Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1878-03-31
A Double Peril.

OnO vi thO hOtNoh> ST 49, ~ 49,
times is the disposition shown by
Grant himself and portion of the
press of the United States to keep
him before the people. In every
Instance but one, ex-Presidents of
the United States have sought a
decorous retirement when their
terms of office have expired. John
Quincy Adams, after being Presi-
dent, permitted himself to be elect
ed member of the House of Rep
resentatives. This very fact, how
ever, was a proclamation that the
ex-President had no aspirations for
political power. He simply felt
himself to be an American citizen,
knew that he had many years of
vigorous life before him and was
anxious to be of service to his fell
low citizens in q comparatively
humble capacity. It is true that
the obscurity of many of our Presi-
dents after leaving office was en-
forced. They had lost their hold
on the majority Of their fellow cit
liens. This was the case with both
of the Adamses, with Van Buren,,
Polk, Tyler, Fillmore, Buchanan
and Andy Johnson. But WASH
ington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe
and Jackson were more popular on
leaving office than when they at
tanned 1t. They sought the most
studious retirement, and, like their
less popular brethren, they never
permitted themselves to be lion
lied.
Far different is it with Grant.
Every movement of the ex.Presi-
dent since he left Office has been
nicely calculated to keep him in
the public eye. Kings to the man.
ner born in travelling invariably do
so under an incognito and repel
ostentatious attentions. We
had q notable instance of this in
the case of Dom Pedro, EN-.
peror of Brazil, in his travels in
this country and Europe. Grant,
on the other hand, has sought to
make the most of his vacated sta
ton and of his military prestige
Washington, on one of those rare
occasions in which he permitted
himself to blaspheme, in reply to
an attack Of Frenau's Aurora, &c
cusing him ofam bilious projects (h'
was President at the time) said tina,
he would rather be plain either
on his Mount Vernon farm thar
Emperor of all the world. Gran
has shown u conspicuous absenc,
of this modesty and self-contain
ment.
The New York Herald ant
Harpe,'s Weekly, ever since Grant
put foot in Europe, have shown the
fidelity of court journals in herald
Ing the ex-Presidents progress.
The course of the Herald has beer
the more noticeable from the fact
that it pretended to go into IL cru
SADIE against Grant some years ago
accusing him of meditating the
making of himself Emperor. While
pretending to deprecate such pro
gramme, from careful survey o.
its course before and since, we are
satisfied that that journal really de
sired to bring about that result. 1
was enacting the role of Mark Anto.
ny to Caesar when, thrice upon the
Lupercal, he offered the Kingly
crown to the conqueror of Pompey
The ramon is now rife that Grant.
expenses in Europe are being paiC
by Seligman and other wealthy
bankers, with the view of keeping
him before the people and making
him available in the approaching
Presidential election. They doubt
less hope that the reflected glory o.
the crowned head recognition Of
Europe Will do wonders in forming
American public opinion. 1t
may do so in the moneyed
circles of New York and New
England, where a change of the
governme of the Upited States
from Republic. 10 monarchy
would be hailed with hosannahs.
But in the Middle, Southern and
Western States, the case will be
widely different.
What between the communistic
and monarchical elements now
growing up side by side in the
United States, our institutions will
go through an ordeal far more try
ing than the Modification of John
G. Calhoun or the Secession of JEFF
ferson Davis. Grant, amongst peo-
pie who are quite willing to allow
him all the merit which is justly
his due, is the type of one danger
to the Republics; Kearney and the
men who inaugurated the riots in
the East last Summer, of the other.
The instrument of rescuing the
country from the one peril and the
other, if it indeed escape at all, will
be the Democratic party. With
such sublime responsibility i'm
posed upon their party, Democrats
should see to it that the organiza-
ton is vitalized with its old time
purity, energy and devotion to the