Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-03-02
Civil Tenure of Office Bill.

truth in all cases. The bill may not
have been passed "Solely as an annoy
ance to president Johnson" yet it
came so close upon it that there is no
use to debate the question. Does the
Tribune suppose that if Lincoln had
been president instead Of Johnson,
any one in the republican party ever
would have thought of such break
upon the president as the Civil Ten
ure Of Office bill? No, it does not
suppose it. Mainly then, and clearly,
that bill Was intended as ian annoy
ance to president Johnson" No doubt
there were those who voted for it with
other and higher motives than those
of malice. No doubt too, there were
those who voted for it with motives
of revenge mingled with stray rays
OF principle. Still we much fear that
party spleen was The great and con-
trolling one Of the majority. Having
given our views as to the motives OF
those who passed the bill, we will
briefly speak of the bill itself, mas
much as the prospective change in the
quality Of presidents has awakened
discussion regarding the propriety OF
repeating it.
The Civil Tenure of Office Bill-or
one Of similar features-should he il
force. There should be a severe
check to the power and the patronage
Of the presidential office-more thai
now. We would take from him mos
OF his power ofindiscriminate appoint
ments, though we would not deprive
him Of the privilege of selecting his
cabinet, which has been held as hi,
unquestloncd right since the foun "a
ton OF the government till the unfor
tunate accession of Andrew Johnson
to the chair made illustrious by Wash.
ingtOn and Jefferson. We think the
president should choose his own ad
visers, subject only to such checks as
public decency and morality require :;
and when congress and Andrew John
son were at war upon the question of
the retention or rejection of Mr. Stan
ton we could not but feel that he was
right in fighting for prerogative as
old as the government, and for which
any man would contend were he in
his stead and we could not but feel
too that congress was encroaching up
on his just powers, and had Andrew
johnson been less than Andrew John
son we most certainly should have
taken up the cudgel in his defence
As 1t was, we regarded congress as
doing a work of patriotism in its ell
croachment, in that it saved the coun
try from the infection of any more of
his traitOrOus bosom friends in places
OF trust. In this regard we view the
acts OF congress as arbitrary anC
harsh, yet eXcusable on the grounds
OF public necessity. We are some
times in favor Of illegal and unconsti
tutionaI means to accomplish consti
tutional ends-to save the country
Many Of the war measures of Lin
coins administration were high hand
ed and unconstitutional, yet they wer
dictated by considerations of sount
public policy and therefore right an,
proper; yet they would have beel
highly improper could the same end
have been reached by ordinary Lawful
means. So, too, that state of societ
which Immediately follows protract
ed war often demands similar act,
and we regard the Civil Tenure OF
Office Bill as one of this class. w
arc in favor then of this bill, but no
as it now stands. We would so cliI
the wings of the executive that h
will be unable to deluge the countr
with new army of officers at eac
change of administration. The sys
tenn inaugurated by Gen. Jackson tina
"to the victors belong the spoils," ha
been fraught with unutterable woe
TO the country has been prolific of
vast source Of vice and corruption i
every department Of the government
We would wish to see the theor
abolished and new one promulgate
with the accession of Gen. Grant,
We would give honest men the place
of honor and profit without askin
the question as to which party the
belong, or whether they did or did nc
support a particular man for pres
dent; but while we curtailed the par
ronage of the president in this parti
ular, we would give him full swing i
the selection of his cabinet.
GONG UP.-By referring to tt
Barton market reports it will be see
that almost everything has gone u
in the last three weeks. Hay, we b
lieve, is the ONLY article that shows