The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-05

| sole reason that the fraction of the community
| to which he belonged was poor ana mean anu
! despised, would, in our opinion, be 9egraotS t5
tion and perversion of the once, anu ,, woUiV a.
| would outrage the sense of justice ana sense
of propriety of the best portion OF the Whltes'
There is something very amusing IN inc sln-
plicity with which Mr.. Phillips tries TO per-
suade himself and persuade others, that as soon
as people saw negro foisted into the Vice
Presidency by political manmuvring, the
whites would begin to respect the colored
population more than they had previously
done. He might as we'll talk of regulating
the temperature by forcing the mercury up
and down in a thermometrical tube. Election
to Office is, and always has been, and we trust
always will be, the result of the popular esti-
mate of mans character not the cause of it.
Therefore, whenever we see a negro in the
Nice-Presidency, it will, we admit, be a sign
that negroes, as a class, have risen in popular
estimation. But to raise them in popular
estimation, we must go about eXhorting them
to do the things and lead the life which win
popular esteem, instead of exhorting the
whites to bestow highest honors or their gifts
on the class which has done least to deserve
them, or to bestow the most important politi-
cal trusts on the class which has done least
to prove its fitness for them,
The offices of government as we understand
government, are established for the service of
the whole community, and not for the oonso-
lation of the unfortunate or unsuccessful, and
if there be one political abuse from which,
more than any other, the country has in these
latter days suffered, it is the practice of bestOw
ing nominations and appointments with refe
renee not to the candidates fitness or to the
public needs, but with reference to such arbi-
trary and senseless considerations as 'the
claims of particular sections or localities or
interests. 1t is to this abuse of its power by
l,aA l,r
able ruler, Andrew Johnson, and it is to this
abuse of their power by the President and
Senate that we have owed and do still owe
most of our worst diplomatic officers, and many
of the worst in other branches of the public
service. 1t is to the idea, too out of which
this abuse springs-that offices are "spoils"
or prizes and not trusts-that we owe much of
the johbing which marks the election of United
States Senators. Many valuable man is lost
to the Senate because some one section of a
State has "claims" involving the choice of
somebody else. To this abuse Mr.. Phillips
wants to give an immense extension.
1t is said that the arguments now used for
the election of negroes to high Office are such
as have been and are constantly used in favor
of the election or appointment of persons be-
longing to other despised or unfortunate
classes or interests. We deny it in toto.
During the long contest in England which
! preceded the admission of Jews to the House
of Commons, nobody ever thought of claiming
seats for them as a means of raising Jews in
the popular estimation. This work the advo-
| Gates of their claims we'll knew the Jews must
do for themselves. What was demanded in
the case of the Jews as we'll as of the Irish
Catholics, was the removal as an act of justice
of all legal barriers to their holding office. The
moral and social barriers they were left to
remove themselves by the ordinary means
that is, by industry, learning, energy, activity,
eloquence, and public spirit. Baron Roths-
child got his seat in the House OF
Commons not as a means of elevating his race,
but because his race was elevated; because it
had shown itself in every country in Europe
foremost in the work of civilization; because
its members were the first in the ranks of
commerce, literature, arts and arms, and be-
cause, in short, it had become ridiculous and
absurd to exclude Jew, as a Jew, from any
post of honor. The mere social prejudice
against Jews is still strong in every Christian
country-strOnger with many people than the
prejudice against negroes-but as long as Jews
are amongst the wealthiest merchants and
bankers, the abest lawyers and scientific men
in the world, no prejudice can shut them out
from more than their SHARE calculated on
numbers, of political hOnors.
The foreign population in this country is
more numerous than the negro population,
and has contributed far more to its wealth, and
strength, and fame, and prosperity. Foreigners
are found in the most distinguished places in
all walks of life, but how many foreigners are
there in Congressl What foreigner has yet
been nominated for the GovernOrship of State
or the Vice Presidency? Two or three have
filled second-rate embassies; but, so far as we
know, no high official position has yet beer
conferred by the popular vote on a man of for
eign birth, and we have yet to meet with g
foreigner who is fool enough to complain
of this as a grievance or as an indi
cation that foreigners are treated as
, political outoasts. The exclusion is q natu
raj one, and because natural perfectly Just
AS long as native Americans do most of the
bran-work of the country, have most to dc
with the supply of its ideas and the direction
of its industry, the high political positions
r will fall to their lot. If the day should evel
| come when high political positions shall bt
distributed, as treasury clerkships and custom
house places now are, as a mode of relieving
or encouraging the helpless, or friendless, ol
: destitute, or incompetent, serious blow will
} assuredly be struck at the stability of the
Government, and we, for our part, hope thai
/ nothing of the kind will ever be submitted tC
by the people either for the sake of the
negroes or any other race or tribe, because WE
know that when negroes have contributed
their fair share to the work of civilization ant
| good government, no prejudice can, in free
, Christian country, prevent them from receiv,
| ing their fair share of the prizes.
The New War Cloud In Europe.
From The Herald.
The French and German journals have com