Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-10-25
Grant and the Virginia Campaign.

Grant and the Virginia Campaign.
Elk. General U. S. Grant, doubtless hav-
ing been informed by his friends that If
he wishes to carry out his third term
schemes in 1884, it viii be necessary to
keep himself constantly before the pub
lie, has seen fit to stick his finger in the
Virginia campaign pie. and has taken
upon himself to write letter, upon the
issue dividing the two parties in that
State, to Mr. James d. Brady, Chairman
of the Republican State Executive Com
mittee. In this letter he of course takes
sides with his friends, the Reputation
lists, or-as they prefer to call themselves.
thinking the term sounds better to ears
polite and hOnest-Readjusters and in
so doing he takes the Democrats to task
in the following words:
Il have never been a sympathizer with
Reputation in any form, but in the pre-
sent instance the virtue claimed by the
Democracy of the State of Virginia re-
gard as all assumed. They have had
control of the State for quite number
of years, and, as l understand the
politics of the State, they not only have
made no effort to pay the interest upon
their State debt, but they have prohibit
ed taxation beyond certain percentage,
which looks to determination to pay no
part, principal or interest. In other
words, while they are in favor of &C
knowledging the whole debt, principal
and interest, they are opposed to paying
any part of either. Hence, on this point,
between the two, much prefer those
who are willing to acknowledge as much
of the debt as they think they can pay,
and who want to bind themselves to pro-
vide for the interest and the acknowl-
edged principal when it becomes due"
Now General Grants friends and
trainers should never have allowed him
to NEEDLE with the politics Of Virginia,
or indeed any other State at ALL
In the first place, it is an universally
conceded point that he is as innocent
as child unborn of a correct under
standing Of any political question or
principle which interests this coun-
try. His own political record
proves this. In none Of the many
lengthy ~ and eloquent % speeches
which he has ever made-albeit that they
probably were all made after careful
coaching by expert satellites and much
arduous memorizing-has he shown the
slightest ability to discuss or grasp
mighty political problems. And as &C
tons always speak louder than words,
so it must be admitted that the man who
could willfully, by force, seize upon the
Legislature of sovereign State and sub
vert the will Of the people of that State
by placing over them, tthe point of the
bayOnet, his favorites who had been re-
jected at the polls, and whose last official
act was to threaten the United States
Congress with United States troops, can
never be safe counsellor in free gov
eminent and republic.
In the next place, he should always be
exceedingly careful how he discourses
on official honesty. The main charac-
teristics Of his eight years incumbency of
the Executive chair were fragrant favor
itism and corruption. His whole idea
of running the government seemed to be
to appoint friends, relatives and clacquers
to Office, foster dishonest rings and
cliques, and shield rascals from the JUS
tice due their crimes. In werd the
entire period of Grants administration
makes the darkest blot upon the fair
pages of American history, and were it
not policy for the people of the country
to protect from shame the man who hap
pened to be in command of the Federal
army when the Union was saved, he.
would to-day be covered with lasting
odium and disgrace.
In the third place, in writing as he
does, Gen. Grant evidently touches on
subject of which he is absolutely ignO-
rant He has, as far as is known, uot
the slightest interest in the State debt Of
Virginia. Certainly it has never been
recorded that any one has ever presented
him, at any time, with Virginia State
bond, and it is not Grants habit to &C
quire property except by deed of
gift Therefore he makes charges
against the Virginia Democracy
which, to all practical business
men, are plainly entirely frivolous
and cannot be substantiated. If the
Democrats of that State are guilty of de-
liberately attempting to swindle the
creditors of the State, as he declares.
why do we not see the charges pre-
ferred by Grant preferred by some one
vitality interested Nay more: why, if
Grant speaks truth, is it that the credi-
tors of the State are unanimously on the
side of the Democracy, and desire to wit
ness that party's SUGGEST
These are the questions spontaneously
called forth by Grants letter. 1t will,
we doubt not, prove of great advantage
to the champions of honesty in Virginia,
not only because Of Grants own political
record, but because it must open the
eyes of the people Of that State to the
no longer undisguised fact that Read
justerlsm is but another name for Repub-
licanism. In this way many Demo
cratic votes, which the Republicans
hoped TO capture under the fimsy plea
that Readjusters are likewise Demo
Gratis, will most likely be lost to them,
and Grants letter will probably add
thousands to the majority which we
hope to record early in November next
for Daniel and the public credit Of the
Old Dominion.
RAILROAD MANUAL.-We are indebted
to Mr.. w. G. Raoul, Vice President Of
the Central Railroad, for a copy of the