The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-03-11
A PICTURE OF GRANTISM.

PICTURE OF GKANTlSM.
To the observant mind it must seem
strange that the Belknap case has Gre
ated 80 profound sensation through
out the Union. The guilt OF the Secre-
tary and the efforts Of the Administra-
ton to screen him from punishment are
in perfect accord with the conduct Of
the Federal Government for several
years past. General Grant has been
the corrupt fountain, and the whole
stream has been corrupt from the begin
ming. What American who has the in
stinct Of gentleman can view, without
the blush Of shame, the wholesale
gift-taking which has made the
President rich? or recall his third term
letter, which treated his high trust
as President, as the reward OF personal
services. Who does not remember
Black Friday? Who does not recall
the Presidents public reception, at the
Executive mansion, of an indicted crimi-
nal while under trial Who does not
remember that Attorney General Will
liams, who was driven in disgrace from
the Cabinet, was nominated by the
President for Chief Justice Of the Su-
preme Court Of the United States With
Secretary Fish, whose son-in-law was
the representative Of q foreign govern
ment, as Secretal Of State; with Will
liams, as Attorney General, corruptly
appropriating the funds Of the Depart
ment of Justice; with Delano, and
Chandler, and Belknap as Secretaries
in his Cabinet; with Babcock as private
Secretary, and Mckee, Boss Shepherd
and Butler as his boon companions,
who can doubt the guilty knowledge Of
the President, II not his participation in
all that has made his administration in
famous? We Of Louisiana have seen
much Of his lawlessness and malfeas-
ance. We saw him make haste to recog-
nize the Kellogg usurpation In 1872.
We read his message to our people,
sent through his Attorney General,
that the President had made up his
mind, and the committee Of citizens
had best stay at home. We read his
telegraphic correspondence with Casey,
when the midnight order was issued. We
saw him appoint Longstreet in 1873, and
Wells in 1876, to important Federal Of
fees, as the reward of their Infamous
conduct in classifying the official returns
Of State elections. We have seen him
sustaining Packard as marshal, as the
reward of his lawlessness and scoun-
drelism. and appointing Mr.. Billings,
the reputed author Of the midnight
ORDER" Federal Judge in place OF Judge
Durell, whom the House impeached
for signing the midnight order"
We saw him eagerly sustaining
the ruffian Phil Sheridan, in his
efforts to drive the people Of Louisiana
into rebellion in 1875. and his Cabinet
telegraphing their appreciation OF Sheri-
dams false and calumnious "banditti'
dispatches. Why should we not believe
that General Grant, who has assembled
these unprincipled and lawless men
around him, has been all along cogni-
zant Of their guilt--nay, how can we
repel the belief that he has been, though
perhaps by indirection. the participant
in their guilt? We Judge the tree by its
fruits, and know the man by his asso-
GATES
And what spectacle for our Centen-
NAL year. With Grant as President;
Celfax as late Vice President; Delano,
Williams and Belknap in the Cabinet
West, Spencer and Clayton as Senators
Durell and Busted and Moses as
Judges; Sheridan as General Of the
armies: Kellogg and Ames as Gov
ernors; with Credit Mobilier, Emma
Mines, post trader sales, gift-taking,
bribery, defalcation, corruption in Off
cial position, high and low, revenue
frauds, cotton frauds and crooked whis-
ky, how dare we celebrate the hundredth
year of our nationality? But we men.
ton these things with less humiliation
when we remember that the crushed |
and bleeding South is no actor in this
drama Of infamy.
While we recognize the fact that there
are millions of Northern citizens who
burn with indignation and shame at the
disgrace which Grantism and the Re-
publican party have brought to the
United States, we point with pride to
our Southern statesmen and soldiers |
Though denounced as rebels, and sub
jectcd to the slanderous abuse of the
and Fryes, and other ghouls Of
who does not feel proud Of
the personal purity Of Jefferson Davis,
Of the lofty spirit of Gordon, Of the per-
feet integrity Of Beauregard, Hood and
Johnston; and who does not glory in
The deathless names OF Breckenridge,
Of Sydney Johnston, of Stonewall Jack
son and Robert L. Lee
Let honest men Of all parties, OF all
,olors and nationalities, quit the Re-
publican party. Let Northern men and
Southern men bury all memories Of
past divisions, and rally to the rescue Of
our common country. Let the thieves
% driven from power. and when we
nave wiped out the foul stain which
hey have cast upon our good name as a