Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-12-01
A SOLITARY MOURNER.

A SOLITARY MOURNER.
Virginia has the credit representing the
solitary mourner at the funeral of the late
President Grant, or as he was better known
to the Americans from his habit of inter
twining the bayonet with the constitution,
the late General Grant. To the surprise
of every one there has popped out of the
last hack in the procession the "Valley
Virginian" with portentous mourning
streamer on its hat, chanting coronach
to the deceased. "Gentleman' says the
mourner applying pocket handkerchief
to his eyes, ''the century in which he lives
will present no grander character for the
contemplation and study of posterity. He
has been accused by party hatred exaspe-
rated because of assured disappointment in
securing the control of the civil offices of
the government of wanting to usurp
power. But (sobs) it-iJ-is-isn'J so gentle,
men. Impartial history will do him justice
(tears) and to-to-to that he may patti
emily and confidently appeal" And here
the grief stricken one is so overcome by
his feelings that he promises to continue
them in his next in the form of an table
review" from the organ Of the deceased at
Washington signed Justice" could it be
Boss SHEPHERD or BABCocK? to which
fearful occasion be invites his readers.
Without waiting for the able review, we
think the thoughtful reader may find in
the ssVirginian's'' brief article sufficient
suggestion to convince him, if he is UMPIRE.
JUDGED, that GRANTS administration will
be study for posterity. Posterity,. for
instance will knit it's brows when reading
that GRANT was the President that
marched troops into the Louisiana legisla-
ture and marched out members, afterwards
declared by committee of his own party
in congress to have been legally elected
and that on the eve of Presidential cleo
ton he marched the same troops into three
of the States of the Union. 1t will be as
tonished to note that on the investigation
of great whiskey fraud the very first par
ties convicted were an intimate, personal
friend of the President, tMCDoNALD) and
the proprietor of his organ at St. Louis
(MCKEE), and that the man who came
nearest to conviction in law, and was con-
victed in the public mind was the Presi-
dents confidential secretary, (BABCocK).
Posterity will rub its eyes when it hears
that the Presidents brother-ln-l law, Corbin
was the head of the great Black Friday
fraud and that it was traced up to the
very door of the Presidential mansion. 1t
will be startled when it learns that the
President of the United States invited to
dinner a man under Indictment for burgla.
gy.
Posterity may learn from the study OF
this grand character, cut off by the Gin
cinnati convention in the eager bloom of
it's youth, how statesman may undertake
to guide a state with no other idea OF
craftsmanship than the bayonet; how an
honest ruler may best make an honest
government by surrounding himself with
thieves; how President, having the keys
may say, "Let no guilty man escape" and
vet unlock the door for thieves as fast as
they are convicted, and kick out of Office
their prosecutors, and how just Execu-
tive may accept the resignation of guilty
cabinet officer in time to save him from
conviction by impeachment. He has in
deed managed to proclaim at home an(
abroad that American citizenship Is some
thing more than meaningless term" AT
home he has made it full Of meaning. I
means in three States in this union tina
when citizen casts his vote he shall do it il
the presence OF negro deputy u S. MarshalI
and with the CLEAN of the q. S. bayonetS 0
yer the bLlot-box; he has made it mean tina
if the citizen shall get his ballot into tll'
box it shall be counted out by a Returning
Board, conceded on all hand to be com
posed of ssdishonest men and politics
5ricksters,'' whose groupings out OF rascal
ity are to-day astonishing the American
people of both sections, and OF all politics
he has made it mean that for days before
elections, citizens may be arrested by L. S
Marshals backed by troops, and cast int
prison. and he has made it mean that in a
least two States in tlis Union, rascals whi
have been thoroughly exposed by commit
tees of his own party shall be upheld b,
y. s. troops in their rascality. Posterit,
will have it's head and hands full Of adj
miration of this ''grand CHARACTER OF The
century, but will doubtless divide its tinF
in wondering what sort OF people chos,
this sort of character to rule over them To-
two terms.
But if posterity will do justice to thi
grand character, we also claim in behalf O.
other grand characters, the same justice
We ask that KELLOGG and CHAMBER
LAIN and ZACH CHANDLER and WELLS
and MORTON and CALLED JOYCE aiit
BELKNAP and all the other s'grand charac-
ters," who have been grouped with th'
President, before and behind the curtain
c!,al1 baUa tha same luStiCa