The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-12-05
rIltaolld
s s,s.,,, DECEMBER s, 1870 9,
General Grant.

sssE General Grant.
some Of our esteemed conten T,orar'es :
,,,scuss with much arnestaess the rum oreo
sn,ent;on 8, leading Democrats 10 this sec
,inn !, the Union TO support General Grant NJ
az President. at the next election. AZ. AZ we
,ras,, week or two ago, the Futaor 10 an ao-
surd one ii it is meant to affirm tnas any
considerable number OF southern 3 Demo NO
Gratis contemplate seriously such q course 1lF .
rhere are no doubt some Democrats that
would support General GRANT IN o orc 70 !,
defeat BLAINE, CoSxLiSs, and the rest oi
the aspirants who have slandered the s ,s,'
so uniustitiably and SO necessarily. lnes
do not prefer General GRANT a IDS
hut relatively. They would not vote ior
hin, II they could see any trustworthy pros
30, 10, !, eieeting sound Democrat, but
.nav World take him as choice OF evils.
!. few would even prefer him to Mr.. I'll
NIX. But we suppose that most OF the
democrats In the South who have declared
a preference for General GRANT are men
who either sympathize with Dir. TooABs 10
h;s dpsire to advance the movement IN Ia
syor OF a form OF government winch shaii
be the righteous rule OF one man rather tnaa
the intolerabIe despotism OF an ignorant
and preiudiced mob. or else are men VINO
wish to see the question decided IN tDeit
own f,ay whether or not this Government
IS 70 follow in the footsteps OF all others
which have preceded it in the worids
history. except q few now claiming 70
he republican in form. Mr. iooAes
is doubtless firmly persuaded that there Is
no room for any confidence in the future Oh
such Government as long and pioooy IN
terpecjne war has forced upon TINS country
He has abandoned all hope OF return 10
the form of government founded oy tue
fa.hers Of the republic. He sees an over
Swallowing central despotism which makes
itself felt in every walk and business OF
life. and which must soon, he hFmiy De-
Eeyes. wine out the late vestige OF state
rights and local self-government. de sees
a national monopoly OF honors and ofbces
which has dwarfed the State governments
and reduced the State governors Judges,
and other officers, to.s low cenoitlon oi
dependence upon the central authority that
his State can no longer command Els re-
snect. however much he may deplore us
downfall. He sees Federal spies IN every
town; Federal deputy-marshals controhlns
every election fer congressman in closely
divided districts; Federal informers caus-
ing the arrest, and transportation TO distant
seats of so-called "iustice," of persons I'M
conscious OF having committed any onence
against the national laws; State officers sent
TO the peniteptiary because they would not
allow Federal supervisors to conduce elec-
lions OF congressman to suit themselves;
and the thousand other grievances Win
which our northern brethren nave 1ur-
nished the South; and he gives up In de-
snair and cries out for the man on horse
hack. Before the war. the hand OF the
Federal Government touched the States so
lightly that it was never felt. Mr.. IooNBs
anticipates no return Of those days, and SO
clamors for the worst.
The other GRANT men amongst the Dem
ocrats OF the South have not lost all hope OF
o restored Union aud happy future for the
people Of this country; but their faith is
weak. They are tired OF living sat this
poor dying rate" and desire to have the.
question settled once for all whether we are
to have central despotism or a union OF
indestructible States. They propose to pre-
cipitate the issue by bringing General
GRANT forward as a candidate for Presl-
dent. II such man, with such record,
can be elected over statesman, and to a
third term, they want to, know the fact at
once. There are some men OF this class
even here in Richmond. They wish the
issue squarely made in the North. They
have some confidence in the northern peo-
Die, and are inclined to expect that the cam
didacy Of General GRANT will bring them
to realizing sense Of the true condition OF
the country, and, enabling them to perceive
that the precipice Of a despotism is just
ahead of them, will avert the danger which
is otherwise inevitable.
Both of these classes Of southern men,
however, constitute an Insignificant minor
ity of our people. The Republicans may
as well make up their minds that IL the
Democrats can carry New York and In
diana, they will elect the next PRESIDENT.
Neither GRANT nor any other Republican
need count upon the support OF any south
ern State.