Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-05-09
Honesty.

The sobriouet "honest" has been applied to
the President until II Is generally getting to be
considered satirical. Day after day some fresh
exposure is made of what can be considered
neither honest nor lawful. The minds OF men
are now opening TO a sense of the wickedness
which has characterized the repeated violations
of constitution and law by the President in the
name of"putting down the rebellion" Ii be-
gins to be seen that this plea may possibly be
used TO cover something else than putting down
treason The friends OF Mr.. Chase are pro
fOundly penitent their former justification
Of this idea for they find that Mr. Lincoln can
use the "military necessity doctrine TO their sc
rious detriment There never IN American
history builder confession OF dishonesty and
corruption than is contained in the letter OF Mr.
Lincoln 20 Montgomery Blair which we pub
lished day before yesterday No man can JUST
fy or apolog re tor the violation OF honor and
duty which Is here confessed
The bargain TO consider Frank Blair a General
and vet not General. resigned but not resigned,
IL too absurd on lis face To require consideration.
BY the Constitution be could not be General
and memDer OF the House. The agreement
TO accept his resignation. but to let him
withdraw IL when he should have served the pur-
pose for which he was wanted in the House. He
either resigned or he did not he either
General still while in Congress. or he was no
could not be made one again. except by re ap-
poiutment II he still n General with any
possible right To withdraw his resignation, then
he had no seat as member of Congress. and
the President by his oath of Office, aud every
consideration Of morality aud honesty, was for
hidden 10 aid him in securing that seat. What
are we to think OF the standard of honesty bv
which Mr. Lincoln regulates his conduct Is il
fixed. is It "A high standard. is it my standard
whatever but political expedlency! Apply the
same principle. here exhibited. to transactions
in the world between OF business. Is it
honest 10 tell man debt is paid when the
money has only been deposited, with n secret
bargain that the debt shall not he considered
pidl What word Is il that men apply. in ordi
nary transactions. TO tie obtaining of goods.
fsvors. or money. by the conceament OF an ex-
istng fact or agreement, which the party inter-
ested is entitled TO know HIVE the people no
interest in the constitutional qualification OF their
Congressman! What, then, was the constitu
tional provision made TOR J. he n trustworthy
President who fills Congress with men under his
own hand. held fast by his bargans-oticeho
ders, bong ht by his promises to consider their
signations void, or to allow them 10 be undone at
willl
This is no triiing affair. In ordinary times it
would unquestonably result in the impeachment
of President nor woud his own party dare de
tend him They would seek in haste TO throw
off all responsibility for his act
The oath OF the President was violated by the
secret bargain made He in fact entered into
plot with 1.-The Blairs" &c avoid ard set At def
ance plain provision of the Constitution, AMI
thus to deiraud the people And he conlesses
that he did it for political success He wanted
Frank Blair's vote in Congress. and was there
fore willing TO make this strocous bargain
What is the use of this provision OF the Con
stituton at all, hereafter if Mr. Lincoln's exam
pie is followed? Any Office holder may be elect
ed to Congress hand in his resignation of the
other Office 10 the President. with agreement
that he may take it back at any time, and take
his seat in Congress under this corrupt bargain
A grosser wroig cannot be offered to the Ameri
can people than this. which "honest Abe Lin
coin has confessed, and which, in the code of
morals of his party. was not even regarded as "A
wron. until the Glass faction began to split Off
and then began TO see through the Lincoln Blair
plot
Oh for the honest old days. There was time
when the President Of the United States WAS
above such plots AS this-when an intrigue TO
violate the provisions of the Constitution for a
partisan political end would have shaken the na-
ton, reused the Indignation OF an honest people.
and destroyed forever the moral power of adj
minisuation. And so il ought TO be now. But
so it is not The degradation of public morals
has been great under radical teaching. that the
people receive with silence and without rebuke
the information of such al act as this They
rather expect dishonesty in the highest and in the
lowest stations They have. in fact. been taught
that dishonesty, to accomplish pa,tisan end. is
the highest type OF honesty. it the end be only
such "a they wish accomplished y Y Jour
of Com