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.
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