The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-12-06
GEN. GRANT AND THE PREsIDEN'
CY-oF A CANAL COMPANY.

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1t is not surprising that the stalwarts
of the North should entertain cling
ing affection for Grant. We are quite
ready to see the remnants and scraps
of Radicalism left in the South mani
fest an eagerness to fall down ana
worship him. But that men OF sense
and real patriotism of either party
should seriously look to him as the
coming man to restore the country and
bring peace and prosperity and union,
is to us one of the most singular anom-
olies of this pregnant epoch of anom-
olies.
If there is any restorative genius in
Grant he succeeded in smothering it
during the eight years he held the
presidency, with power almost unlim-
tied and plant Congress always
ready to register his wishes. With all
these powers and advantages-larger
than those enjoyed by any of his pre-
decessors, and greater than those
welded by any modern constitutional
monarch-his administration was a
fiat failure insofar as the restoration
and harmony of the country are con-
cerned. 1t descended into disgrace
full nepotism, was marked by plumber
and corruption on all sides, and settled
down into an embecile, demoralizing
system of Grantism.
Clothed with almost unbound
ed authority during an era in
which truly great craftsmanship
would have made a mark that would
have shown brightly on the pages of
history, what is there in Grants adj
ministration that his most servile wor-
shippers can point to with pride?
What has he done but play into the
hands of the narrowest, most rascally
and venomous time-servers His adj
ministration is foul blot on the
American escutcheon. 1t developed
the stupcndous robberies of the whis-
ky rings, the trading post corruptions,
and the tombstone sacrileges 1t
stood as a devouring nightmare upon
the hopes and returning loyalty of the
South. 1t destroyed, as far as it could,
the returning sense of justice in the
North towards the South.
And what is Grant anyhow? A
mere creature of fortunate circum-
stances-as a General immeasurably
below Sherman; as a Statesman
full tiedged burlesque. The man is
nothing except what the surrounding
circumstances make out of him. His
conception of true craftsmanship is
hardly equal to the average cross
roads politician. Intensely selfish,
coarse and brutal in his instincts, too
lazy to work, too ignorant to think, it
is natural for him to fall prey to and
and to be led by designing and cor
rupt men.
The straits Of the Republican party
may drive them again to Grant, but
we do not believe that even that de-
structive party is ready to break rudely
over the traditions of the fathers, and
menace the country with the perils of
a third term and imperialism. And
for patriots, and especially Southern
patriots, to to talk about accepting
Grant for President, indicates nothing
but despair for the Republic, and a
reckless desire to hasten it's destruc-
ton. \
But Grant will hardly be nominated
by any party. He would be goose
to accept the nomination If rendered
to him; for of all the men in the Re-
publican ranks, he would be the easiest
to beat. There is aspecies of unsound
sentimentality that would canonize
him as the embodiment of the late
war. There is decayed veneration
which would keep the spirit of the
war alive in him. But the American
true, thinking, patriotic
American people-think more of the
country than they do of Grant, and
they are heartily tired of Grantism.
This great Republic is too big for any
one man, and let any man undertake
to belittle it by pluming himself as
necessary to it, or to attempt to foist
himself upon it and change the genius
of the Government, and he will quickly
see how sternly and effectually the
American people will rebuke the pre-
A restoration of Grantism means
.he abandonment of Republicanism,
and the Inauguration of Imperialism.
The country is not ready for this, and
Gen. Grant may be the President of
Canal Company, but our President he
cannot be.