New-York tribune., 1876-03-04
"TIUE TO UNLOAD.D

great wisdom. His "fghting it ont on that
Cline" his "let us have peace" and more re-
Gently his "let no guilty man escape have
become, if not classic, the catchwords of poll
ticians at least, and there has been no end of
the changes rung upon them by the Presidents
personal adherents and political friends. But
we think not enough stress has been lad upon
the wise and pointed utterance III the title ot
this article, which is also one of the Presl-
dents. and one of his pithiest and best Ii was
delivered if we remember rightly, somewhere
about the time the Republican party began to
stlgger under the weight of the Credit MObiller
disclosures, and the election returns were be-
ginning to show the popular feeling upon the
subject. There has been a great deal OF un-
loading since that time. Many distinguished
statesmen have stepped down, but there has
been larger and not less 81, nihcant unload
ing of votes and voters. 1t is due the truth
to say, moreover, that the President, notwith-
standing his sagaciOus observation, has done
nothing himself to forward the process. The
unloading has been done by the people and
not by the President, nor yet by the party
leaders. If the party has n lighter load to
carry than t had year or two ago, it is not
because the managers asked Mr.. Benja-
min F. Butler, Mr.. Matt Ii. Carpen-
ter, Mr. Zach Chandler, Mr. Alexander
r. Sbephcrd, and other heavy weights To get
off, but because the people in one way and
another said to the party which persisted IN
keeping them on the load that they were not
only tired of carrying them, but that they
would not under any circumstances continue
to do it, And so far from the Presidents
having aided these gentlemen down or ad-
vised them to alight, hc has constantly and
persistcnty lifted them back. When in re-
snonse to his suggestion that it was time Tor
the party to unload the people invited Mr..
Chandler down, the President Immediately put
him back by taking him into the Cabinet.
When Congress assisted Mr.. Shepherd of, the
President fairly pitched him back When
Richardson went out OF the Treasury hc was
led directly to the bench of the Court OF
Claims. When DclanO retired, he went with
the Presidents Endorsement and certificate OF
character. And when everybody knew that
the third-tem business was the heaviest part
of the load, he waited till the people took 1t
out of his hands and lifted of so much OF 1t
as they could.
II has been time TO unload any day these five
or six years. IL is now. But the trouble Is, the
President himself and the dead weights he has
put upon the party are the things to be un-
loaded, and he either does not or Will not see
il. The sober sense of the masses IN the party
has been convinced of this u long time, but
thc strange infatuatiOn of the men who arc
active and influential in the OTganHation' and
the zeal Of the Oflice-holders who direct the
movements of the party, have stood III the way
of a frank and free avowal upon the subject.
Subseryicncy and timidity have governed the
counsels Of the party, and the consequence las
been n constant increasing instead ot tighten
ING of the load. President Grant, with his ma
terjalistic views Of politics, his system OF per
sonal government, his use OF patronage 10 re-
ward family relations and personal friends,
his stubborn disregard Of the public welfare
in his devotion to private friends and the adj
vancement of their interests, his misconcep-
tion of his duty, his blindness and his blum
derine. has been the party's constant weakness
and WEAKNESS. He is the Old Man OF the sea.
Until the party shall pluck up the courage to
throw him of, TO disclaim all responsibility
for his acts and appointments his policies and
his views his associations and all his belong
ngs, il must stagger along under load too
great for any party to bear, and stagger to
early and inevitable defeat and ruin. For the
past three years he has kept the party in
"hot waterr It had always to be OH the de-
fensiye on his account. His appointments
hayo never risen above medocrity, and his
associations and surroundings have been such
even as the average pOlitician-to say nothing
of atatesmen-would have never dared indulge
in from fear of public opinion. And yet no
President has ever received such consideration
from his party. Az his command the best and
purest statesmen in the party or in the cOun-
try have been ostracised and driven from pub
lie life, and at the same time some of the
most disreputable political adventurers and
"bummcrsn have upon his appointment been
advanced to political positions of honor and
profit.
The people have held on to belief in his
personal honesty Notwithstanding all. Out of
the wreck of his administration, that may yet
be saved. But it is too plain that he is unfit
for the station he fills. Devoted as the Repub-
lcan party has been 20 his personal fortunes,
il can no longer refuse TO see that his admin
istration has been, in every important feature,
a very bad, sickening failure. 1t cannot
afford TO carry him any longer. 1t is time to
unload. He ought to get off. 1t may be too
late to save the party even then, but it is the
only hope. In no other way can utter ship
wreck he avoided.
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