New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-07-26
UyWISE CHAMPIONSHIP.

URWISE CHAMPIONSHIP.
Ex-President Grant has done great deal
of talking lately. To be more accurate, per-
sons employed to puff him have recently rep
resented him as a very t. Sative man. Per
haps he does not know how much they puff,
or what they report; other persons are great
deal more likely than Grant himself to
make it worth while for sensational writers
to spend their days with ears at
hls kevhoie. 1t was not his fashion, before
he went abroad, to seek the publication OF all
the gossip and chatter of his social hours,
and he has ceased to be Ulysses the
Silent" if the correspondents report hun
truly, or with his knowledge. Nor was 1t his
habit to make his private ambitions DIS
tastefully conspicuous. If he wants to be
President again he would be wise 10
bottle ND the persons whose continual putting,
and repetition of ms most trihing converse
tons. are making him appear particularly
eager and hungry candidate. He has been
greatly hOnOred by the country The TACT that
he has been so hOnOred does not necessarily
exclude him from the list of future
candidates. Americans are also glad to
see that he Is treated with high respect ana
distinction abroad, and that he has borne NM
self, thus far, in manner Creditable to the
country which, by virtue of his former office,
he in some sense represents. But the zeal III
reporting him, and the manner of it, begin
TO nauseate the country, because he is
made to appear as very obStrepeTpus ana
clamorous office beggar, who has only the COM
mon cunning of perpetually denying that he
wants Office IN order to keep his name per-
petually in mind.
It's the misfortune of President Grant that
the least decent people in the country are
the most vociferous advocates of his nomination.
Whatever DelanO or Williams, OF Babcock, or
Belknap may have done in the past, 1t Is certain
that they are passionately in favor of Grants
reelection now, and not man can be named
VINO has become msavory by his part in the
District ring, the Indian ring, the navy ring,
the whiskey ring, the pubic-buildlngs ring,
the postal-cOntracts ring, or any other corrupt
swindle, who is not ardently adyocat-
ing the reelection of the ex-President.
1t would be very much more pleasant
not to be forced to notice these facts.
But the men who insist upon continually
thrusting upon the country this candidacy, or
the suggestion that General Grant may be
mau6 q CdDulualts are lntIHStlNtH iVSpVh'iD'N
if the country occasionally looks up to see
whether an essential change has taken place IN
the character of his chief admirers.
There is no occasion to modify the state
ment which we have often been obliged to
make, concerning the corruptiOns which dis
figured President Grants Administration.
Men will differ very widely as to
the degree of responsibility which be-
longs to him personally, but they
cannot forget that he brought to power and
long sustained Secretary Belknap, Attorney
General Williams, and General Dabcock, and
their kind. 1t is not pleasant to say this, and
the American historian will be glad to pass as
lightly as possible over this dark side to the
eight years of General Grants civil career.
But there can be no serious effort to
make him President again without compelling
its wide discussion. The people have not for
gotten it. There is no desire to follow the
ex-President with vindictivo recOllectiOns. On
the contrary, every true American would gladly
be permitted TO forget every error III his
career and to rejoice unfeignedly in his
splendid services as defender of the national
unity in war, and Of the national honor in
peace. But the political buzzards who persist
in placing him before the country as candi-
date, with or without his consent, are compel
ling the people to remember much that they
would most gladly forget.