National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-05-01
Copyright, 1861
PART III.


national convention met in May, 1859, the nom
inaton Of Gen. Grant "had for months been
clearly fOreshadowed and universally &C.
cepted by the Republican party At an earlier
stage there had been an effort TO direct public
thought toward some candidate who was more
distinctly party chief, aud who held more
pronounced political views; but public sentl-
menl pointed so umistakGbly aud irreslsttbly
TO Gen. Grant that this effort was found TO be
hopeless, and was speedily abandoned"
GRANTS POLITICAL VIEWS.
Men there were who were more distinct.
lively party chiefs, for Grant was only an ar
dent patriot and great soldier. He had said
in July 1861, in q letter to 1. N. Morris:
II am not politician never was, and nope
never to be, and could not write a political
letter. My only desire is N serve the country
in her present trials. To do this efficiently IL
is necessary to have the confidence of the army
and the people,. know no way to better So
cure this end than by faithful performance
OF my duties. So long as hold my present
position, do rot believe that have the right
TO criticise the policy or orders of those above
me. or give utterance 10 views of my own ex-
cept to the authorities Mt Washington through
the general.in.chiefo OF the army. In this re-
soldier
I'm your letter you soy that have 1t in my
power TO be the next President This Is the
last thing in tue world 1 desire.
scarcely know the induccmeut that conld be
held out TO me to accept Office, and unhesitat-
ingly say that infinitely. prefer my present
position TO that Of any civil Office within the
gilt of the people"
But none there were "who held moro pro.
nounoed political, views" on the great ques.
lions which the civil war had lett for settle
ment. Mr. Blaine truly says of him that this
enthusiasm for Gen. Grant, rested not only upon
gratitude for his military, services, but upon
the popular confidence In his sound judgment
and tact, as shown BY the discretion and dig
nifty with which he had borne himself during
the conflict between Congress and President
Johnson He MIGHT I'm a nri har md m.
minded his readers OF Grants letter 70 Wash
burn o. August 1868, dated at VicksDurg, in
~ never was an abolitlonist, not even what
would be called nnti.snvery, but try TO Judge
fairly and honestly. and y became patent to
my mind early IN the rebellion that the north
other except as one nation, and that without
slavery, As anxious rs / am TO see peace es-
tablished, would not therefore DO willing TO
see any. settlement until this question is forever
settled"
The search for chief of more pronounced
political views, to which Mr.. Blaine alludes,
must have been a very sIIli hunt, made by !
few individuals. The name of Gen. Grant
was, In 1865, the refuge Of the Republican
party, TO which alone It could look for deliver
anCe from impending disaster. lie had no
more desire then to leave the great office OF gen
eral OF the army TO become President than he
had four years later to leave the white house
under the fire OF renegade Republican maiig.
nants.
GRANT AS PRESIDENT.
President Grant In his inaugural address
urged the adoption of the fifteenth amend
ment, which had short time before been
submitted to the states. The Importance OF
this action has never been fully appreciated.
The measure had met with opposition In the
Senate from Mr.. Sumner, who claimed (while
nobody agreed with him there) that Congress
already had power to extend the right OF
suffrage to the blacks. He never seemed will.
ing that the negro should acquire any rights
not doled out under his direction. He pre-
dicted refusal of the ratification Of the
amendment by states enough to make Its
adoption impossible-a prediction calculated
TO aid in its own fulnllment.
The new President undoubtedly gave the
amendment an impetus without which Ia
adoption would have been uncertain. His
timely advocacy treasured the hmid and way
ering, and stimulated the vast throng which
his estimation mt that time. Thus the first act
OF Grants civil life had much TO do with en-
franchising race.
PuFFs OF coNGREssNfEN.
Mr. Blaine's chapter on the Cabinet appoint
ments OF Grant, and the selection of general
and lieutenant general of the army, requires
no special notice. The same may be said OF
the notices, resembling newspaper "puiis,"
scattered through the book. of the various sen
ators and representatives who at each success
siye Congress inferred upon the stage of public
life. He amiably gives even his smallest men q
place In the temple of fame. II makes rather
dull reading, however, this attempt to mix UT
stars and supernumeraries, and TO have each
feel his due degree of Utilization. In few In
ns stars. But only stage manager can under
stand the exigencies of the thenter.
