Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-05-11

The Matter Of Office.
There was in the Morning Journal OF tile
9th inst, Characteristic editorial. Com
pressed into an essence, it amounted to this:
the anlmating principle of the Democratic
party is office. The party conceives Gov
ernment was established for no other pur-
pose than to create office; that they main
tain the opinion that if they shall not be
pernitted to hold the offices they will
undertake to break up all Government
through secession. That the members OF
the Democratic party have human nature
to the extent and in the quality that other
people have, is most true; that some oil
them have no disinclination to hold Office
we admit; but that any of them will stoop
lower or resort to more unworthy practices
to secure office, than any members of any
other party, is falsehood so despicable
that no decent man will utter 1t.
Talk about Office!
What is the spectacle presented to-day
by the Republican party? To the end that
President JOHNSON shall not remove from
office any Republican incumbent who does
not give him cooperative support III MS
great patriotic work of welding the bonds
of Union, and appointing those who shall
give to him that support, Republican Sen
ators have before them a bill which prac-
tically takes out of the hands Of the Presi-
dent the appointing power put there by
the Constitution of the United States. This
is not all. The leading Republican jour
nails throughout the country are inflicting
upon their readers long elaborate editorials
in justification of Congress wrestling this
power from the President. Some days ago,
the Cincinnati Commercial cited the argu-
ments of CLAY, WEBSTER and Ewing
claiming for the United States Senate sub
stantially the absolute control Of appoint
ments and removals.
When and for what purpose were those
arguments made? Were they made at a
time when the Wing party had succeeded
to power, aud when itwas understood that
there was an intention of removing Demo-
cratic officials and appointing as their sue
cessors Wings? No. They were made at
the time when JOHN TYLER, the accidency
President who was elected Vice President
when HARRISON was elected President on
the log-cabin and hard cider hurrah, with
out declaration Of principles for the pub
lie eve, commenced the removal of Wings
from office whodid not give to his admins
tration that support to which he conceived
it entitled. And when EWING and WEB
srER got into the Cabinet, they recognized
as most salutary and most just the exercise
of the appointing and removing power
as vested in the President by the Constitu-
ton. Never did the Executive guillotine
work more / Elceasingly or cutwith sharp
er edge than when Mr.. Ewing had place
In the Cabinet. 1t was of no avail to say
that the victim was capable and merito-
rious officer IL he were Democrat. That
had to be expiated by decapitation.
Throughout LINcoLN's Administration,
no man who was Democrat was permitted
to hold office. Every office-holder had to
be supporter of LINcoLN's Administra-
tion. There were at no time throughoutth that
Administration any Senators or journalists
belonging to that party who or which ut
tered one word in depreciation of the re-
moval of Democrats.
A great fear has come upon Republican
Senators, Congressman and editors that
President JOHNSON may make appoint
ments to office from the Democratic party;
hence their plotting and scheming to de-
feat him in it. They 'odnt to hold ont The
Offices. Because they tvant TO hold on TO he
offices, they deny to the South her representation
In Congress, and for the purpose Of holding on
to the offices, they aoiH undertake to preUent tht
South from voting for President in 1868. This
is a truth so plain that it does not admit Of
successful denial; and yet the Journal has
the effrontery to charge Democrats with
an ungodly lusting after Office. This charge
is audacity and insolence without parallel