The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-04-29
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q party behind its hack 10 sustain u. II nssds
Che moral and political forces which, en-
llghtenOd public sentiment gather up and
concentrate Into one steady, ,porsistsat an d
consistent line Of inislligent aatIon, having
the best good Of the nation constantly In
view. There must DO no deviation from a
straightforward course, and ali the policies
and all the principles which guido aud govern
Administrations must RECEIVE their direction
from regularly organized party. sN,
Several attempts have been made in this
country 70, run Administrations without par
tics. Mr.. Tyler tried h, and tailed, signaliy
failed. Mr.. Fillmore, another accidental
President, trledit, and made more wretched
failure, Fposslblc, than Captain Tyler Aud
last came Andrew johnson, and With an OPP
portunlty such as no man eror enjoyed since
the world began, to make himself tho fore
most man Of this or any other ago, he threw
1t all away, and without Q party and without
friends ended his administration In disgrace,
and amidst the coutcmptuous jcers OF the
whole nation and OF tho cIYlllzed world, ho
retired. ... d.. I'M, arr-. ~ q.
IL Is Of the irst lmportanoc that An Ad-
mlnistrations have but ona,pollcy, and that
that policy be based upon correct principles,
and that 1t be firmly adhered TO throughout.
Il must be au harmonious, consistent aud
homogeneous policy throughout. We have
been led to make these remarks by observing
very wide departure from what appears to
us to be the policy by very improper deeis-
ion on the part OF the United States Senate
In confirming some appointeos Of the Prcsi.
dent and rejecting others.
To illustrate what we mean we will take
two notable examples, Mr.. Lopgstreci and
Mr.. Garlic. The former was confirmed for
nn important position In New Orleans, and
rs we advocated his confirmation wo shall
not now condemn II. We approved II when
II was done, aud we have seen no reason 10
change our mind. We believed Ii Just aud
wise under the circumstances to do this very
thing. But why not also confirm Mr.. Car
lie 1t is said that aftcr being q Repub-
ilcan he went back and Joined the Conserva-
tivcs. This Is not true. Mr.. G. never was
Republican until he gave In his adhesion TO
the party after the nomination Of Gen. Grant
There was no Republican party In West Viz
GINA until after the war. Parties there were
ranged on the sides of Union and disunion,
and Mr.. Carlilo's record on the Union side Is
unmistakablo In Its nature and character
istlcs. He was never anything but Union
man.
We have but a slight acquaintance with
this gentleman, never having met him but
once, and then receiving only an introduce
ton to him by gentleman Of his acquaint-
ancc. And moreover, we have never ex-
changed any words with him on public af-
fairs. Our knowledge OF Mr.. C. is confined to
his known public career. He repudlated seces-
sion as a member of the Virginia Couven-
tion which took the State out of the Union.
He was largely influential In saving West
Virginia to tho Union, and as Senator,
stood firmly up for the war. Upon the
ground Of the Union and against secession
he always remained firm, aud no truer
Union man than Mr.. Carlile was foun d
anywhere at the beginning and all through
the war. He was rejected, as 1t is alleged,
for acting with the conservatives after the
war. This we believe he did at one time,
hut still his war and Union record was COM
plcte and satisfactory as any mans who can
be named In the South.
Now, the point we wish to notice more
especially is this: We take up General
Longstrcet, a rebel general who did US great
mischief during the war, and we confirm
him for an important office, one Of the best
in the gin OF the nation, and we reject Mr..
Garlic, a staunch and faithful Union man
all through the war, a man who sacrificed
much and never faltered In the darkest hours
of our nations peril, because at one time
before the nomination Of General Grant he
acted with the conservatives. After the
nominations at Chicago, Mr.. Carlile gave In
his adhesion to the party, and did excel
lent service on the stump, but the United
States Senate confirms a rebe, general and
rejects a genuine Union man. Is this to be
our policyl
weadvocated the confirmation Of Mr.Long-
street because We believed that he gave In his
honest adhesion to all the principles and
policy Of the Republican party, and we were
willing that In his case, as in all others, by
cones should be by-gones, when there was
honest and hearty repentance.
Personally we have no interest In Mr. Car
lie, for our acquaintance with him Is so
slight that the probability is he would not
know us If We were to meet on the street,
but we do not believe in making fish Of one
and flesh Of the other. If we arc TO Judge
of man fitness for Office upon the ground
of what were his antecedents before tho
nomination of General Grant, rather than
~ hp Cd fart ha
can ticket In the last Presidential campaign,
then let 1t he so. We think that when the
two men are judged in this light, and In &C
cordanCc with this standard, Mr.. Garlic, the
lifelong Union man, will stand Infinitely
in advance of Mr.. Longstrect, the whllom
rebel
Let us have policy in appointing men to
office, and let that policy be based upon prin-
Clplc. The question Is not what have been
the opinions aud conduct of the man In the
past, but what is his conduct and what his
principle now.
DISABLED SoLnTERs.-Thc northwestern
branch OF the National Asylum for Disabled
Volunteer Soldiers, situated at Milwaukee,
issues a circular asking for gifts Of books
aud works Of art for the library and rooms of
that institution. the United States Govern.
mCnt has erected handsome buildings upon
the grounds given by the citizens of MIlwau.
k"n for the purpose, and the Asylum Is
ready receive disabled soldiers Of the Union
army, without distinction of race, creed or
place OF birth. 1t is an Institution every
way worthy Of support, and 1t Is to be hoped
that patriotic and liberal citizens will re-
spond to the appeal referred to.
WE UNDERSTAND that Commissioner De-
lano has determined to appoint no man su-
perylsor Of internal revenue who Is not
lawyer of integrity and experience, If such
can be had. This we regard as the right
move in the right direction, as II will save
the solicitor, as well as the Commissioner, a
vast amount of trouble to have supervisors
who can expound the law and answer the