The New York herald., 1876-12-15
Our Ruli-dorcd President.


it deserves better than to die in ditch,
hunted down like an outlaw. The hero of
n of campaigns CALAMITY 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 a more respecta-
BILE fate than to dwindle down to a contemp-
tible end by the desertion of decent men
from its standard. Yet precisely this is the
destiny which Chambers and Camerons and
Tyners are shaping for it, and their instru-
ment, We are both surprised and sorry to
say, is no less person than President
Grant. Sorry, for the reasons we have
so briefly given. The place of the republi-
can party in American history is too con-
spicuous, and has been filled too brilliantly
for disgraceful termination of its record to
evoke anything but sorrow. Surprised be-
cause it shows very novel and unsuspected
phase of President Grants character.
In the Presidents treatment Of the cleo
toral controversy there is visible for the first
time in his public career infirmity of will
aud vacillation Of behavior. He has been
bent, like a reed in the wind, by every blast
Of advice from rash and radical counsellors.
His original order to General Sherman con-
cerning the use of the army in the doubtful
Southern States was timely and sagacious.
But he has tolerated the employment of
troops in an unlawful political service in
South Carolina. His avermcnt that either
political party can afford to be disappointed
in tho result but the country cannot afford
to have tho result tainted by the suspicion
Of unfairncss, was as true in substance as it
was concise in expression. But when he
came to appoint observers of the proceedings
of the returning boards at Columbia and
New Orleans and Tallahassee he selected
them exclusively from the republican
party. His disposition few days
ago to call democrats as well as re-
publicans into consultation was wise
aud patriotic. But it proved to be only
good prologue of bad comedy. 1t
gave occasion for personal quarrel and for
the visitation upon the whole democratic
party OF the Presidents anger at the indis-
cretion of n single one of its members
Worse than oil, 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 net as chief of party nnd dis
claims any higher ambition than to be so re-
garded-
Now. emitting for the moment to consider
this fuctunting course of conduct in any
other aspect than as an Interpretation of
President Grants own character, its sig
nifcancc is alarming Itinvests the solving
Of the electoral problem with grievous un-
certainty. There are many contingencies
between this time and the 4th OF March
in which the executive will may turn
the balance between conflicting factions of
Congress. 1t is an infinite public misfor-
tune that we can no longer count upon that
will to be uniform, rigid and impartial In
the bloody march from the Potomac through
the Wilderness to the James River the coun-
try never doubted General Grants unswerv-
ing purpose In the long siege of Peters
burg and Richmond which followed it never
doubted the result; for it trusted his in
flexible resolution. In the combat between
President Johnson and Congress it rejoiced
control for it had perfect faith in his steadi-
ness But who to-day has any faith in
President Grants consistency of purpose
and conduct in relation to the succession to
his office? He behaves like a bull-dozed
negro. Leave him to himself, or put him
under fair influences, and he seems to know
his own mind. But let the Chandler and
Cameron night riders swoop down upon
him and he becomes an easy victim of
temper or terror.
Considering this unexpected weakness of
President Grant and its possible abuse by
unscrupulous republican leaders in its re-
lation to the fortunes and the future of their
party it is just cause of the most serious
alarm to every fair-minded man who is
anxious to preserve that party's life and
credit. Either party is doomed to shame
and destruction which installs President
next March by any means which will not
bear the full blaze of the lime light of pub
lie scrutiny. If Governor Hayes is in
augurated by partisan exercise of execu-
tive force in defiance of a public conviction
that his election, to use President Grants
own words, is tainted by the suspicion of
illegal and false returns" the republican
party is hound TO die in ditch in mud
and in rags. The splendor of its past
career will only intensity the disgrace
of miserable end. 1t has taken the demo-
cratic party sixteen years of wretched wan
dering in the wilderness to recover from its
responsibility for secession and rebellion.
Often during this long period its life has
hung upon a thread. But for its masculine
nature and the extraordinary vigor of its
craftsmanship it would have died n hundred
times since the April morning when the first