The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-08-29

Mobilor would be fatal TO him II no were
nominated. On tho whole, then, we think
there can be no question that the most prac-
ticablc man in this class is ELiHU Is. WASH
BURNE Of Illinois
Mr.. WAsHBuRNE was for n long time Re-
publican Representative in Congress, and is
probably moro dislikcd by men who have
served in tho House with him than any
other Representative Of our day. lie made
reputation with the public as friend of
economy and an enemy OF jObbcry and cor
ruption, and with his colleagues rs one
given to minding other peoples business
Since then he has served for eight years ~
Minister in Paris, where he got credit
with tho Germans in the Franco-Gcr-
man war for taking caro- Of German sub
jccts who were obliged to remain in France
during the period OF hostilitics. Such alb
scnce from the country is supposed
to be Of much advantage to men who
want 10 be President, by removing
them from domestic complications aud
controversies; and under ordinary cir
cumstanccs this advantage might he sui.
iiclcnt to convert Mr. WAsnBuRNE into q
real candidate; but Mt present IL will not do.
The Republican party is in desperate stu
alton. 1t is responsible for the conspiracy
TO defeat the will of the people at the last
election. II is responsible for devlsing and
concentrating tho Fraud which put HAYES
into tho White House; and, although the
Democratic party have done all that
lay in their power to relieve the Repub-
Leans from this responsibility by pro-
claiming their own devotion to the
sanctity OF HAyEs's title, and have thereby
sunk themselves into tho same foul and
rocking pit, they have not fully succeeded in
extrlcating the Republicans. Moreover, tho
Republican party has been disorganized and
almost dissolved by the folly and incompe-
tency OF HAYEs's Administration; and all its
wiser members perceive that in the coming
election no ordinary availability will answer
their purpose, but that IL ia a matter Of life
and death for them TO put up candidate
whose nomination will appeal TO q national
feeling. and give them hope Of success
Can Mr.. WAsHBuRNE, through the ma
npulation Of conventions and the genius u
the Republican press be developed into
such a candidate We do not think he can
yet as we have shown, his record has capa-
bilities, and we believe he Is more likely TO
be selected than any other politician Of them
all. He has points of strength as well as Of
weakness; and as against Democrat like
THURMAN he might be elected. Moreover, II
one other man is set aside, he stands a fair
chance to get the nomination Of his party.
That other man is ULYSSES S. GRANT
Some Republicans have turned against him,
yet NO one beside has such hold upon the
party. In our judgment the difficulties
In the way Of his election would be in
superable but this opinion will be re-
iectcd in many quarters rs merely
product of long and uncompromising OPP
position TO the political ideas and
methods Of tho man. The influences
working for his nomination are potent,
cunning, and sleepless. We expect to see
them succeed, and we expect to beat him
If he is nominated. or the two we would
rather defeat his nomination.; and yet we
would not shrink from tho necessity Of re-
sisting his election. There would be his
torical propriety in the final overthrow Of
the Republican party with the man on
horseback in command Of It's thinncd and
demoralizcd lcgions.