The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-03-02
EMPORIA NEWS
FRIDAY, MARCH End, 1877.
Grant.

On TueSuay next PRESIDENT Oiye-
ses 8. Grant will retire to private
life. No American citizen has ever
before, for fifteen yeare, been so
prominently and actively before the
people. Since that day on the 18th
of February, 1862, when he, as 9
soldier fighting to preserve his
country, captured Fort Donelson,
and on account of the splendid vic
tory he won, sprang Immediately
into national popularity, he has lit
orally filed the public eye. The
people followed him from there to
Vicksburg; from Vieksburg to the
Wilderness, and through the VIII
derness to the White House. His
acts are known. His history is
made. He has felt all there is in
gratified ambition, and knows the
depths Of fame. We presume NO
one to-day more heartily rejoices
over his retirement than he himself
does. After all Grant has done, no
man was ever more unfairly dealI
with by large share of the people.
He has been pitllessIy followed and
logged by untruthful criticism,
which proceeded from motives OF
Jealousy, prejudice and malice. We
believe history does not record
case where q leader of the people,
in = period so full of stirring events
as that through which President
Grant has been called to pass since
he came into public life, has not
made mistakes. The retiring pres
Ident has made his. We believe the
career of the man shows they were
mistakes of the judgment and not OF
the heart. But on the part of his
political opponents and many
members Of his own party, there
has been no cessation, for years.
Of the bitter hostility which
his public and private acts have
met with. Notwithstanding all
this, the President goes out of Office
possessing the affections, confidence
and gratitude of millions of his
countrymen. They do not forget
the proves OF his generalship.
They do not forget that after all
others had failed, and after hope
had well nigh sunk, his genius as q
leader brought US through and
saved US from Acknowledgement.
They do not forget that he has been
true to Republican freedom. Ii
was a fitting close to his administra-
tion that he held the country with a
firm hand, and has contributed
more than any other man to q new
triumph for seli-geYernment. The
people will remember that it was
his firmness and patriotism that
saved US from what now, ia all
probability, would haYesbeeu a con-
dition of revolution and anarchy.
When George Washington retired
from the Presidency, in 1897, he
was followed to his home with the
following malicious assault, from
the Aurors, the organ of the oppo-
sition at the seat of government,
and the prototype of such papers as
the New York Sun:
"'Lord, now letest thou thy servant
depart in peace, tor mine eyes have seen
~ nj H..
OF man who beheld u flood OF happiness
rushingi In upon mankind. Ifever there
was time which would license the reit-
Grafton OF this exclamation, that time Is
arrived, for the man who is the source OF
all the misfortunes OF our country Is this
dag reduced to level with Dis fellow cit
liens, and is no longer possessed Of power
70 multiply evils upon the United States.
II ever there was a period for rejoicing,
this Is the moment. Every heart in uni
son with the freedom and happiness OF
the people, ought 10 beat high with eXul-
tatiSn that the name OF Washington from
this day ceases to give u currency to polit-
ieal tniquity and TO legaliZed corruption
A new era Is now opening upon us, an
era which promises much to the people;
Tor public measures must now stand upon
their own merits, and nefarious projects
can no longer be supported by q name.
lis subject Of the greatest astonishment
that y single individual should have car
rleu nls designs against the public liberty
so far as TO put In jeopardy It's very exist
ence. Such, however, are the facts; and
with these staring US in the face, this day
ought TO be n jubilee In the United States.''
So Grant will be followed to his
retirement next week by the satanic
partizan press. But the best conso-
lation he has is that impartial histo-
ry has yet to deal with his public life.
Stripped Of the personal hatred,
Jealousy and malice with which he
is dealt with now, he will then get
justice. Our children's children
shall read of him as an American
hero whose name will stand by the
side of those OF Washington, Jefrer-
son and Lincoln. This verdict will
be just, because II will be given in
the light OF his deeds and with free
dom from the partizan animosities
and prejudices with which he Is
now judged.