Year: 1879

Now that the great ovation has been
given and the guest has departed. che
time Is prop tiOus to mark the PURPOSES
ana weigh the results of the orc while
dispassioIately, aud without prejudice,
considering the other. The show was a
good show, and admirably managed If
IL had fault IL was that the crlInbrous
machinery used in 1t was too often per-
mitted TO be seen working to a certain
end. The reception was as numerically
impressive and Imposing as the Federal
State, and Municipal Government com
bined could makei it. The three govern
ments had prepared great pageant for
the people, ,and as they will 60 to see any
rare show, whether ii be prepared for
Them by Mr.. Barnum or Mr.. Cameron.
they went TO see this one in vast quiet.
startling multitudes. But there was no
spontaniety in 1t, and there was, as an
inevitable sequence, no enthusiasm in
them ; the man they went out to see had
no real sympthy for them, and they had
none for him. I hc shouts Of welcome
along the extended route were so cold
ahd Few as to seem more like protests
against the well-understood object of
The pagent than respect for its pretended
object. just so far as it was welcome
contrived by the political leaders, it was
an eminent succ' IS, and just SO far
as 1t was a spontaneous one, emanatine
from the people. it was a stupendous
failure.


Yet the recipient of it, he for whom il
had been planned for years, was the man
who had done great deeds of skill and
valor in crushing gigantic Rebellion
winch Threatened the very life of the ia
ton, and they who Oh previous occasions
had received him with the sincerest
and most tumultuous applause receiv-
ell him at this later time with
almost cullen Indifference. Indeed, dur,
Ing the last week that he was the guest
of the municipality he walked about the
streets, noticed as the dial of the town
clock was noticed, but exciting 10 more
enthtisl SIN or interest than the hand
that marked the hour. When, before he
came, however, he came fresh from the
felds he had won, with no higher ambi-
tion than TO repose upon bis well-eaIned
laurels, his cOuntry's love and gratitude,
as Mayor of Galena. When this time
he came it was after he had been paid
honors, office, money, gifts, everything,
in fact, that could be paid by a grateful
people. He came again with great
ambition, surrounded by tn Sc who had
made his administration of the Presi-
dency infamous, with Babcock, Belknap,
and Robson in his train, with the ambi-
ton to set aside ali bonored tradition of
the Government, and for third time to
sit in the seat of the nations Chief Mag
istrate. Had he come without this am
bition there would have been no lack of
enthusiasm for the great, skilful soldier;
then that vast body OF our intelligent
Republican fellow-citizens, the Ger
mans, would not have unanimously re-
fused, as they deliberately did, to join
in the welcome to him, and then that
vaster body of our native and foreign
born Republican fellow citizens who re-
gard with disfavOr a personal govern
menf, such as that of President Grants
two terms, would not have coldly toler-
ated il. But General Grant, whether by
his own wish or the trick of those who
controlled him, came here as a polti-
clan, seeking political office, and in
that character il has been proved he is
no longer a popular favorite.


As a soldier, he was the best of ala
successful one. BY the sheer force OF
numbers he crushed the rebellion. Sher-
man had fulfilled his march from Allan
la to the sea,and proved the whole Rebel
Confederacy hollow as balloon. The
enemy were comparatively few in num-
Der and weak irr spirit when Gen. Grant
fell upon them, smote them hip and
thigh, nor stopped to bless them as he
smote, nor to count his own vast heaps
Of slaughtered heroes. He fought to
win, without counting what the loss
might be. That is war, and the end
justified his generalship; he gave the
final blow to the rebellion, and for that
the people honOred aud loved him. To
show their love they gave him gifts of
houses, lands and money; they male
him General oftheir armies, with large
emoluments, and when he aspired to
still higher place and emoluments they
gave him these. also. They made him
President for four years with salary Of
$25, 900 per year, and again for four years
at $SO, 900 per year; and besides that
gifts innumerable and of fabulous value.
1t is the truth of history that the Govern.
ment was never so debauched by politi
cal corruption as during the time he was
President; it is part of the truth of his
tory that the country was never, except
In time of war, In so disturbed condi-
e n; it is part of the same historical
truth that official scandals were never
before or since so rife, and part of the
same historical truth that the faults aud
crimes of our Government were never
before or since so conspicuous. 1t was
an era OF political injustice, of political
blunders, of political corruption, ofgitt-
taking, bribe-taking, of nepotism, of
usurpatlon,of constitutional methods set
aside and personal methods set up In
their place.


The men who made that administra-
ton the shame to the country that it
was, are the men who came in General
Grants train to this city, on the 10th
instant, the Babcocks, the Belknaps, the
Robesons, and the Camerons. They
came as the vultures come when the
scent of prey is in the air. They came
to shape the new administra ion as they
had shaped the old. Is it any wonder
that the great soldier, whom the people
honored for his soldierly deeds, and who
wanted to forget forever his civil record,
received him coldly when they recog-
nized his ambition to again fill the place
he had so lily filled, and when they saw
about him again the same rapacious
crowd of political adventures? If the
great ovation was intended to test the
popular feeling it was great success; it
did that, and, despite all the efforts OF
its authors to the contrary, 1t has shown


y Ill.