The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-01-25

'rTOlh our regular correspondent
Since congress has reassemblcd there have
been two more deaths Of membership. Hart
ridge, Of Georgia and Mr.. Schlecher, of Tex
as making four, all on the Democratic side,
who have died during the present session. 1t
has long been the custom Of congress to adj
journ for dayon announcement OF the deCease
OF member, and since the holidays the time
OF congress has been almost entirely taken M
in adjournment
| In the absence OF political news of a legisla-
tive character, will venture to give some Of
the gossip current in political circles, relative
! to the next presidency. 1t Is remarkable that
al Tins early day there is almost rs much talk
and interest upon the subject as if the country
were on the eve Of Il presidential nomination.
The eligibility of possible candidates is ear.
nestly discussed The names of Blaine, Thur
man, Conklng, Bayard, Seymour, Eyerts, Hen
bricks and Grant are most prominont in these
discussions But, of all names on the Repub-
lican side, that Of Grant seems 10 be cherished
with most unanimity. Whatever may be the
feeling in the Republican party at large, the
absent eX-presidcnt stands first in the hearts of
that compact powerful, disciplined organiza-
ton Of professional politicians that centres in
the capital They believe that his return to
America will be hailed with as much cnthuS-
assn as was the return Of the first Napoleon
from Elba, and that the continuous ovation
which will carry him successfully TO the lead
ership Of bis party, in the next presidential
campaign, bids fair to rival the triumphant
procession Of the greet Emperor from Fregus
to Paris Whether the simie will be compile
ted by IL Waterloo in November 1880, remains
to he seen. Postmaster General ID. VI. Key is
mentioned as possible candidate for vice
president, on the ticket with Gen. Grant, and
it Will not be difficult to see that this is an in
genious combination
Gen. Grants visit to Ireland will be his fare
well to Europe, for he returns home by way Of
the Pacific He leaves Great Britain, it is said
with the most agreeable impression of the
mother land. If | were not an American"
he remarked in Paris, - would be an English
man. The General is said to have taken II
great fancy to ,ilo inncu Of Wales, OF whom
he saw great deal last summer at the French
capital, when they were both lodging 1T the
| lIotc! Bristol.
The LoHd0n lIorid correspondent writes this
gossip, which may noe be undressing to
some of your readers: IL hear from Gibraltcr
that Lord Napier and the General became
great cronieS on the occasion of the eX-presi
dents visit to that place They rode and
strollcd about and hau mess dinners, and there
was review, and also Il sham battle. There
wear his uniform at the review. But the
American consul sad that Ulysses had tired
Of his uniform and sent it home However
his Workmanship was a theme Of universal
admiration. The soldiers did their best in
marching and maneHvcrng. Lord Napier
was greatly pleased, and said he had never
seen them do SO well in his life, and he sup
posed they were putting their best foot forward
for the Yankee commander. 1t was rather II
trial to undergo the inspection of a man who
had commanded over million of men, and
taken part, in most instances rs COMMANDER,
in fifty pitched battles. The General expressed
TO Lord Napier his high admiration of the
troops. He had seen none in Europe so well
disciplined. Their firing pleased him. They
had learned he said as he watched the ma
neuvres, how to fire low and fire slowly By
the way, General Grant does not believe in
bayoncts or sabrcS, and said to some of our
officers that he would not have II bayonc or
sabre in his army, if he ever commanded an
other The extra weight on the soldier would
be better as ammunition or rations. Our Off
GERS did not share these opinions, and believed
that the bayonet and sabre had done and would
again do good work"
To return to the presidential .ubject: There
is not at present any Democrat who has like
Gen. Grant an apparently unanimous support
of his party, and the question before the next
convention may be, as of old, any man 10 beat
Grant. There are no less than three promi-
ncnt, so called, aspirants in the city. Senator
Bayard, Senator Thurman and cxGov Hen
drlcks. Mr. Tildcn, it is said, will soon APP
pear to testify before the Potter committee in
regard to the cipher kilograms and then there
will be four
Since no one knows what Il day may
bring forth, especially in politics, and since
there must clapse full four hundred days be
fore a nomination by either party, it would
seem premature to write about II at present
Ny only excuse for writing is that everybody /
is talking. 1t must be remembered that the
Democrats viii soon have egislaiiv" control
Of the country, and it may be sci down as Ger
tain that they will spread something To catch |
the political trade winds in their sails. To-
give the great and rcvlving interest of immi- |
grafton place in the cabinet would be "a pop
II. l.,nn-.1, Mill -.-, l--L-- nltl LiZnl ,.u...-