Year: 1872

The present political situation is the


most remarkable of any in the history of
the country. We are on the eve of Pres
idential nominations, and there is very


strong popular sentiment pervading the


masses of the Republican party in favor


of the denomination of President Grant.


All the States that have held conventions


have heartily indorsed his Administra-
tion, and, with one or two exceptions,


unanimously instructed their delegates to


vote for his denomination. In New Hamp-
shire, where the campaign was made upon
purely national questions, and upon a
platform committing the Republicans of
the State to President Grants reelection,
the party was rewarded with a signal vic
tory. The entire Republican press of the
country-with the exception of half
dozen journals chronically dissatisfied,


whose managers think because they pos
sess great wealth, their influence should
be correspondingly extensive-are un-
equivocally and ardently giving express
sion to this widespread Republican pop
ular sentiment. But in the teeth of this
almost universal expression of popular
opinion, few individual politicians of
sufficient reputation in national af-
fairs to entitle them to respectful
attention when they speak s'words
VI NlstlOIll SOUtIuCSS, art Ndluly CQ-
deavoring to stem the powerful current of
President Grants popularity. They do


not deny the existence of this public sem
| timent, but demand that it shall be ig-
nored. They insist that the one-term
principle, which its friends have vainly
endeavored to have engrafted upon the
Constitution, shall be adopted into the
creed of the Republican party for the
sole purpose of discriminating against
President Grant. They have Instituted
investigations of an extraordinary charac-
ter, with the hope of casting discredit
upon the Administration; and in their
zeal to make mischief have even. sought
to lnjure the good name of the nation in
the eyes of the world. These are the
men-an insignificant minority-who de-
mand of an overwhelming majority, to
be "eonciliated" by the sacrifice of Presi-
dent Grant as candidate for renomina-
! ton. The only tribunal competent to de-
eide upon these propositions is the Phil
adelphia Convention. Through that
body alone can the Republican party speak,
and the assumption on the part of the Liber-
ais that few leading men can make or
unmake Presidents is libel upon the intel
ligence of the masses of the Republican
party. In the palmy days of the Democ-
racy, half dozen men manufactured
public sentiment for the entire organiza-
ton, but all that has been changed from
the day of the Inauguration of Abraham
Lincoln. The first Republican executive
recognized the fact that the people are the
true source of power, and relied upon
their intelligence to guide him. Presi-
dent Grant followed in the footsteps OF
Mr.. Lincoln when he declared that "he
had no policy to enforce against the will
OF the people" This is the doctrine OF
the new political dispensation, and the
only one upon which the Republic can
continue to exist. The small minority
which makes such huge demands is com


posed mostly of men of Democratic an


teeedents; and their programme is moth


ing more nor less than proposition to
engraft upon the Republican party an old