The daily gazette., 1876-12-16
Our Bull-Dozed President.
From the New York Herald.


die without fighting another Presidential |
battle, it deserves better than to die in a |
ditch, hunted down like an outlaw. The |
hero or u score OF campaigns fought and |
fairly won should fall, if fall it must, on |
field of honor The defender of the |
Union, the author of emancipation, and
the Saviour of the public credit, merits
more respectable fate than to dwindle |
down to a contemplate end by the de-
sertion of decent men from its standard. |
Yet precisely this is the destiny which
Chambers and Camerons and Tyners
are shaping for it, and their instrument,
we are both surprised and sorry to say,
is no less a person than President Grant.
Sorry, for-the reasons we have so briefly
given. The place of the Republican par
ty in American history is too CONSPICUOUS
and has been filled too brilliantly, for a
disgraceful termination of its record to
evoke anything but sorrow. Surprised,
because 1t shows very novel and un-
pectsd phase Of President Grants charac-
ter.
In the Presidents statement ofthe cleo
toral controversy there is visible for the
first time in his public career infirmity
of will and vacillation Of behavior. He
has been bent, like a reed in the wind,
by every blast OF advice from rash and
radical counselors. His original order to
General Sherman concerning the use of
the army in the Southern States was
timely and sagacious. But he has toler
ated the employment of troops in an un-
lawful political service in South Caro-
lima. His averment that either political
party can afford to be disappointed in the
result, but the country cannot afford to
have the result tainted by the suspicion
of unfairncss, was as true in substance as
ii was concise in expression. But when
he came to appoint observers of the pro-
ceedings of the Returning Boards at
Columbia and New Orleans and Talla-
hassee he selected them exclusively from
the Republican party. His disposition Il
few days ago to call Democrats as well
~ Republicans into consultation was
wise and patriotic. SBut it proved to be
only II good prologue of a bad comedy
1t gave occasion for % personal quarrel
and for the visitation upon the whole
Democratic party of the Presidents
anger at the indiscretion of single one
/ of It's members. Worse than all, it led
to his avowal, in a spasm of irritation,
that in his relations to the counting of
/ the electoral vote he claims right to
act as chief of Il party, and disclaims
any higher ambition than to be so re-
garded.
Now, emitting for the moment to con-
slider this t1uctuating course of conduct
in any other aspect than as an interpre-
IslllOn vi 1IdIt OWN
ter, its significance is alarming. 1t in.
vests the solving of the electoral problem
with grevious uncertainty. There are
many contingencies between this time
and the 9TH OF March in which the execu
tive will may turn the balance between
conflicting factions of Congress. 1t is al
infinite public misfortune that we car
no longer count upon that will to bt
uniform, rigid, and impartial. In thu
ri
the Wilderness to the James river thu
, country never doubted General Grant
unswerving purpose. In the long sieg
of Petersburg and Richmond which fol
lowed 1t never doubted the result for i
trusted his inflexible resolution. In th
combat between President Johnson ant
! Congress it rejoiced when the War De
partment fell under his CONTROL for i
, had perfect faith in his steadiness. Blu
who to-day has any faith in Presiden
Grants consistency of purpose and con
duct in relation to The succession to hi
office? He behaves like q bull-dozed ne
gro Leave him to himself, or put hin
: nnder fair influences, and he seems tt
know his own mind. But let the Car
penter and Cameron night-riders swool
down ipon him and he becomes an cas-,
victim Oftemper or terror.
Considering this unexpected weakne
, of President Grant and its possible abus,
: by unscrupulous Republican leaders init
, relation to the fortunes and the future o
their party, it is n Just cause of the mos
= serious alarm to every fair-mlnded MAJ
who is anxious to preserve that party.
life and credit. Either party is doomed
: to shame and destruction which installs
. | President next March by any mean.
which will not bear the full blaze of tho
lime light ofpublic scrutiny, If Cover
= nor Heyes is inaugurated by a partisan
exercise of executive force in datance %
a public conviction that his election, Il
, use President Grants own words, is
4 tainted by the suspicion of Illegal and
, false returns" the Lepublican party is
!, bound to die in ditch, in mud and il
rags. The splendor of its past career viii
9 only intensity the disgrace of miserable
end. 1t has taken the Democratic party
= sixteen years of wretched wandering il
: the wildness to recover from its respon
sibility for secession and rebellion. Otter
= during this long period its life has hung
= upon thread But for its masculine ma
< ture and the extraordinary vigoro of it:
:. partisanship it would have died a hun
: dred times since the April morning wheI
the first cannon shot was fired at Sumter
. The Republican party, more feminine IL
its character, less coherent in its con
science, would wilt and perish within a.
, many months under the shame ofas dies
perate though more lnsldlous an aSsaul
/. upon the liberties of the country by the
investment of usurper with the Presi
\ dency.
The great need of our country in this
. hour of perpleNity IS a union of moderate
men to command satisfactory settle
mcnt of the electoral controversy. The
: disposition of the Democratic leaders
from that very quarter of the States
whence Governor Tilden drew his CHIEF
support invites such n union. 1t is q
feeble expression of praise to style the
temper Of the Southern Democrats in
r Congress admirable. The natural pro
moter and guardian of such union is
| the President of the United States. II
should be made under his auspices and
by his invitation. President Grant is the
J one man of all the Al, ,000, 900 inhabitants
of our land who is commanded by office,
by honor, by duty, by patriotism, to set
such high example of impartiality, to
show so perfect an illustration of that
) grand good sense which is the essence OF
true craftsmanship. that all his fellow
citizens, of whatever party, who are re-
solved to settle the controversy fairly
shall accent his leadership But, in order