The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-02-17
THE NATIONAL OLIVER TWIST,

The Chicago Tribune tells, in column arti
Gle, how much it IL scandalized at the mig
gardly meanness Of the United States tc
Grant. He was twice given the "empty
glittering reward Of the Presidency but
that amounted to nothing. What Grant
wants is money, and he ought to have IT. II
Is very poor compensation, thinks the Tribune
for all his services to the country to be made
"Chef Magistrate for dispensing Offices to a
ravenous horde of office seekers and place
men. with the proud privilege OF retiring
empty handed" etc. Forsooth. this ia novel
estimate that 10 placed on the Presidency Of
the United States.
We do not remember to have ever before
seen the Office 50 looked upon by an Ameri-
can, though there has been much within the
history OF Republican supremacy to bring 1t
into grave disrepute. This. we know. was
the view that Grant himself affected to take.
when he pretended great reluctance to Civ
ing up his lifetime place for mere term az
President OF the great Republic. The 1Ft-
DUNES article looks very like 1t had been in
spired by Grant himself. 1t goes on to show
how England rewarded Wellington, whom
the Tribune declares to have been lesser
man than Grant, with honors that were not
barren, with earldoms and principalitles,
with money and estates, and makes the
United States appear mean and parsimonious
in comparison.
This sort of talk Is wofully out Of keeping
with republican ideas and traditions
England appropriately rewarded her
great soldier after the manner OF
royalty. Grant has been smoth-
cred with the customary rewards Of repub-
lies. and we see no reason why he should be
made the solitary exception In the long and
honorable roll Of Presidents, on which appear
the names OF Washington, Adams, jefferson,
Jackson and others Of scarce less emfnepee.
Cincinnatus were a better model for an
American ex-President than Wellington.
Even In our own day there is an example
set Grant that it would Honor him to fol-
low far more than all the pensions and aims
government might dole out to him. It Is In
the person and life Of Garibaldi, whose SER
vices and sufferings in his country's cause
far exceed any thing that Grant has done
We do not find him hanging around the pur
ieus of courts and footstools OF kings. His
honorable old age is spent In his rude island
home, In a soldiers quarters and on a
soldiers fare, In the sweet and noble sympli-
,ity Of q patriot and republican, and only
because his proud heart and exalted manhood
scorn the thought of dependence, even on
he bounty Of the land he has loved and served
70 grandly.
There is another life lived right here Ia our
Southern land whose simple grandeur might
,e model to him. But 1t is the life of
man of SORROWS" the mention of whose name
would only serve to provoke abuse and insult
,ut he is passing his remaining days In pow
arty, yet as those Of an ex-President should
20 passed.
But, when we recall the thrift that marked
frant's administration, the rings about him
made up of friends whom he protected and
the nepotism that gave fat offices
Q all his kinsmen, and the private gifts he
lad no reluctance about accepting, we do not
zee the necessity of the 1ribunes appeal In his
)ehalf