ty-fngered sneaks
of the scavenger press. We repeat that this
treatment of the Chief Magistrate is burn
ing and singing disgrace to the American peo-
pie. We stand before the civilized world as a
nation of Doors and blackguards, who have
not enough sense of decency to treat with re-
spect our highest officer, man whom the peo-
pie have twice called to the Chief Magistracy
of the nation almost by reclamation, in ac-
knowledgment of deeds which have placed
; him beside the greatest military commanders
known in history.
In speaking thus, we repeat, that 1t is no
part of our purpose to indicate anything in
regard to the next Republican candidate.
We would not if we could, say anything to
forestal the independent action of the next
National Republican Convention. We will
undoubtedly be ready to abide the judgment
of that convention in good faith and sincerity
and earnestness. But we speak in behalf of
decency towards the highest officer of the
nation, and in behalf of national self-respect.
In these later days there has sprung up q
school of politicians who feed entirely upon
political scandal. A hog no more readily
revels among the garbage of the gutter, a
buzzard no quicker flies towards the carcass of
a dead mule, than do they hurry toward
political filth, and when there is in fact no
filth they imagine 1t, and feed upon imagin-
ing. These scandal-mongers are the pests of
these times, always abroad under the assumed
name of reformers. They are our political
scaVengers and buZZards, no more capable of
being made into decent men than a buZzard
can be made into palatable turkey or a crow
into a partridge. When we get nd of the
whole odorous flock, which is stalking about
snufing for any and every possible stencil, the
country will be cleaner and filter for the hab:-
tation Of respectable men.