Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-04-13
SUNDAY, APRIL Is. 1879.
GRANT AND TILDEN FOR 1850.

With characteristic enterprise, the
New York Times has procured an
expression of opinion as to the
Presidential contest of next year,
from the social, commercial and po-
litical centres of every State in the
Union. These opinions are given
at length, occupying nearly five
closely-printed pages of that large
paper. The statements are made
with apparent care, and they, no
doubt, reflect public opinion with
more than ordinary precision. The
irresistible conclusion is, that an
overwhelming majority of the Re-
publicans of every State in the
Union are for Grant, and that a
very large majority of the Demo-
Gratis are for Tilden. In an edito-
rial review of the statements made
by its correspondents, the Times
says:
1.-THE long array of opinions to
which more than third of our space is
devoted to- day can not be read, even
specifically, without provoking sur
prise as to, the substantial unity Of il,
spirit and tenor. Oar correspondents
are not confined to the ranks of our
nalists or politicians; they embrace
merchants, lawyers, manufacturers,
artisans, aud men Of leisure. They
include members Of both political TaT-
ties, and, in many cases, their political
leaning are unknown TO u. They
represent every State of the Union,
and their opinions have been given
with all the freedom which belongs to
statements whose authorship was not
unlc-s by special permission, to be con-
fded to the public. BGitfly stated, the
result of our inQiTies Is that Gen Gran [
is the candidate favored by an over
whelming maj Ority of the Republican
party, and that Mr.. Tilden is the de-
liberate choice of a maj Ority of the
Democratic party sufficient 10 secure
his nomination, while he would be
more or less reluctantly accepted by
the remainder of that party.
"The cry for Grant in the Republican
party does not come merely from
ofIice-hOlders, past, present, or pros
pective, though that class is substan
TALLY unit IN his favor, and though
many of the most prominent support
ers of President Hayes seem to be pre-
pairing for the return of Mr.. Hayes
predecessor. 1t is emphstically pop
ular cry-one that may grow more
audible and emphatic under the
prompting of political managers, but
one which they have had much less
than usual share in creating. Men
who don't like Gran. admit that he is
the strongest candidate available; men
who dread repetition of the scandals
of his Administration concede that
were 8 Republican convention held
tomorrow, he would be its unanimous
choice, As to the causes of this feel
ing-so irresistible and so spontaneous
-One correspondent says, the man
who conquered treason in the field is
best able TO cope with ii in the Capt.
tOl > another says, be is the only
man of whom the unrepenlant rebels
have a wholesome fear;' and third
adds, 1.-THE negroes would dare to vote
the Grant ticket, aud they would no
other ALI of which are merely diff
ferent methods of stating the
opinion which peTvades the en-
tire correspondence, namely, that
the arrogance of the Southern Demo
Gratis in Congress has forced the can
didacy of Grant. The people want
mot s Government of force as a
Massachusetts, authority puts it, but
"a Government of stren6 tn From
the weakness of Hayes to the Com
munistic vote in Chicago, the other
day, these is q mass of popular reasons
why the cOn9ueror of Lee should, for
q third time, be the nominee Of Re.
publican National Convention.
Z" AS to the strength of these reasons,
it is not at present necessary to speak.
Nor is it of any use to find an eXpl2-
nation why Mr.. Blaine's great pOpu-
larity should have so suddenly d..
clined, or why, even in his own State,
Mr.. Conkling has faded out of
the horizon of possible Presidents.
A Pennsylvania correspondent
probably touches the vital point of the
case of the Maine statesman in the re-
mark that Blaine modifies his posi-
ton IS statesman by his arts as q
demRkogue' The rise of Mr., Garfield
into favor as Presidential candidate
is q suggestive reminder of the poLu-
lar appreciation of firmness and
ability and the tenacity with which
many people cling TO the nomination
of Mr.. Washburne is equally signifi-
cant of popular impulses not usually
consulted by politicians. But all
these names are as much out of the
Presidential race as are those of
Messrs. Sherman, Chandler, and Ed
munds, who are, nevertheless, not
without their supporters, and, for our
present purpose, their claims may be
dismissed without notice.
democratic opinion is by no means
so unanimously fixed on Tilden as
Republican opinion is on Grant. But,
while the South has preponderiDg
preference for Thurman, and while
Hendricks, Bayard, and Hancock
have all tangible following, there is
an undercurrent of conviction that
nothing but death or absolute debility
can unlOose the hold of the statesman
OF Gramercy Park upon the Presi-
Dental nomination of his party. That
fact is neither new nor strange, aud