Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1879-05-08
Generai Grant a. a Caad,da,.

lFrom the New York Herald, asth ult. ]
There Is an impression all over
the country that General Grant is
to be the Republican Presidential
candidate next year. The mic
journal Puck expressed the situa.
ton neatly when last week it rep
resented all the Democratic capdi-
dates are vigorously struggling tu
tear the Presidentiaf chair from
the hands CT Mr.. Tilden, and all
the Republican candidates assem-
bled on their knees, with envy in
their faces, offering General Grant
the nomination. Senator Conkiirg
gave him An lneidental and indirect
nomination in his Senate speech
last Thursday, and there is prev
alent notion among the ,Repubii
eau politicians, not significant, We
mast say, of much confidence in
their strength with the country,
that he is the only man who can
carry next years election for his
Party.
Setting aside General Grants
own wishes. which are, we under
stand, to remain in private life, we
will repeat our caution to those
who sincerely desire to nominate
him to keep the politicians away
from him. Their manipulations in
State Legislatures and otherwise,
looking to merely partisan recep-
tion of him under the guardianship
of political hacks. can scarcely fail
to place him in an absurd and ri
dicuious light before the country,
and thus seriously to damage him
as a candidate. This was male
manifest the other day at Albany,
when the i'll judged proposition
that the Legislature should appoint
a committee to assist in receiving
him drew out an amendment that
General Belknap, General Bah
cock, ex Secretary Robeson and
Mr.. Alexander Shepherd should be
included among the proposed com
Eittee of reception, and two of tue
chef supporters of the resolution
were goaded into denouncing this
amendment as an insult to Gene
raj Grant. We do not doubt that
Mr.. Fish introduced his resolution
with the most friendly intentions,
but We suspect he now regrets his
zeal.
No doubt there are circumstances
H,r@s.I IA
be powerful candidate. If the
Democrats should make q weak
nomination Grant might, perhaps,
be elected. If, for Instance, they
should place their hopes on Mr..
Tilden, who, besides being super
animated, is weakened aud handi
capped by the cipher telegram ex-
posures, they would be almost Ger
tain to be defeated, and if Grant
should be the Republican caudi-
date he would defeat such an op.
ponent. Even Mr.. Bayard, who
would undoubtedly make an excel
lent President and do credit to the
country, is hardly q strong enough
candidate to oppose Grant success
fully, supposing him to be nomina'
ted, which is not probable. Some
other qualities besides these pos
sessed by Senator Bayard are
needed to "ruD we'll, as the saying
goes, and we do not doubt that
Senator Conkliug on the Republi-
can side sees this. Henry Clay
was the most popular public speak
er of his day, ard would, in the
opinion of great numbers of vo
ters, have been au ornament to any
station within the gift of tho peo
pie Webster was u statesman OF
renown, acknowledged to be the
greatest orator of his time bu
neither Clay's personal magnet;arr rr
and admirable qualities, pr tn,
solid statesmanship apI p.ea
learning of Webster suff.red /,
give them the Presidency. Bayar,
is unavailable as candidate 70
the same reasopS, and if he conl,
be nom:nateI,, which is not proba
bic, ne would not be likely to max
a successful opposition to Grant
Against either of these candidates
we should think Grant would se
cure "a victory.
But against a really strong Dom
ocratic ~ mination it is opr belle
that Grant, simply % Grant. woul'
be IL weak candidate. The Repuh
lican party, if it expects to succeed
in 1880. must be prepared no
mel ely to overcome such capdi
dates as Tilden or Bayard, who's
Grant might defeat, but to oppos
other candidates, who might defea
Graut. BY tying itself to Gran
it confesses the unmis taxable sig
OF cons oious weakness which i
shown by any party, CT even b
any public or private concern dc
pendent on the patronage of th
people which commits its fortune
entirely to one man. If it is a fac
that without Graat the Repnblica
party cannot win, then it is as goo
as beaten already and those wh
urge him as the only possible maj
as the only candidate who can Cal