Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1869-07-16
Willard Fillmore on Grants
Administration and Negro Suffrage

Ex-President Willard Fillmore on Grant s
Administration and Negro Suffrage.
A correspondent of the New York Herald,
who has had an interview with Mr.. Fillmore,
says: Ia
The first subject Of conversation intro
duced was that of General Grant and his
administration Mr. Fillmore believes Gen i
cral Grant mems well and wishes to do
right, but that through his inexperiencc in
politics and public affairs he has got himself
into the meshes.of the politicians and has
lost the finest opportunity of BE- Netting the
country. He referred particularly to Cen
~eral Grants position Immediately after the
inauguration with regard to the Tenure Of
Office act and the difficulties which the poll
.ticians in Congress raised about the Cabinet
He thinks that bad Grant been frn in re-
curing the repeal of the Tenure of Office act
and the confirmation of his Cabinet as first
formed the Senate would have yielded for
Grant held at that time the confidence Of the
people and would have been supported by
them. Besides, Senators as well as mem
bers of the House, wanted the distribution
4 Of the offices, and the President had, in the
power of nomination, the winning card. =
Had he refused to make any appointments,
unless this act were repealed, the Senators
would have been so impressed by his firm
ness and so anxious to get the Offices for
their friends and supporters that they would
have swept the act from the statute book
Nor would they have embarrassed the Presi-
dent about his Cabinet, nor have led him to
change the cast of it to suit their political
views and ends. Distasteful as were his first
Cabinet appointments and thefpolicy in MAX
ing them to these politicians, and much as
they wished 10 cling to The power they had
acquired over the Executive, they would
| have surrendered for the sake of the Offices,
and in face of Grants fr4nhess and populari-.
ty, had he been determined and unmovcd.
It was a glorious opportunity to restore the
| equilibrium, which had been destroyed by
the usurpations of Congress, between the
different branches of the Government The
! ex-President regards that issue as involving
| the greatest consequences-an issue the i'm
portance of which General Grant failed to
comprehend, and which may change forever
the practical operation Of the Government.
Looking at the tendency of all public bodies
| to usurp power, and the tenacity with which
they cling to it when once acquired. it may
be a long time if ever, before the opportu-
nifty occurs to restore the former equilibrium
between Congress, the Executive and Judi
ciary The danger is that under the name
of representative and federative republic
the Government may be come ns-o1igarchy
Of politicians. When speaking Of this MIR.
Fillmore took from hislibrary Washington's
Farewell Address, and read that portion of
it in which the Father of his Country pointed
out the danger Of Congress absorbing
those powers Of government which properly
belong to the Executive and Judiciary, and
in which he seemed almost to have pro-
phetic knowledge Of the present state Of
things. Washington said it must lead to
despotism in one form or another, and Mr..
Fillmore fears that this may be the case,
unless by some extraordinary and providen-
tial circumstances the people should be
aroused from their apathy and see the dan
ger that ins;diously threatens our republican
| institutions.
In speaking ofthe suffrage, the cx-Presi |
dent said the great mistake made by the
Radicals, and seemingly by the country. just
now, is that this was a natural right, and
not political right or privilege. Hence
the suffrage has been given to millions Of
benighted negroes who scarcely know their
right hands from their left. and who can
have no knowledge Of what they vote for.
Having given the suffrage to the negroes, it
cannot be refused to the millions upon mil
lions of Chinese who are coming to the coun-
try, and who are a superior race to the ne
groes This is a serious evil in the future
to contemplate But he does not see how
the suffrage is to be taken away or restricted
when once given. Wearc rushing on in the
| way Of political revolution, and its seems
| that it must rpn its course to the extreme
! point of radicalisIn. It viii be fortunate if
this does not eliminate in a sans culotte reg
inc, to be followed by another kind of
despotism or.personal dictatorship. When
speaking of this. state of things Mr.. Fill
more referred to one of the old Italian re
! publics. that of Florence, | think, where
revolutionary and Radical equality was car,
ried to such an e:streemne that elections for
office to administer the Government we're
done away with, and officers were taken by
lot from the whole community. AS a mat
| ter Of course the most ignorant became the
rulers, for they were the most numerous. -
The consequence was that with the Radical
attempt to force equality where no natural
or real equality existed, liberty soon expired
and despotism succeeded Mr., Fillmore ad-
mits that the suffrage should be on the
broadest practicable basis, aal remarked
that England and all other civilized coun-
tries were tending to that; but it should be
held only, as a general rule, by those who
know how to use it. Still he had hope that
the evils Of extending the suffrage to the ig
norant nlssses of other races would be cor
rccted in measure by the ppegrass of edu-
cation, the preponderance of the Caucasian
race and the enlightened patriotism Of the
American people. = 500. Or nssa 4oa
WHEN SHALL THE llEGtsLATpRE NJ E9T 3
AS there has been considerable inquiry as to
the time of meeting of the Legislature elected
on Tuesday last, we republish an extract
from the bill authorizing the election, show.
ing that it vii nlest on the fourth Tuesday
after the official PRONUNCIATION Of tie rati6
cation of the Constitution. by the command
ing General. . q
'.SEcTIoN 5. That it either of said consti-
tutions shall be ratified at such election, the
Legislature Of the State SO ratifying, elected
as provided for in this act, shall assemble at
the capital Of said State on the fourth Tues
day after the official promuigation 81 SUCH
ratification by the military officer. command
ing in said State. a..z.f,. a. sa- s,f..
/, 'sSEcTIas g., That before the States of
Nirninia Micsias:nn; and Toxas chnll liz I'D