The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1876-11-23
Is GRANT GREAT OR LICTLE--A
PATRIOT OR UsURPER9

Grant won fame originally by the curt
meas of his response to the commander at
Fort Donelson, and he was long known as
Unconditional Surrender Grant" His
laconicisms have passed into history and it
must be confessed that he now and then
manages to compass an infnitude of wis
dom and right In the fewest words uttered
at the very proper place and moment. If
an ordinary governor or politician had un-
dertaken to discuss the pending presiden-
tial imbroglio he would have spread it
thinly over eight or ten columns of news
paper. But when u. s. Grant pronounces
judgment non h0ret in cortiee. BY seem-
ing intallible instinct he goes to the "bot-
tom facts" and compasses the whole argu.
ment and recital in breath. The follow
ing is admirable:
Should there be any grounds of suspicion
OF fraudulent counting on either side it
should be reported and denounced at once.
No man worthy the Office OF President
should be willing to hold it il counted in"
or placed there 10y any fraud. Either party
can afford to be disappointed in the result,
but the country cannot afford to have the
result tainted by the suspicion of illegal or
false returns. U. S. GRANT.
We present IL as a model not only in It's
form but its substance and commend it to
Executive" officers everywhere when dis
cussing affairs of state. II the President
be actuated by the purposes here defined,
every honest citizen, whatever his affilia-
tons as partisan, must confess
the honorable and patriotic impulses of the
President, and as we'll his ability, on the
instant, to give them admirable expression.
But the Presidents conduct has hardly
been conformed to the lofty serse of justice
and right embodied in this note. lie has
suffered himself to be used by Chamberlain
to recOAsign South Carolina to black perdi.
ton and assure the States vote for Hayes
He has sent troops by the score into Lousi-
ana when the Governor has not asked it,
and when the Legislature might be con-
vened "in case OF instruction or INVASION"
and neither emergency has arisen, and nei-
Their is possible. And yet the President as
sumes that it is his duty to send soldiers
into Louisiana, to keep the peace as we are
told; but who knows besides the President
that he tells the truthl 1t is safer to incur
dangers OF local bloodshed and violence
than establish presidents which worse men
than Grant might employ to subvert the
country's liberties, shape by force the re-
suits Of elections and overawe a wronged
and helpless population. But if it appear
at last that President Grant has been actu
ated by those admirable impulses and pur-
poses defined in the brief paper above
printed, let US not fail, when the end comes,
TO do him perfect justice. He may have
transcribed his powers, as these are com
monty supposed to be limited by the prac
tees Of his predecessors and by the Con
stitutIon; but il he have only blundered
in law and not in fact, and if it be shown
that his sole purpose is to assure the coun-
try's peace, to prevent violence and see that
the true aud proper results of elections
shall be announced, then let us award to
Grant the full measure OF justice. just
now he seems tyrant and usurper.