Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-11-06
THE PRESIDENCY.
Grant, Sherman and BIat,ae as Opposing
Candidates.


Grant, Sherman and Blaine as Opposing
Candidates.
"Gath," in Cincinnati Enquirer.
The denomination of General Grant now
lies wholly in himself. It is out of the pow
or of any combination to defeat his nomina
ton if he should desire the Office. At this
stage of the struggle I feel that weakness
soldiers have on the night before the action
could almost wish that Grant had it in his
heart to say, 81 will not be President again."
But neither him nor his supporters can
withdraw themselves from tho surrounding
agencies and circumstances. If any thing
in this country prevails over every thing
else, it is the flood and current of public
opinion. When Washington resigned his
commission at Annapolis there was no gen
eral request for him to keep in command.
Ho was the victim of circumstances
which made him resign. He was of that
opinion which expected him to resign. There
are no analogous cases to Grants present re-
lation to events. When Napoleon became
one Of the eonsus of France, and then con-
sui for life, and at last emperor, he was to
great extent the dictator of his own course.
He: had ceased to be Republican and had be-
come an egotist. Nothing in the conduct of
General Grant shows that his European re-
captions or bis welcome home
have changed single feature of
his simple and upright republican
character. Among those who admire him
politically and personally his strength is in
his love of the republic at the present mo-
meht. At the same time, on domestic
grounds, his return to administration must
be deplored. That splendid tide of congrat-
ulation which is now felt in both parties must
relapse to criticism after he has taken con-
troll of the country; we will be compelled to
put him on trial as before jury, and probe
the least of his motives.
AFTER GRANT, WHAT?
Supposing General Grant to be removed
from the temptation to the Presidency, who
will the Republicans nominate for 1880? It
seems to lie between Blaine and Sherman.
While the hurrah is for Blaine, I believe the
| argument is with Sherman. In the matter
of character there can certainly be no COM
| darison between the two. Mr.. Blaine is a
politician of politicians, stepped in the small
or and meaner profits of pap, from the be-
ginning of his official life. He appeared in
State of which he was not a native,
and took the official paper and
lived on the spoils of public printing.
On the other hand, John Sherman, who
has been three times in the Senate to Mr.
Blaine's once, has never been brought be-
fore the bar of public opinion for any in.
jury to the pride or conscience of this ma
ton. In his day Ohio has come forward
from one of the first Western States to the
first of American States. He has led the
music, to great extent, of our advance
That integrity, health and sound opinion
characteristic of the State, is not wholly dis
connected from this influence. If tho ad.
ministration of Hayes has been on the
whole beneficial to this country, his installa.
is due to two men, Oliver P. Nor
ton and John Sherman, who refused tc
obey the doubtful and interested counsels of
the Conkling crew, and kept in sight only
the planting of their candidate in the chair
to which they believed he would have been
elected without bulldozing and murder. The
moral defense of Hayes will always be that he
would have been elected if our institutions
had prevailed, and if he was not registered
elected it was because they were crowded out
Mr. Blaine in the seat of Secretary Sherman
would have been open to suspicion from the
start. 1t is customary for mean men to say
that Sherman has become rich. But if it
had been said of Blaine there could have
been very little Indignation. Men suspect
Sherman because of his opportunities. The
reputation Mr.. Sherman has of cold heart
edness is not correct He is man of rather
strong temper and of undoubted physical
courage. His handling of men in converse
ton is at once unsuspsoting and frank. OF
good beginning and a parentage honora-
BILE, but, think, poor, he has certainly con-
Quoted himself, and so has his brother, in a
way to command the joy of his ancestry.
| General Schenok, whom Sherman repeatedly
beat for public honors, was man of re.
markable natural talents, but he did not put
that careful estimation on his acts which
includes character in the aggregate.
Without much outward Temperament,
Sherman has been victorious by his atten-
ton to integrity and the respect of those
who have given him positions. I never
heard single point Of his domestic life
challenged. He is one of tho best uncles
| and brothers We have. Since had any &C.
quaintance with him, beginning back in
1867, have always heard that his wife was
| model of modesty and kindness, and be-
| lieve their house, otherwise childless, has be-
| come the home of orphans who will bear
| their name.
AS Republican, there never has been the
least question of John Sherman's party sta
bility and courage. Very early in the party
| hissory-twenty years ago-when ne was a
very young man, only SO years of age, he
| was the party candidate for speaker of Con-
gress, and even then his character was so
pronounced and undisguised that almost by
revolutionary means he was beaten, in order
| to elect a weaker man. As to his services in
| the treasury department, his worst enemy
must go into despair if he expects that
| this man will not receive the universal
plaudit of posterity. Among secretaries of
the treasury he will stand closer to Hamil-
| ton than the late Secretary Chase. Mr
Chase was constantly maneuvering against
the administration which selected him, and,
after long career of mutiny and insubordi-
nation, he died unhappy and disappointed.
Sherman has been perfectly true, not
only to the = administrations which
have honored him, but even to his
party associates who have endeav-
ored to antagonize him. There is no remark
of his on record to the prejudice of General
Grant or Mr.. Conkling. Not without spirit,
he has not found it necessary to make fine
art of vindictiveness. His attitude toward
the Presidency in 1880 has been frank, yet
modest. He says he is candidate for the
Presidency if he can get it by fair contest
within his party. Yet, have heard him say,
at least once, that he believed Grant had
the deepest affections of the people, and was
the favorite for the Presidency.
GATH
THE DEAD SENATOR'S SHOES