Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-04-30
pRovuDusG FoR HIS FAsslLY.

ing the last political campaign, wa
that Grant, if elected, would revivl
1 the times Of the earlier Presidents
He was soldier bred in the honor
able, if somewhat narrow school o.
the regular army; he would at least
share its high tone upon all ques-
tons of personal honor. But
though bred in that school, he was,
it seems, bad scholar. Take two
questions, in which nice sense OF
delicacy has characterized the course
of every one of his predecessors in
office. The Precipitation of man in
power with gifts is 50 obviously de-
moralizing, says the Philadelphia
Age, that it has long since been rep-
rotated in civilized countries; only
to little African chiefs or barbarous
Eastern potentates does the visitor
approach with a gift in his hand !
Never, till our time, did President
of the United States put in hispock,
ct a check for sixty thousand dol,
lars, and the next day appoint the
drawer to the custody of the ma
tional treasury Quite opposite
was the course of American Presi-
dents, even down to the last prede-
cessor of the present incumbent.
Mr.. johnson began his term by re-
fusing to accept a carriage and
horses, and thus laid down a rule to
which he adhered rigidly. What
Washington and Adams and
Jefferson would have said to of
fers of purses, and checks and
houses no man ever knew, for no
man, in their day, ever ventured to
make them the offer. On one point,
however, we have their views on
record 1t is the second question
on which, now, it is instructive to
learn the practice of the earlier
Presidents. What did they do, what
did they say about lavishing offices
on their kindred ?. All know the
present practice. There is now,
scarcely a living man related by
blood or marriage to the President
who is not provided for at the pub
lie charge. They have all rushed
hungrily to the public crib. Rebel
or Union man, old Democrat or old
Abolitionist, all who have relation
ship or fellowship to any branch of
the Grants or Dents are sure to get
office. A curious person has made
a list of the emOluments of all the
various members of the royal
family in England, and published it
side by side with a list of the spoils
that have fallen to the ruling
family here. 1t is quite an instrucs
tive and entirely novel document.
1t could not have been compiled in
the term of office of any other
American President. There never
before was one who did not declare
his utter repugnance to putting his
relations in Office. History pre-
serves the fact, because human ma
ture was the same then as now, and
the relatives did ask for Office-the
difference is they Dere refused.
Gen. Washington wrote to his
kinsman, Bushrod Washington:
However deserving you may be
of the one you have suggested, your
standing at the Bar would not jus
tify my nomination CT you as Attor-
ney to the Federal District Court in
preference to some of the Oldest and
most esteemed general court lawyers
of your State, who are DESTROYS of
this appointment My political con
duct in nominations, even if / were
uninauenced by principle, must be
exceedingly circumspect, and proof
against just criticism for the eyes
of Argus are upon me, and no slip
will be passed unnoticed that can be
improved into a supposed partiality
for friends or relations"
When John Adams came into the
Presidential Office, his son, John
Quincy Adams, was abroad as Min
lister to Holland. 1t was desirable
to transfer him to the Court of
Prussia. 1t was felt to be matter
of great delicacy. The temper of
the times, as we have just seen, did
not brook Partially for friends or
relations" in President of the Uni
ted States. 1t was thought that the
difficulty could be obviated by an
express recommendation from Gen.
Washington, and it appears (QuinN
cy's Life of j. Q. Adams) that it
was only this that reconciled the son
to accepting the appointment. Itdid
not. however, escape grave censure.
Jefferson's strictness on the point
appears in many CT his papers. The
following may suffice for the present;
it is letter to j. Garland Jefferson,
and is signed "Yours, affectionately,
TIL : Jefferson"
Permit me to explain the prin-
ciples which / had laid down for
my own observance. In a govern
ment like ours, it is the duty of the
Chief Magistrate, in order to enable
him to do all the good which his
station requires, to endeavor by all
honorable means, to unite in him
self the confidence of the whole
people. x Towards
requiring the confidence of the peo-
pie, the very first measure is to sat
isfy them of his disinterestedness,
and that he is directing their affairs
with single eye to their good, and
~ m hY1iId nm FORUM aa for himself