The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-22

edly use the patronage of the GOvernmant In
promote his chances of a reelection; aud no
man OF much penetration, who is acquainted
with political life in this country, can doubt
that his wish to employ 1t for that purpose is
the chief reason why he refuses the libertv
which would be given him by suspension of
the law, and insists so stubbornly upon it's
repeal Its suspension for eight or ten months
would enable him to ill the public service
with new men, his own appointees, and
he could afterwards remove for cause
all who were unfaithful or inefficient. But as
the great mass of officers would be entirely
independent of him, they would have no
stronger motive to work for his denomination
than for the nomination of any her memb Der
of their party. The Post, which cannot be
blind to the ordinary practice, must admit
that it is gross abuse for the public Offices
to be thus used to promote any mans ambi-
tiop, and we think too well of its good sense
to suppose it expects the evil can be remedied
by the election of Presidents whose virtue
would be proof against the seductions of
ambition.
We have no expectation that an adequate
remedy can be found in any such measure as
Mr.. Jenckes' Civil Service bill, although that
scheme is not without its merits, TO which we
have endeavored, at various times, to do full
justice. Such reform would merely lop off
some Of the branches of the evil, instead of
laying the axe at the root of the tree.
which have yet been devised were those
adopted in the abortive Confederate Constitu-
ton. In points which did not touch upon
the subjects in immediate controversy between
the North and the South, the alterations made
in the Federal Constitution by the Confede-
rates were, in the main, wise and judicious,
and were founded on the experience of the
Southern statesmen in connection with the
Federal Government. Except on the great
questions upon which the war hinged, the
Confederate leaders were under a strong
bias in favor of sound principles and
good government, and for pretty much
the same reasons that impel new
and austere morality. They wished to con-
ciliate pnblio opinion in favor of a revolution
OF doubtful propriety, by introducing such
reforms as would meet the good sense of in
| telligent men without any elaborate argu-
ment. The Southern leaders were 80 bent on
securing independence, protecting slavery,
| and establishing the right of secession, that
they were unwilling to aid those objects by the
prompt adoption of such reforms as the ex-
| perience of seventy years showed could be
| introduced with advantage into that Federal
| Constitution which they made the basis of their
OVID.
There was one subject on which there was
no room for difference of opinion among en-
| lightened observers of the operation of the
| Federal Government. The practice adopted
| by all the then recent American Presidents of
| using their power during their first term as an
| instrument for securing second, made it i'm
| possible that men whs had served in the
| public councils should overlook either the ex-
| istence of this evil, or its magnitude, or its
| dangerous tendency, when they set them
selves to inquire whas beneficial changes
could be made in Constitution which was,
| in the main, excellent. The COME derates
therefore, undertook to remedy this particular
evil, and they acted like wise men in using
not their own invention, but the results Of
other mems reflections. A great many of
the most sagacious statesmen of the country
had at various times earnestly recon-
4 mended a change in the Federal Consti-
tuition making the President ineligible for
a second term. The Southern leaders, instead
of extemporizipg new crotchet, borrowed
sound idea which had commended itself to the
mature Judgment of 30 many able statesmen,
and which was, moreover, so obviously self
recommending, that its adoption was not likely
to dissppoint expectation. The Confederate
constitution accordingly contained this provi-
siop:-"The President and Vice-President
shall hold their offices for the term of six
| years; but the President shall not be reGligi-
ble.' If the American people were wise
enough to introduce this amendment into the
Federal Constitution, it would cut up by the
roots one of the worst abuses of our political
system. The Federal patronage could never
again be perverted into the instrument of one
mans ambition.
But even this change would not reach the
whole extent of the evil. If the President
were a strong partisan, he might use the Gov
ernment patronage for the advantage of his
party, although he could not employ it for his
own. But the motives for abuse would be
comparatively weak. AS the President him
self would retire from politics at the close of
his term, and could receive no personal benefit
from the success of his party, party spirit
would not be reinforced by purely selfish mo-
tives; and in cases where a mans partisan
feelings happened to be so torpid and negative
as those of General Grant, we might be almost
exempt from prostitution Of the patronage.
But, in most cases, the President would be
an active partisan, and would use the patronage
for the advantage of his party. On this point
we have, indeed, but little light from expert
ence, Mr.. Lincoln being the only President
reelected since Jackson, and Lincoln did not
live to WELD the patronage of his second term
in favor of Republican successor.
The Confederate Constitution had another
provision which was unquestionably wise,
although it bore faint superficial resem-
blance to the Tenure Of Office act. But 1t diff
fered from it fundamentally. 1t was in these
werds:-"The principal officers in each of the
| executive departments, and all persons con-
nected with the diplomatic service, may be
removed from office at the pleasure of the
President. All other civil officers of the
executive departments may be removed at
any time, by the President or other appointing
, power when their services are unnecessary,
or for dishonesty, incapacity, ineficiency,
misconduct, or neglect OF duty; and when SO