Year: 1867




of purpose which distinguished him as a
General, would, in the Presidential chair,
make him one of the wisest and best of
Presidents.


The country has not yet forgotten the
noble singleness of purpose and the un-
selfish patriotism displayed by him in
1864, while his place IN history was not
yet as secure as now. The glittering bait
OF the Presidency, which has swerved so
many Of our great men from the path of
duty, was in vain employed for his temp
tation. For weeks, one leading newspa-
per in New York closed almost every
editorial with a commentator of Gen
eral Grant for the Presidency Ali the
elements Of hostility to Mr. Lincoln 5
re-election would have combined into. a
powerful and, very likely, a successful
organization. if Gen. Grant would have
consented to have been used fer their
purposes What other public man, in
the history Of our country, has resisted
such appeals? Gen. Grant was. utterly
unmogea BY them. Never, by act or word,
were these advances encouraged by him.
FAll his faculties were given to the great
work of crushing the military power of the
rebellion. Not for a moment was he
sweryed or dazzled by the Presidency.
He turned his back on the politicians,
and set his face sternly against the, rebel
foe, taxing ali the chances of defeat and
failure, and never hesitating to stake his
military falhe and prestige "on the nice.
hazard Of one doubtful hour" when, b.
so doing, he saw chance to advance
the success of the Union arms. In
such conduct may be discerned the high
est evidence of mind magnanimous
and patriotic above the ordinary standard
Of men.


1t is said that Gen. Grants political
views are unknown But is it true? Lei
one significant fact make reply. When
only a month ago the 40th Congress. that
body just selected by the people to repre-
sent their freshest and most earnest and
most ra heal vlews-selected with special
regard to the protection of the Republic
against taithless administration-sele
ed with a view TO securing faithful and
vigliant check upon the designs Of an
executive who had forfeited the conf
deDce of the peopie-when that body.
consulting the ease and convenience of
its own members rather than the wishes
and cxpcc. atoms Of tue people, was about
80 adjourn for nine months. Gen. Grant
visited the Capitol, and TO his personal
exerJlon7 more than to any other cause
is due the abandonment of that purpose
and the adjournment till July. Gen.
Grant did not hesitate to tell members
Of Congress that in his Judgment i, was
not safe for Congress to adjonrn for SO
long a period as until next December.
Does his action, in rhis instance, indicate
that he is man unworthy of the conf
dence of the Republican party? On the
contrary, does it not afford the strongest
kind of evidence of his distrust of the
administration, and his full accord with
the view Of the masses Of the Union
men of the country? Not trust Gen.
Grant Why, we have more faith in his
steady, clear, unswerving fidelity to the
general scope and aim of the convictions
OF the Republican masses of the coun
try, than we have in score Of those Re
publican members of Congress, who are
anxious to figure as leaders, and are vol
liable in letting the people know how rad
zeal they are, how they hate treason and
love the Union, how they would punish
traitors, and what sweeping work they
would accomplish for the establishment
of liberty and justice, if they could only
have their way unobstructed


1e- VI n.