The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-11-30
With amotlcsfy strikingto all who know him.

he never boasts OF what he considers the
fruits OF an honest discharge OF duty.
1t is q common thing to hear the chatter
ing political magpies of the day speak OF Gen.
Grants administration as y failure. And
certain partisan wiseacres oracularly declare,
whilst Gen. Grant was n pretty good gcner-
al, he knows nothing OF the duties OF civil
life. So far from this being true, his friends
have equal cause to be proud OF his civil as
OF his military success. His administration
Will bear the test OF time, VIXEN Judged by
an Impartial postenty. Wherein has it failed?
Wherein has it not succeeded beyond reason
able expectation? Never were ON foreign re-
| lations with The nations of the earth on !.
| more satisfactory basis than at the present
time. Never WAS the character and influence
OF our country throughout the world higher
| than now. Never was our credit more firm
and stable among the capitalists OF Europe.
| Never has the American name been more re-
spected, the American flag more llonored and
1 the protection TO Amcricancofnmerce and all
other American interests more fully recog-
nized than now--at the close Of Gen. Grants
Official career.
i All the negotiations with foreign powers
have been crowned with eminent success.
No bullying of weak Powers, and cringing
to strong ones, has been practiced by him.
/ As to our Internal affairs. no man ever hai
such difficulties to contend with. With
debt of such i'm mense proportions, the re-
suit OF the war, it is well known that many
rejecting men dtslbted whether the country
could stand up Mnder it. The payment OF
the interest alone was regarded by many as
problematical. TO pay the interest and Ii
quidate a portio OF the principal was
regarded by but few as being within the
scope Of the country's resources. And the
question was whether the rates Of taxation
should be kept up high enough to meet both
requirements or whether the interest alone
| should be provided for, leaving the payment
Of the principal as 4 burden to posterity.
| Gen. Grant, with sensitive regard for the
| plightcd faith of the nation and the nainte-
| nance OF its credit iii foreign markets, has
| speedily upheld the financial policy, which
has been one of the prominent measures OF
his administration. By this he not only
PUNcTUALLY PAID THE ACCRUING INTER-
EST,
| but has paid Off some five hundred to six
hundred millions Of the principal OF the pub
J lie debt. True there have been financial
| pressure and disturbance and confusion.
| among our people at home. But Gen. Grant
is not 70 blame for this. He is not super
human; he cannot control events that seem
| to flow from 4 fixed law rs regular as that
which governs the seasons. All history
proves that long protracted wars are always
followed by financial convulsions and pecu-
mary distress. Civil wars are more produc-
tive Of these evils than foreign, for the rea-
son that the very elements Of wealth are de-
stroyed, and because internal dissersion pre-
vents that combination of national resource
and power that is the basis Of national cred
it. 1t is the part OF wise statesman to SO
direct and modify these resulting evils Of t.
.nancial disorder and distress in such way as
to render them least Injurious to the public
good until time can bring relief. This Gen.
Grant tried his best to do. 1t is well known
that he earnestly and repeatedly called the
attention of Congress to the subject of the
financial arrangement of the times, express
ing an anxious desire on his part to cordially
unite with them in any desirable measure of
financial improvement and relief. 1t is also
well known that for two or three sessions
Congress eyaded the question, and ungener-
ously left the Executive to incur the blame
and resentment of public opinion, while the
Executive was in no wise responsible. An d
when Congress finally did act it passed that
mongrel measure that blowed hot and cold
with the same breath, and which President
Grant felt it to be his duty to veto. His po-
sition on the question Of the currency has
been firm, consistent and uniform. He re-
fused to pander to the wild cry Of ''more
money! when his Judgment told him that a
suddenly bloated currency would increase
the evil rather than bring relief. His posi-
ton has been one Of conservative meditation
between extremes. While opposed to any
such sudden and extensive contraction Of
the currency as would unsettle values, dis
debtor class, yet he earnestly contends that
PAPER CURRENCY, CONVERTIBLE INTO
SPECIE,
and in volume adapted to the requirements
of trade and commerce, is the best remedy
for the financial arrangement of the times.
This ultimate end Of attaining sspecie pay
mcnt,' in such way and at such time as
would give the least shock to existing bust
ness relations Of the country, is the objec-
tive point with him. Notwithstanding our
financial complications at home, President
Grant has maintained the national credit
sound and uutarnished IN the money markets
Of the world and there is nothing Of which
President Grant and his friends have cause
to feel more proud than the fact that it was
during his administration, and as the result
Of his policy, it became firm and fixed be-
lief throughout Christendom that the United
States would be true and punctual in dis
charging all her obligations, and would pre-
serve and maintain her plighted faith to the
end.
OF all the questions chat have excited the
public mind that OIL which Gen. Grant has
been most misunderstood by some and re-
ceived the most cruel injustice from Others
is that growing out of the
DISTURBED AND UNSETTLED CONDITION
OF THE SOUTHERN STATES.
In accordance with his habtual policy, he
has quietly submitted to contumely and re
proach, patiently waiting the development
of time to do him justice. 1t seems to me
that never did any people SO little appre-
ciate Kindness as have the people OF the
South the kindness and generosity of Gen.
Grant. His whole course. both before and
since he was President, has evidenced Il de-
sire on his part to treat them with justice,
kindness and forbearance. He swaged war
against them as Christian fellow-beings,
upon d system OF benignty and magma mimi