l principles made factional spirit only the more
violent and depraved. So long as power and opportunity were based
not upon public confidence but upon mere advantage of position, the
contention of party leaders turned upon questions of appointment to
office and the control of party machinery. The Republican national
convention of 1880 was the scene of a factional struggle which left
deep marks upon public life and caused divisions lasting until the party
leaders of that period were removed from the scene. In September 1879,
General Grant landed in San Francisco, after a tour around the world
occupying over two years, and as he passed through the country he was
received with a warmth which showed that popular devotion was abounding.
A movement in favor of renominating him to the Presidency was started
under the direction of Senator Roscoe Conkling of New York. Grant's
renown as the greatest military leader of the Civil War was not his only
asset in the eyes of his supporters. In his career as President he had
shown, on occasion, independence and steadfastness of character. He
stayed the greenback movement by his veto after eminent party leaders
had yielded to it. He had endeavored to introduce civil service reform
and, although his measures had been frustrated by the refusal of
Congress to vote the necessary appropriations, his tenacity of purpose
was such that it could scarcely be doubted that with renewed opportunity
he would resume his efforts. The scandals which blemished the conduct of
public affairs during his administration could not be attributed to any
lack of personal honesty on his part. Grant went out of the presidential
office poorer than when he entered it. Since then, his views had
been broadened by travel and by observation, and it was a reasonable
supposition that he was now better qualified than ever before for the
duties of the presidential office. He was only fifty-eight, an age much
below that at which an active career should be expected to close, and
certainly an age at which European statesmen are commonly thought to
possess unabated powers. In opposition to him was a tradition peculiar
to American politics, though unsupported by any provision of the
Constitution according to which no one should be elected President for
more than two terms. It may be questioned whether this tradition does
not owe its strength more to the ambition of politicians than to sincere
conviction on the part of the people.*