The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-04-03

reported expressly and regularly for
the columns of the 1NTELLIGEECER the
proceedings of the American farmers
Club which holds weekly meetings in
New York. 1t will be an interesting
and valuable column for our country
readers and will be an important fea-
ture of our Weekly.
Tho GabInet-A Tilt at the ''COntrIbu-
tOrs.-'
It seems probable the second edition
of the Cabinet will soon give place
to a third-at least in part. The
New York SIN has information
that Mr.. Fish, Secretary of State, will
soon retire from the State Department
and receive the appointment of Minis
ter to England. Can it be that the
road to a foreign mission lies only
through the State Department? Pub
lie opinion is setting in very
strongly against tho continuance of Mr..
Borie, the Secretary of the Navy. The
New York SIN has leader putting the
case against Mr.. BOrie very strongly,
showing 6rst that he is physically
incapacitated for the place. The
condition of his health" says the
!S,e1,, is such that he cannot read, or
think consecutively, or attend to any
serious business for an hour at a time
without experiencing great pain and
suffering. This is the permanent,
chronic state of his nervous system.
There is no hope of his recovery from
it," Mr. Borie is therefore mere figure
head, Admiral Porter furnishing the
brains for the Department. But the
stronger reason is thus fOrcibly put by
the SUI
Along with the regard justly due to
truth and fair dealing with tho public,
there is another consideration which
should have forbidden Mr.. BOrie-and
forbidden him AZ sternly and unaltera-
blv as the voice of Conscience herself
from seeking or accepting either a place
i'll the Cabinet, or any other Office OF
power or emOlument under General
Grants Administration. he is II pecu :
MARY benefactor of General Grant. He
has given the General money. lie was
avery large contributor toward the pur-
chase OF a house in Philadelphia, worth
some fifty thousand dollars. which was
presented to the General. The present
gave proof of Mr.. BOrie's good feeling,
and TINT of his associates III the Dene-
faction. We cannot say that it was
wrong for the General to receive 1t at
that time, though other prominent Off
GERS of the war have refused such graf
utle4. But one effect of these donations
is now too evident 10 be SUBJECT Oh Sc
riNuS dispute.
Every man who has bestowed such
gifts on Gen. Grant is thereby disquali-
ned from holding any office of power
or profit by Gen. Grants appointment.
Wa don't mean that lie is legally dis
cd 'rhnrA ia HtAtntA hp4 ring
ON the subject, because none has ever
been thought necessary. But disquali-
fed by the law of personal dellcacy,
public policy, and a decent respect tor
th;I worlds opinion. Cannot MIR. Bo-
rIe understand that people Will say
th,,I he has bought this great Office, that
he has obtained it by gifts OF money and
other things? OfCOurse, we do not adj
nit for IL moment that such is the truth,
for we understand Gen. Grant TOO well
to- believe that he would be Influenced
by such SOrdid motives. But MIR. Borle
VINO is a nRn Ofthe world, and cannot
put in any plea of Ignorance, was bound
to understand from the be ginning that
he ought not to seek for or to take any
such place, because the beneficiary, or,
il you prefer, the pecuniary relations
between himself aud the General were
such that he could not re-
ceive any office except one OF mere
compliment at his hands. 1t VIII not
do TO have the honor Of the Presidency
and the most important functions OF
tho Executive Government sOiled and
degraded by giving even our enemies
the least ground for suspecting them
To he allotted upon reasons of peCuniary
influence and obligation.
SENATOR STRAGUE'S recent speeches
i'll the Senate have attracted great
deal of nttentlon-not from their abili-
ty, for nobody considers Mr.. Sprngue a
heavy weight, although the waggish
Nye spoke of his first speech as 1.-THE
siedge- hammer blows of the Rhode Is
land Boanerges''-but for their remar~
kable arraignment of tho two Houses of
Congress, and especially the Senate, as
corrupt, imbecile and ignorant; and no
doubt because there is a general belief
that his utternnCes are inspired by his
eminent father-in-law, Chief Justice
Chase. In his last speech his &C
cusation OF Congress for cOrrup-
ton, imbecility and Ignorance. was
only less startling than the proofs with
which he attempted 10 sustain the
charges. The perfect frankness of the
Senator, in connection with these
speeches, is the most striking feature
connected with them. When one of his
statements, concerning the decay OF in
dustry and the ruin of the smaller
manufacturers, was challenged, he &C
knowledged that he, himself, had at
tanned his business prosperity, during
the last few years, "Only by crushing
ont all smaller competitors" When he
spoke OF Congressional corruption, he
said he himself kncaU of member who
had been asked 10 report upon certain
matter in n certain way, and the temp
tation held out before him was SlGO, 00O
For this startling charge tho Senator
should be at once investigated" by Il
special committee, and tAe Senate
ought at once take steps to clear
its skirts. Tho Senator also chHrg.
ed, in general, that these cor
ruptive influences are to-day riding
roughshOd over all the industrial in.
terests of this country, while. mt the
same time, all the members Of Congress
are clarifying each others smartness,
and declaiming about the country's
prosperity.
While there is no doubt Mr.. Sprague
takes IL somewhat jaundiced view Of
things yet, there is reason TO fear there
liz more truth in n good deal he says
than there ought to be. He has mani
tested good deal of courage; and the