Year: 1868

An English View of the Nominations OF


she Chicago Convention.


There are some circumstances which
render the nomination of Gen. Grant
singularly opportune. He is not a poll
tican and the nation is tired of politi-
clans. He is a soldier with soldiers
idea of duty, but with a civilians's re-
spect for legislative authority and the
national will. He has probably no
definite policy of his own; but it is of
Il President with a policy that the re-
public is suffering. He is accustomed
to obey, as well as to rule; and it is a
President who will do its work and
obey its behcsts whom the nation
needs. The very fact that after, by
turns, exciting the suspicion he has
won the confidence ofall parties, proves
his fitness for the highest post in the
Commonwealth. A President should
be a practical Statesman, not theorist
IA man Of deeds rather than words
the executive of the national will, not
the apostle of his own self-wilI. lie
has no right to Il policy which is
not the policy Of the nation, and in his
office he belongs neither to his party
nor to himself, but to the nation which
has elected him to its temporary head
ship. 1t is the best recommendation of
General Grant that he will probably
make national rather than party
President and should his election
once more lift the Office ever so little
above the self assertion of Mr.. John
sons administration, or the party mar
rowness of so many of his prodecoss-
ors, it may restore the waning inhu-
ence of the Presidency, and begin an
era of peace and reconciliation in the
nation.


Its curious to observe the irresisti-
bic advance of General Grant to the
position he now occupies. Ever since
Mr., Lincoln's death he has been spo-
ken ofas the next President, but he
has never in any way put himself for
ward for nomination. Instead of can
vassing for himself, as so many Of his
predecessors have done, he has refused
even to submit to examination. His
habits of rcticence has been puzzle to
the politicians and an immense alllic-
ton to the correspondents of party
journals. He was misunderstood dur
ing the war, and would not explain
himself; he has been more misundcr-
stood since the peace, and has left the
explanation to events, All parties in
turn have claimed him, and all parties
have spoken Of him as their Prcsidcn-
tial candidate. In thc/Autumn of
1866 Mr.. Johnson paradcd him as his
companion in the celebrated North
western tour. In the Autumn of last
year, when the fist guns of the clcctor-
al struggle began to be heard, he was
nominated by the party which sup
ported Mr., Johnson's policy, and was
paraded by them as the peoples can
didate. He was supposed to be ncith-
er one thing nor the other, neither for
Congress or the President, neither for
negro franchise nor for unconditional
reconstruction ; but only for peace as
quickly as possible. Reconstruction
at any price was supposed to be his
motto, and the advocates Of hastily
patching up the the Union regarded
him as their coming man.


Meanwhile the Republicans who
were talking of Mr.. Chase, Mr.Wade
and Mr.. Coltax, were luke-warm about
General Grant. lie would not be put
through his catcchism, would not COM
nit himself to anything but practical
duty, and they were as willing to sus-
pect his silence as the Democrats were
willing to trust it. But it was not the
first service Mr.. johnson rendered the
Republican party when he put General
Grants loyalty to Congress to "a prac-
teal test. As the General would not
declare against his policy, MIR. Johnson
tried to use him to carry it out, and
thus forced the declaration which nei-
ther private friends nor public appeals
had been able to draw forth. from
that time General Grant has more and
more regaincd the confidence of the
Republican party, and has only lost
that of the Johnsonites and Democrats.
Circumstance have, in fact forced him
upon the Republican party, and have
rendered his unanimous nomination as
their candidate their only course. But
that nomination is another proof of
the ascendency of the moderate sec
ton over the extreme Radicals, of
which so many examples have been
given. General Grant is the represen-
tative Of the most moderate section of
the Republican party, and his unani-
nous acceptance as the candidate OF
the whole party is proof of its re-
stored harmony md guarantee of its
success. He will.probably be elected
by vote in which all the States will
share, for the first time since Mr.. Lin
coins first election, and will be the
first Republican President who will
preside over an undivided Union.


THE HOME OF GENERAL GRANT.