The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-01-16
Virtuous Indignation.

YirtuOIiS Indignation.
The radical Abolition papers are not at
all pleased with the announcement re-
rently made, that the President had in-
structcd the heads Of departments at Wash
ington to make no appointments upon the
recommendation of members of Congress
until he is first consulted. The Chicago
Tribune the leading Abolition organ In the
North west, grows excessively indignant,
and vents its spite at the President as fol-
lows:
at Is we'll understood that this order
originates in the opposition of Congress to
the Presidents reconstruction policy The
question arises, therefore, whether the
President IL prepared TO use his executive
patronage rs means of persuading Con-
gress into abandoning what they deem TO
he their duty, and submitting to ms dicta-
tiou. Such a course would introduce into
the Presidents policy the combined ele-
ments of treachery for his party, bribery
for its representatives, and. contempt tOr
its principles and power,
.srhe policy of regarding the federal pat
ronage rs the spOils of the party Is but an
other mode of expressing the political AK
iom that the same majority which elects tho
President should exercise and control the of
fices to which he has the appointing power
so that for the lower rs well rs in the higher
departments of Government the same ma
ioTity shall rule. But In no party and un-
der no government has the doctrine beer
accepted that when the Executive, electcc
by a popular majority, is so unfortunate a
to place himself in opposition to them, hC
NAV use the whole patronage of the Gov
ernment. which of right belongs to them, tC
coerce the majority into the views of tht
minority.
In principle we see very little difference
between the lobbyist who walks i'll the ante
chamber with presents of railroad stocks
mining shares or greenbacks as compensa-
ton for vote in Congress, and the Presi-
dent who withholds or distributes office tC
a Congressman's friends for the same con-
sidertion. The most insidious advances to-
ward such policy should be spurned by
Congress in the most emphatic manner
The people will sustain them in refusing
the executive bribe."
This is tolerably plain talk, and it shows
exactly where the shoe pinches. The radi-
cal destructives in and out of Congress
finding that they can not control the Pres
ident in his restoration policy, feel them
selves in duty bound to Distract and EN-
barrass his Administration in all possible
ways. They seem to have forgotten that
he could retaliate, and thus wound them in
the tendercst point-the distribution of ex-
ecutive patronage. The order alluded to is
interpreted by them to mean that he will
only sanction such appointments as may be
recommended by the supporters of his pol
icy, and that he win not regard as hii
friends those who seek to thwart or defea
his measures of restoration; and while
many of them like the Chicago editor, at
tempt to carry bold and defiant front, i
is evident that they are greatly alarmed a
the prospect of being excluded in the dis
tribution of the spoils of office.
1t is equally apparent that nothing bu
the cohesive power of public plunder'
has prevented them from repudiating thu
policy of the administration long ago ant
dcnouncing the President with all the bit
terness and virulence with which they arr
accustomed to denounce all who question
their views or stand in the way of theil
reasonable designs. They had evidently
hoped to be able to carry out successfully
their disunion schemes, in opposition to thu
restoration policy of the President,withou
making direct issue with him or forfeitinl
their claims upon official patronage. Blu
from the manner in which they regard tn,
recent Executive order, it Is manifest tina
they must either abandon the position the!
have taken or conclude to forego the spoil
and emoluments of office for themFelve!
and their friends. 1t is not likely that tn,
President will in the least recede from tn,
position he has taken. .