The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer

THE GRANT MOVEMENT.
An "Intelligent Observer at the Capital who is Very Much Impressed with its Present Strength."
Edmund Hudson's Washington Special to Boston Herald.

If the Republican National Convention to nominate a President of the United States to succeed Mr. Hayes was held this month, the nominee would be Gen. Grant. There can be no doubt of this. Four weeks ago the statement might have been open to question, but all the indications to-day are Grant-ward. This is not saying, of course, that Grant will be the nominee of the Republican party in the next Presidential campaign. Several things may happen to prevent that thing from happening, and the subject is fertile for speculations in regard to the political developments of the next eighteen months. The fact to be noted now is that the November elections, which resulted on the whole so happily for the Republicans, have not convinced the politicians that Republican success is certain with any good candidates in 1880, but have developed the opinion that the party must have Grant for a candidate in order to afford a fair probability of success the next time. The reasons for all this are not difficult to find. The average Republican politician has no faith whatever in the retention of power merely by virtue of a faithful and efficient administration of the government. He has a keen recollection of 1876, and the narrow channel by which a Republican squeezed into the White House in that year. He knows that the Democrats will be in complete possession of Congress in 1880, and that, if there is any doubt about the Presidency, it is the Democratic candidate who will have the benefit of it. He knows that neither Conkling nor Blaine can receive the united support of the party. He thinks that Grant can receive this united support. The present tendency of opinion among the politicians here, consequently, is to accept Grant as "the inevitable" in 1880. It is not so much an organized movement as a gradual development of opinion, which will go on, apparently, until the old elements of hostility to Grant begin to coalesce and become effective.
That there is a "Grant movement," which is being cautiously and persistently pushed to secure his election in 1880, is equally obvious, so that both negative and positive influences are at work in his behalf. The "Grant movement" has its head-quarters in Philadelphia, and its ramifications in all the leading cities of the country. Its power is constantly felt here. It has unlimited wealth at its command. Its object is to make Grant so prominent as to scare all the other Republican Presidential candidates out of the field during the next year, and give Grant the nomination without opposition in the Convention. Conkling has already succumbed. He sees that it is Grant or some new man in sympathy with the present administration, and he is for Grant openly and all the time. I know that he has advised and even urged his New York friends to accept Grant, and work for him from this time on. This decision has been made by him during the past four weeks. At the same time the Philadelphia crowd have been at work on Mr. Blaine, and have so impressed him with the formidableness of the Grant movement that it is now probable that Blaine himself will be found acquiescing in the Grant movement after the beginning of the new year.

The sudden strengthening of Grant's prospects in all parts of the country is something phenomenal. Even in Massachusetts his friends are said to be more active than the friends of any other candidate. Conkling assures his friends that New York shall send a Grant delegation to the next national convention. Robeson will take care of New Jersey. In Pennsylvania there is now no opposition to Grant. Illinois is solid for him, so far as external appearances show. Congressman Cole, of Missouri, says his State would certainly send a Grant delegation to the convention if it were held now. California is easily carried, Nevada and contribute millions for Grant, and the Bonanza crowd will side for the sake of having Grant in power once more.

The Southern States are for Grant as a matter of course. Ohio almost alone among the States exhibits a disinclination to go for him. But even Ohio will bow to the inevitable. The coming trip of Grant through Asia, with John Russell Young to dish up the news for the American public, is expected to put the finishing touches on the Grant movement for 1880. A few people are falling back on the slight hope that Divine Providence may interfere to take Grant out of the way, but these are persons whose faith in Divine Providence is not strong.

The next question to be asked is, "What will the Democrats do to try to beat the Grant movement, that seems to be carrying everything before it?"