Year: 1871

pOnents-What the People VIII Do About
| 1t.


WASHINGTON, d. c., Nov. 25, 1871.


This is great centre for politicians, but


not always a good point to take observa-
tions of public sentiment. Our people are
| growing more and more suspicious of the
! professional politicians and more inclined


to act upon their own judgment of ques-
| tiOns pertaining to the public interest. Our
| theory of government would be wrong and


our government itself failure, if the peo-
| pie did not interest themselves in the mat


ter, for upon the proper exercise of their
| privilege and duties of citizenship depends
| the character of our general and local gov


ernments. We find many good meaning


citizens who act as though they had no in


terest in elections, as thong it was of no
| consequence to them who is chosen to


make or administer laws. The result of


such Indifference cost the people of New
York City dangerous and corrupt gov
ernment, and it at one time became very
serious question whether it would not cost
them blood and treasure to overthrow it,
L am led to these observations


because | find in some quarters an impress
sion prevailing that the character of our
National Administration for the four years


from March 1873 is to be determined here


by k71Ot Of politicians. / hear it frequent


ly said that 1--WE will soon know who is to


be the next President, for when Congress


meets the prominent men of the country


will settle the question: These persons
evidently presume that the public men


here control the people and dictate who
their rulers shall be. They are wrong in


this, for the truth is the people are them
selves debating this very question and
anxious to decide it for their best in
tereSts.


Prominent politicians and newspaper
men are just now very active, endeavOr-
ing to organize the opposition to the
present administration. President Grant


has his opponents, just as every Chief
Magistrate has had. 1t would be useless to
attempt to conceal this facs. 1t would be
just as weak and foolish to attempt to
break the force of this opposition by abuse
OF the leading men who give it character
and strength. What honest man can saw
that Charles Sumner, Carl Schurz,
Horace Greeley, James Bowles, Senators
Trumbull and Fenton and many
other able men are not good Re epublcans
or men of great influence? 1t seems to
me that the wiser course for us to pursue
is to concede their high character and
their honest purposes. Men who have
battled in the ranks OF the Republican
party from its organization as zealously
and earnestly and effectually as they have,
are certainly entitled to have their own
opinions upon such an important question
as who shall be our President for the next
term, and | can neither admire the iudg-
ment nor appreciate the zeal that denies
them this right or denounces them for eX-
ercising it. 1t does not seem to me neces-
Sary or right to impugn their motives or
question their Republicanism. We can
find satisfactory reasons for their opposi-
ton and answer all their objections to the
Administration without doing either, and
prefer, therefore, to concede them now the
privilege of criticising the Administration
within reasonable bounds, and of exercis-
ing their own choice for the nomination.
After the party, through its convention,
has spoken, if they still array themselves
in opposition to the candidate, it will be
time then to question their sincerity and |
dispute their claims.
fair purposes, [ do not wish to be under
stood as believing that they have |
yet banded themselves together in
any organization. Their opposition thus |
far has been rather personal. donot think |
they will ever succeed in affecting for |
midabie organization to defeat General |
Grants denomination. Igive them credit |
for some sagacity, and l therefore cannot |
believe that they SO far mistake public |
OpIlIlOh do W COiuIulG Ul1SUlScIN0S muCn |
farther in thir opposition. l take it, that |
most of those I have mentioned at least,
are Republicans from conviction, and will |
not be forced outside of the organization
because their choice for President is not |
the choice of the party.


The people thus far are we'll satisfied |
with the results of President Grants ad-
They are sensible enough,
be it remembered, to judge it by its results,
and not by the reckless charges of oppos-
ing demagogues are the unjust criticisms
of the Presidents gersonal opponents. AS
L said before, the President has his oppo-
not had them? Mr.. Lincoln, the most be-
loved and wisest ruler since Washington,
mad his bitter opponents, and they en-
eiace0 some of those who are now un-
friendly to General Grant. They made
the very mistake that Grants opponents
are now making. They based their oppo-
slCIon upon certain personal traits of char
acter and upon some minor measures of
administrative policy, and upon these de-
iects asked the people to dismiss Chief
hIa9lstrate whose administration, in its
general results, nau proved the most salts
factory, as it had been the most resnonsi-
bic ever known since the Organization of
the Republic. The result need NOT refer
to. The people in their verdict demon
strated that they were too sensible to ex-
pect perfect ruler. They measured Mr.
Lincoln, not by an ideal standard hut hv
his predecessors, and by the work he had
accomplished, and with that COMPARISON
they found him good and wise President
80 it is now with President Grant. He
has had great responsibilities entrusted to
hlm and great work to accomplish. So