Year: 1872

The following is the text of the letter
of Judge j. S. Black, in answer to one
addressed him by Mr.. w. H. Welsh, of
the Baltimore Gazette:


| To HIllidna II. Welsh, Esq.,, Editor of
the Baltimore Gdzettee:


MY DEAR SIR II promised the gen.
tleman who delivered your letter that
L would answer it fully and as could
consistently with other engagements.
l am fulfilling that promise If take
more time and space than might be ex-
pected, you will please to remember
that l and great many other Demo-
Gratis are in position which requires
something more than q mere definition.
We cannot avoid misconStruction with.
out furnishing rather full eXplana-
ton.


| admit that the next President must
be Grant or Greeley. The circum-
stances of the political situation limit
our choice to these two men, as strictly
as if nobody else were legally eligible.
We must weigh them against one an-
other, and, like practical men, decide the
case before us in favor of the best. Even
if we find no good in either of them,
we must take that one who shall appear
to be leuSt bad.


1t is undeniable that the leading
measures of this Administration are
not only unconstitutional, but anti con
stitutional, showing not merely con-
temptuous Indifference to constitutional
obligations, but settled hostility to
those rights of the States, and those
liberties of the people, which the or
ganic law was made to secure. The
Presidents appointment of officers and
his general exercise of public authority,
under the influence of men who paid
large sums of money, are scandalous
outrages, and the effort to defend them
has combined with other like causes to
eXtinguish among his sHbordinates all
respect for those rules of morality which
used to be held sacred. When we con-
slider what these men have done in the
North, and add to it the large-handed
robberieS perpetrated in the South by
the retainers of the President, with his
direct aid and assistance, we are COM
PEELED to acknowledge that no other
govern ment now in the world is ad-
ministered so entirely for personal and
partisan purposes, or in such complete
disregard for the rights and interests of
the general public. This demoraliza-
tion is not confined to the Executive
branch the tide Of corruption rolls in
upon the Legislative and in some places
it has risen high enough to touch the
feet of the Judiciary. Even the rank
and file Of the Presidents party have
become debauched, let us hope not al
together, but certainly in fearful degree
Acts, which ia former times hardened
criminal would hesitate to whisper in
the ear of his accomplice, can now be
openly advocated by political leader,
not only with safety, but with tolera-
BILE chance of being sustained by sort
of public opinion. The love of liberty
and justice which used to pervade the
whole community now "reneges all
temper" and yield without resistance
| to the unprincipled demagOgues who
| would enthrone fraud.


snake the hoar leprosy adored; place thieves,
| And give them title, knee and APPRECIATION,
With Sen ators ON the BENCH"


If General Grant had been equal in
mind and heart to the exigencies of the
times, he could have easily made him
self great public benefactor. He
might have purified official and politi-
cal morals by simply setting the ex-
ample in his own person of a clean
handed devotion to duty. His own
obedience to the laws would have re-
stored them to universal supremacy
All the objects of the Constitution as re-
cited in the preamble would have been
| accomplished but for the distractions
! with which he himself impeded them
| Unfortunately the interests of certain


rings were in conflict with the Interests


of the country, and they, by large pre-


sents seduced him into their service


The public contracted to give him the


salary which his predecessors had beer


content with; the rings offered hin


more; he accepted their bounty, fel


over to them, and took the Government


into his hands as "Black Republican
job"


Now, as to Greeley. 1t cannot be pre-


tended that his political life is very


symmetrical. He was in the ranks o


the radical Abolitionists for good ma


ny years. That is bad; for such associ