The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-03-02
Grant and the s'Little Diggers. y

There is a class of little men, of enor-
nous conceit, and of aspirations dispro-
portionate to their abilities, who, becom-
ing disguised because the world will
not accept them at their own valuation,
take delight in sneering at all who oc-
cupy high positions. These sour and
cynical spirits probably have a vague
feeling that the disparity between them
and their betters is diminished by the
license they enjoy to criticise the latter.
Their morbid egotism is nursed and
their wounded sei.se of self-lmportance
soothed whenever they find themselves
in a position to pass judgement upon
the great. There are many represen-
tatives of this grouty and unhappy
class who, in one capacity or another,
enjoy opportunities to speak of public
men through the columns of the press,
and they are pretty sure to use such
opportunities for the purposes of gener-
al disparagement and promiscuous fault
finding, Prodigal Of censure, niggard-
ly of praise, full of spirit of ungenerous
suspicion, these 'little diggers" never
attribute an honest motive to a public
man where they can imagine a corrupt
one. "The mean word" says the poet,
gloves to darken what is bright, and see
to dust each loftiest image brought" 1t
is the delight of these obscure and dis
conteuted beings to relieve themselves
from the sense of their own insignifi-
canoe by practicing the arts of calumny
and deiraction. Of late the President
of the United States has been the fav-
orte marx for the shafts of these small
souled detractors. They have sneered
at the pardon of certain persons convicted
of completely in the whisky frauds, with
out ever mentioning the fact that in
every instance of this kind he has acted
upon the recommendation of Judges and
prosecuting officers. They have spo-
ken of his endorsement of the n0ttepro-
sequi in the Belknap case, carefully re-
framing from any mention ofthe circuin-
stance that the District Attorney had
recommended that course on the ground
that the proof was insufficient to secure
a conviction, and that to 60 on with the
trial would be simply waste OF time
and labor, entailing a useless and I'M
profitable expense upon the Govern
ment. Wendell Phillips in recent
speech said "Five years from now, side
by side with ashngton and Lincoln,
will stand the name of Ulysses S. Grant
Being interrupted by applause, mingled
with a solitary hiss, he proceeded:
'sThat hiss is better than the plaudits
of the great audience, for it shows the
grandeur of his claim to public attention
There stands President Grant. He has
been sandered by his own party he has
been forsaken by many of his friends
he has borne all in calmness and with.
out fear or favor; but through it all he
has shown the integrity of Abraham
Lincoln and the decision of Andrew
Jackson. The country owes Its exist.
ence to no man more than to Ulysses S
Grant. In the line of heroes of this
and the Old and New World the name
of u. S. Grant will stand side by side
with that of Wellington"
Mr. Phillips spoke of the President
as posterity will speak of him when
those who now delight in disparaging
him will have been consigned to the OBJ
livion which is the just and memorable
doom of all mean and paltry spirits
San Francisco CrOnicle.