Year: 1872

aries profess deep concern for the lib
critics of the American people in view
of the despOtic aspirations of General
Grant. Frank Blair, we believe was
the first Waterman on the walls of our
political Zion, TO raise his voice in alarm
and warning against the perils of the
Presidents ambition. Indeed, if we
rightly remember, Frank foresaw the
dangers afar off, and even before Gem
eral Grant was elected to his present po-
sition, confidently foreteld that if cho-
sen to the presidential office, he would
certainly try to make himself dictator
of the Republic. And q greater than
Frank Blair, even Mr.. Sumner, when
his mental optics had been sharpened
by personal resentment, professed to see
in Grants official acts indications of a
purpose to establish a military despOt-
ism or something of that sort. As
Frank Blair is knowILto be a very sharp
sighted fellow, and as Mr.. Sumner
splendidly proved his powers of insight
by exposing the Presidents nepotism,
no doubt our Democratic or Democrat
ic-Iiberal alarminists are simply re-
peating what they have heard from their
eminent lenders. Their fears did not
originate with themselves or from any
signs visible to their own eyes. The
anxiety they profess is so unfOunded,
and their warnings so utterly without
ground in facts, that even they would
probably be ashamed to give them voice
unless, when twitted with their absurd
ity, they could refer to some prominent
politician who had said the same things
before. Certainly in the absence of
such authorities nothing could be more
idle or stupid than an attempt to refute
charges so groundless.


The truth is that General Grant is, of
all our Presidents since the first, the
one whose actions and policy have been
most directly antagonistic to the spirit
and tendencies of military ambition
and usurpation. For the peaceful set
tlement of our difficulties with England
history will undoubtedly give President
Grant the credit, at least i'm a great de-
gree. But for the military reputation
established by the North, under his gen.
eralship, the American government
could not have afforded to exercise the
patience and forbearance which were
proved necessary to insure the success
of the Treaty of Washington. The peO-
pie, feeling their reputation for courage
and public spirit at stake, would have
rather risked war than the possible and
even the probable stigma of funbecoming
patience or pusillanimity under nation
al wrong. Then President Grant,
man of approved military character,
firmness and resolution, while the ir-
ritating controversies with Great Brit
ain was going on, knew that he could
display forbearance and make conces-
sions in the interest of peace without
danger of being misunderstood. Amer
lean reputation for valor and .loftiness
of spirit was really never in peril during
the debate, but shallow, passionate
chief magistrate, ignorant of the mean
ing and realities of war, would very
likely have plunged his country into an
armed conflict from the mere dread of
compromising its fame and his own.
General Grant is brave after the man
ner of those who are not afraid of being
thought afraid, and the result was chat
our long and bitter quarrel with Eng
land has been brought to conclusion
which promises permanent peace be-
tween the two nations, while it has en-
HANGED the consideration of the United
States throughout the world. General
Grant being candidate for reelection
to the high office which he has filed so
well, and Horace Greeley being his
competitor, the people do not forget
that while the former, by his admirable


sense and quiet courage, was saving the


Washington Treaty and preserving his
country from the calamities of war, the


latter, Greeley, was using his widely
circulated newspaper to denounce and
yIlify General Grant and his Cabinet


because they restrained their passions


under provocation and declined to en-
gage in game of a brag and buster in
evidence of American courage and read
iness to fight. Think of any serious


difficulty between America and Eng
land with Greeley in the Presidential
+ chairl Anybody who wants to know
lhow Greeley would conduct the dispute