National Republican., 1881-09-13
Population Of The National Capital. 100000.
Tie President.

The sick man of the Nation defies
augury. II may well be believed that he
dies not by the hand of man. The cruel
wound which seemed not to have left u
day of life in him has made sad havoc
with his system, hut peril after peril has
been met and overcome. The vicious
fracture of the rib and its pus-creating
splinters, the trcacherous stomach, the
bullet, the blood-poison, the malaria, all
have failed to qucnch the spirit or de-
stroy the life Of the sufferer. The world
has so many times thought his time had
come, and seen him rise superior to the
mandate of what seemed fate that all
are now prepared to see him equal TO al
most any crisis. The dangers from poison
and prostration have seemed equal; but
he shows mental vigor, physical power,
and the ability to throw of. the poison.
The terrible experience with the parotid
gland and the favorable progress from
the dangers il brought are now sue
cccded by an abscess on one Of the lungs.
This would be most alarming with any
other patient; but what the habit of vic
tory is to amiltary people, 50 the habit of
successful battling with all physical dam
gersis to the President.
For the above reasons, rather than be-
cause OF any underestimate of the great
peril from the lung abscess, we are dis
posed to look for safe deliverance from
this latest danger Beyond it, we arc ad.
monished, there are lurking other foes
PyHmia is formidable and commonly d
fatal thing. Parotid and lung both bca,
testimony to its presence, as did the rigor'
ofJuly and August II seeks its prey in
vital places, and next to the lungs The
liver may be attacked,
The bulletins do not deceive anybody
for they are not clever enough. Indeed
we are inclined 10 think the President il
not as low as the concealments, eva
sions, and incredible statements o.
DIR. Bliss would make him appear. Sc
many ugly facts have been withheld
for days, and finally mentioned incident
ally as being of small consequence, that
the public is in constant dread Of hearing
some startling fact which does not really
exist. 1t would be much better to dea
with people as though they had common
that ga slight febrile rise" Of three de
grees and a pulse of lis to 1870 are evi
dences that he is doing nicely" and tina
he" slept well, awaking only atintervals o
half an hour" The furtivc mention of bed
sores, before unheard of, and of an absces'
rnnprtnl ,p1t. 10 g,,aa1- Of t1,p inricinY
made in it ten days before, the lengthen
ing and shortening of the wound to the
extent of several inches, vomiting with
out nausea, and various frightful symp
toms, lazily referred to for the first time
as though they had been the subject o
general conversation for wccks-thcst
do not inspire the public with the con
fidence sought to be created, but are, OF
the contrary, fruitful of panics and dis
trust, The country does not believe tina
thGPrcsident is enjoying himself OF tina
Inc is free from blood-poison, orthat he ha'
ravishing appetite or that he is OF
the high and certain road to recovery
The general belief of the people is thai
he is terribly prostrated; that the
dreaded pypmia has long been assailinG
him, and is running its course, having
now attacked his lungs, and that his mar
velous vitality and equally marvellous
hope are helping him to stand the awfu
siege until it shall be raised by lapse 0
time. They believe, too, that he is beini
splendidly cared for, and by none NOR
faithfully than by the man who so tric
their patience with his drawing Of a lon
how-Dr Bliss.
In short, the President seems deter
mined to get WELL and all the peopl
look longingly and hopefully, thougl
anxiously, for that'result.