The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-08-23
APROPOs OF GRANTS CANDIDACY

nc hlDhlEy argus, commenting on brother
Orville's' observation In regard to Grants
having been educated up" to running for the
presidency once before. says that Col For
ney has claimed the credit Of that business,
and he said that the only way he could
educate Grant up TO standing for the first
term was by assuring him that it was feaBl-
bic for him to attain Il second. "'rhe
Colonel succeeds in showing" says the Arnus,
that Grant. fur from being reluctant, was
about the most greedy man for place and
power. he ever encountered, and the Colonel
has encountered some pretty tough mon In
his time. So much for educating Grant
up"
The Argus goes on to observe very pithiIy:
either tho country" or the party is interest
ing in two respects. It shows that tho presi-
dency thioyes run to cant now, as much rs thoy
did whom Henry Wilson's declaration that tho
Republican, party was founded on tho Rock Of
Ages-and Wilson was capable Of just that bias
phemy---was applauded by Old Subsidy Pome-
roy. Ia the iew intervals be allowed himself in
the alternate work Of loading prayer meetings
ana tsog orRes tr2m a obhyss T4e m
Grants opinion he ls an appointed savior of
society OF, Of the party n either society or
demptlon would not bring dime In u Saratoga
pool sale Tho atrectation or deuson, how
SFeE. Oh ono nun DOING necessary TO save the
people. or u considerable purity Of them, Is in
teresting MS an exhibit Of tho result Of senti-
mental politics and prolligate and lawless adj
miuistratlon on tho hypocrites, scoists and
bandits. ut bay who arc playing leading bust
ness In tho Republican organization at this
time.
To almost any American the attainment of
the presidency Is regarded us the attainment
of the height Of human ambition and that it
was not 50 to Grant, that he had to be ''edu-
Gated up to 1t, meant simply that he had no
appreciation whatever of the exalted honor
OF the position, but that, with the true in
stinct of the tramp. he knew O soft place
when he happened on it and was unwilling to
give up sure and lasting sinecure for any
position Of limited tenure, no matter how eX-
allied 1t might be. A man of such low and
unworthy views should never have been
thrust into the presidential office, and made,
aS it were, the apex of American civilization
The people have become Wearied and dis
gusted at the lightness with which Grant has
treated the honors they showered upon him,
and now that he has grown importunate, he
only makes himself the more offensive by
the stale assumption OF his old airs. Under
the circumstances he is simply disgusting,
and it is not likely that he will be driven from
his obscurity by the importunacy Of the
people,
To-day Grants highest aspiration and |
dearest wish is to be pensiOned on the govern !
ment. He would rather be made field mar
shal, Or have some other such fantastic title |
conferred on him, with nothing to do and a |
handsome income out of the taxes of the peo- |
ple than be made President for a third term. |
The spectacle of Washington at Mount Yer |
non, or Jefferson, as the justice of the peace, |
in the Monticello neighborhood, has no |
charms for him.
There is no doubt in the world that this de- |
sire is the strongest within him. His brother
says that the idea Of working for q living is
most repulsive to him. and that he would re-
gard such necessity as humiliating in the |
extreme. That is not view common in |
America, even to ex-presidents. All the vir-
tue, herosm and grandeur of Ancient Rome |
has not presented a single picture more
familiar to our people, nor a moral more i'm
pressive to them, than that of Cncnnatus at |
his ploW. Our ex-presidents have been re-
garded as eXamplars of this idea-as splendid |
illustrations of the mOdesty of republican
ambition and the safety Of democratic insti-
tutions. AS the New York Herald aptly OBJ
serves:
No citizens have been so destitute of influence
in proportion to their ability and experience as
the ex-presidents of the United States. Wheth-
er they had served two terms or one, as soon as
they were once out of Office they ceased to have
any influence which could render them in the
slightest degree formidable. John Quincy
Adams was elected to Congress without any
effort OF his own, and Andrew Johnson barely
himself sent to the Senate. Ex-Presidents Van
Buren, and Fillmore were candidates for the
Ire 3itencV, but were merely makeWeights to
tprn the scale between the regular contestants.
Nothing could be more ehimerical or preposter
Gus than the fear Of any danger to our institu-
tonS from running an ex-presdent as can
didate for the highest office. An ex- president
is merely a citizen. standing on the same level
as other citizens and restrained by a sense Of