Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-04-23
MEMPHIS APPEAL
APRIL %, 1873
THE OPPOSITION TO GRANT.

While the claquers for Grant are whooping
up their favorite, the opposition to him is de-
veloping itself and 1t will be most formida-
bic. The renewed prominence given to the
Chambers, Logans, Robesons and such men,
points surely to the restoration of Grantism,
if not of Grant himself. A professor of Yale
college and a leading Republican, in a series
Of articles addressed to Senator Bayard, says:
The chief source Of weakness to the Republican
party at present Is In the disgust ana alarm
stoned by the return of such characters Carpen-
ter, Logan Chandler and Robson to congress- 1t is
such decayed subjects as these will not be deferred
by any III SAVIOR fom returning like the dog TO the
ofice marks, more distinctly than words could do,
the definite abandonment of reform. The mask Is
the talk OF third term for Grant soon taken up by
the party leaders They will say that after all he
deal worse, that we need a strong positive man in
me ehalr one Who Will unite the party. instead OF
this, and with illusions to the military career Of
their hero how he beat the southerners and can do
their followers for that atrOcous series of national
disgraces that marked Grants term Of ofnce. But
there Is vast number OF men who have not forgot
ten the 'Black Friday" and the Freedman's bank
the whisky ring and the District OF Columbia ring
the safe buTglares and the stolen dispatches, the
corrupt private secretaries the corrupt attorney gen
era the corrupt secretary OF war, the corrupt secre
taIy OF the navy Mnen we think or these things our
blood bos at the thought of their repetition ave. of
their 1nsncation; for the reelection OF Grant would
mean their conformation and their repetition. Has
ne learned wisdom? he has never shown that he
was conscious Of folly. Has he repenied his errors9
errors to be repented of. VIII he give guarantees
that he will do better in the future than the past?
Neither be nor the Republican leaders admit that
his course In the past was not pure WISE should
such man be nominated by the Republicans a
through the ranks OF the party. Only the most mis-
taken policy on the part OF the Democrats could
then lose them the election.
Tho dpppnt pOrfiOn IF fbo d -
are making bitter war on Grant. The st
Paul Pioneer Press says: eve do not
favor Grants denomination, because, first.
we do not b -lieve it necessary to Republican
success; and, second, because it would imply
that the Republican party had uttered and
forever abandoned all attempts to carry out
those administrative reforms which Hayes
was ostensibly elected to put into practical
operation, and had accepted the level of
Grants administration as the highest attain
able standard of administrative purity. It
would imply the complete rehabilitation of
the corrupt and corruptiDg system of con-
gressional Office brokerage, with all its at
tendant degradation of politics and the re-
storation of the regime of political traders.
The Republican party should go forward IN
stead Of Northumberland IN the direction
pointed out by Hayes, not backward in the
direction where Grant was forced by the
politicians to descend in spite of his original
bent and purpose. There is a large but
silent minority of Republicans who share
these views. Tney are not many of them |
politicians. They are not loud in caucuses
or potent III conventions, but they are a |
power at the polls. 1t would be we'll to con- |
slider this element when it comes to the actual |
work of selecting the next Republican can
didate for President.