Messrs. schurz and .Bayard will not complain
that they were dismissed with mere perfume
tory politeness. On the contrary, they are
served up in manner TO make the reader
wish that Mr.. Blaine would oftener exhibit his
entertaining power TO make mince meat oil
people. The well informed will not fail "a
appreciate lho numerous instances where the
author exhibits his admirable power of self
restraint, by puTring over those he tain would
scratch and eulogizing those he would II good
taste permitted, prefer to damn.
THE TENURE Of OFFICE ACT.
The tenure.of-ollce law, enacted bya Con
grt1s which would not impeach Andrew John
dent, was a sort of handeuT for mutineer, and
with Grant as President there was no Longer
any mntipy. " would seem that the House
which had the power of impeachment, should
either have exercised 1t or len the President
free. But the Senate, in voting for the law
placed the only restraint within Its reach upon
The seditious and dangerous man upon whom
bad deyolyed the office TO which Abraham
LINCOLN had the second time been chosen. The
modification of the act att the accession oil
Gen. Grant will not strike the, average reader
as so extraordinary, or so much of u StultiHca
tion, as II seems TO be In the mind Of Mr. Blaine
l ray seems" because 1t is entirely possible
that he introduces the subject merely for the
TurIose OF giving his old friend, Edmunds. q
Jocular punch In the ribs. Heomits to say thai
he voted for the act himself, and voted to i'm
peach johnson Tor disobeying 1t. Being speaker
&c Nuo Noeihb oh iNo
ton afterwards.
The country was satisfied to see the senat,
empoN cred by law TO exercise different degrees
of It's executive power when violent man wa,
seeking TO use the executive office for bad ends
and when a sane and wise man was usingit To-
tie common good.
SAN DOMINGO.
1.-THE chief interest In the events of Gen
Grants hTst term says Mr.. Blaine twas ii
vidtd between questions of diplomatic char
aeter and those arising from the condition o
the south after the reconstruction had beor
completed" And he leads OF with the subjec
of San Domingo. He informs us that the nego
tiation for apIexation OF that republic wa
opened on the request of It's authorities. 1
resulted in treaty for the accomplishment o
that object, which was signed Nov 20, 1869
sent to the Senate In january, and rejected by
tie vote In the following Juno.
The war waged upon the President In thl
connection under the lead of Mr.. Sumner, wa
the tlrst open denomination by that gentleman
OF the "slong dislike" which Mr. Blaine tell
us he had previously conceived to Gen. Gran
on account oil some personal grievance, eithe
faneied or real" The energetic malgnity will
which II was conducted Justified Mr., Conkllns
show that 'the President and others ha(
been assailed, not with the weapons OF the war
rior, but with the weapons of the assassin" i
ragged from December, 1860. gathering new i'm.
pelus In every calumny that could be invented
by malice or prompted by party hate, until 1
itslered into Ihnt absurd enterprise dubbed by
It's projectors, with merciless though uncOn.
scious irony, ''the Liberal movement" of 1872
lis cousequ, noes were fdr-reaching, embracing
the final triumph over national authority ii
the south, by which the amendments to the
constitution became dead lelt,r, excepting
only us to chatiel slavery.
MI. Blaine Bnds no room In his histor!
Tor any account OF the struggle over thI
San Dom lingo treaty. Ho simply tells us tina
it was rejected, And yet he had all the reGort
before him: IN message from which h,
quotes, he could have found these words o
Gen. Grant; las soon MS itbeeame publiCll
known that such treaty had been negotiate
tho attention of the country was occupied
with allegations calculated TO prejudice lii,
merits OF the case, and with aspersions upOI
It." "'''
BRUTAL ASSAULT.
Zach Chandler told the Senate, on tho 2is
of December, 1870, that he had never henrd
more nbrutal ASSAULT made uDon the prasi