The weekly North-Carolina standard., 1869-03-24
Is He Honest-.Is he Capable 2

When the telegraph flashed along its wires
the names of President Grants Cabinet, so
that in few hours it was known at the
confines of our great country who were the
favored men, there was the universal inquiry
-''who is Borie2" So unknown was the
man who bore that name to the great pubic,
that many insisted that it must be a mis-
take in the telegram. No one had heard OF
such man, and for a day or at least some
hours the public mind was in suspense The
matter has been cleared up by the Press, and
now we know something of Borie. An item
respecting HIM in the Washington Chronicle
o,ivps ms real satisfaction, viz:
ssAdolphe E. Borie, Secretary OF the Navy, is
thoroughly posted in shipping material, ana
knows everything about vessel from stem 10
stern"
Whether this determined the choice OF
the President we have no means 0i learning,
neither do we care to know. However there
is in it what we hold to be the highest claim
any man can have to an office, and that with
out which no other qualifications should avail
to give it to him. Every man should un-
derstand the duties ofhis Office. He should
be practically qualified to discharge its du-
ties He should be so trained in the rou-
tine of it that he need not be dependent on
any one, chief clerk or who he may be, to de-
termine the questions that await his deci-
sion.
We are well aware that it is no strange
thing to place in high official positions,
where immense trusts are involved, men
who have no adequate conception of their
duties and who cannot, though never so will
ling, discharge the duties of that Office.
Non Onlnes non 0mnia we hold to be
correct proposition, but then a man
should be able to do has olen
work. 1t is folly to expect that we shall
have faithful and economical officers of our
government so long as they are chosen with
out regard to their fitness for the Uery posi-
ton they fill. The practice of late years
has been to bestow high and responsible
positions as reward for political and parti-
san services, or on the ground OF personal
friendship alone, as did President jackson
on the son of his old friend Gwyn. 1t is to
he feared that even lever motives than
these have placed men in power without
capacity for its business, as a reward for
some contemplate scheme by which success
was achieved at the expense of honor and
integrity. 1t may be even as bribe with
which to hush the mouth of some one that
has gotten hold of the corruptions of ring,
and who demands his own price as hush
money. We need but look to New York
city under Democratic rule-to Washington
under more than one of Its administrations
and perhaps were We to come nearer home
such cases could be found in the South un-
der some regime.
Can President Grant redeem his admins
tration from this corrupt or Incompetent
class of men? Will he be able to do as his
great predecessor Gen. W Washington, find men
capable as well as honest. We welieve that,
in the instance of Borie and Others of his
Cabinet, such is his purpose. The welfare
of the country, the credit of his administra-
tion demand it, and it is the hope of every
patriot and honest man that the new ad-
ministration shall give proof that it is in
the hands of men who know their business
and are determined to succeed in it.