The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-02-25
Don't Like to Surrender Power.

: ! Il is striking illustration Of the fond
Y ness Of men for power, and their reluctance
TO give it up, that the Senate hesitates 50
long about passing the House bill repeating
the tcnure-of-ofiee aot, which he's laid on
!. It's table for several weeks. The whole
Radical press, except, VIC believe the new
York Tribune, has demanded its repeal,
and the Tribune asks that it be modineo.
General GRANT, the nominee Of the party
In power, has been most frank in declaring
that it's repeal is indispensable to his EN-
o;ent administration Of the Office to which
he has been elevated. Yet the Senate hest
;tases and delays. Senators want hola
mon General GRANT until they see what
his temper towards the Republican lead
ers may be; and many Of them 90 not
like to, and will not if they can help ~
give mn the hold they have upon the
Offices Of the country, however much they
NAV embarrass the administrative branch
Of the Government in holding on to it.
The Tribune stripe Of politicians on this
tenure bill are disposed to leave the Presl-
dsnt to select whom he pleases to fill the
Offices OF heads Of department, or rather to
select his Cabinet advisers, but desire to
take from his control all other appoint
meats. They would require him, IN the
spirit Of the present law, only to suspend
faithless men, and send his reasons for
suspension to the Senate: Thus paralyzing
The Executive and converting the Senate
into an examining court to inquire into the
del;nouencies Of suspended officers. This
isam matter entirely out Of the proper pro-
vince Of that body. AS long as 1t
exercises such power of investigation
into alleged official delinquencies there
will be O demoralized condition OF
the public service. Ofice-holders would
feel sor. of independence of the head OF
the executive department, and look to the
Senate for protection. The Senate would
look down upon the President, and in the
exercise Of its supervisory authority would
proceed with a leisure incompatible with
the public interests, and would be pronet to
preiudgs the cases brought before it, con-
sidering itself the protector Of the Office
holders from the seventies Of the Execu-
tive. Thus would, of course, spring up
jealousies between the departments, ever
tending to the delay and injury of the
public business and the diminution OF
official accountability.
Mr.. FEssENDEN, with all his wisdom and
conservatism, in his argument before the
caucus of Republican senators held on
Monday took mere partisan view of the
repeal of the tenure-of-offce law. he
argued that the law was passed to restrain
8 man Congress distrusted-that it had had
It's day, and could now subserve no practi-
cal end-that General GRANT " had given
"every assurance that his administration
"would be in accord with the policy of the
"party that elected him.; therefore he
contended that the tenure of-office law
should be repealed. What is the logic OF
this? That any party happening to be
the majority in Congress differing from the
President may tie his hands by passing
tenure-of-ofice law! This is assuming that
it is right and proper to subordinate our
system Of government, Constitution, end
laws, to the will and interests Of party
tho most tickle and ohangeable Of all things
How Is it possible that this idea can be car.
ried out 1t would lead to violent conflicts
between the Departments and the ultimate
subversion Of the Government.
Mr.. FEssENDEN's remarks show how
even the most learned and rejecting OF the
public men of the North have, under the
excitement of the recent revolution, fallen
into the errors and passions of partisanry'
lie, too, forgets that party is not the no.
ton; and that, in fact, the party to which
he belongs, upon a fair statement of public
opinion in this country, is probably in
decided minority. In time this error Will
be corrected, and the movement on the par'
of the legislative department to construct
and humiliate tho executive branch Of the
Government-which is the centre of action
and force-will be retaliated with fearful
effect.
1t would have been wise measure N
our forefathers to have made the tenure
of Office for life save in cases of incapacity
and faithlessness. This would have saved
the nation world Of trouble and demorall-
cation. The making of the offices the re-
wards for partisan services has been fatal
error. But to have restrained the power OF
the Executive by compelling him to COM
munioate his reasons for removing delin-
quent officials to the Senate would have
been still worse than the omission to make
the tenure permanent.
We do not suppose we shall ever get
back to first principles in our political
institutions, much less correct the omis-
sions of our fathers. This Office business
may be one of the bones of contention
between the departments that will lead to
the ultimate conflict that will end in estab-
fishing the supremacy of the executive de-
partment-the true imperial age.
IT