Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-05-08
GR ANT AND HIS PARTY
Great Dissatisfaction with The
Administration and the
Cause OF IL.
FOrcIble FeebleneSs OF The Cab
met.
SmaSh-UD OF the Republicans
Party. so'
Correspondence of the New York Herald.

Correspondence of the New York Herald
WASHINGTON, May 2, 1869.-Th
experience of the most observin,
men at the capital does not recall
period in the history of any admins
tration showing parallel to til,
dissatisfaction that now prevail
in the party in power, in consequence,
of the extraordinary distribution o
the official patronage. The scenes
and scrambles that have been ex
hibited here during the past two
months have been beyond compari
son disgusting, and, almost beyond
the hope of reconciliation, democrat
izing. s..
| The greater portion of the preva-
lent discomfort has been occasioned
by the peculiar and extraordinary
use the President has made of his
appointing prerogative, and if there
have been no open and positive
demonstrations, expressive of dis
appreciation and indicative of the
most positive evidence of dissatis-
faction, it is attributable to an over
ruling necessity to preserve the pc.
litical peace, rather than to the ex-
istence Of a predominating spirit of
| federation and forbearance.
| With the absence Of members of
Congress all efforts on their part to
obtain Office for their friends have
ceased, and this circumstance is be-
ginning to reveal the state of feeling
produced by the unavailing solicita-
tons that have fallen cold upon the
ear of the Executive.
The resolution offered on the last
day of the session by Senator Car
penter, calling upon the heads Of
the departments at Washington for
such data as would furnish the num-
Der Of appointees from each State,
the length of time they had resided
in such State prior to their appoint
ment, and the names of the persons
upon whose recommendations they
were appointed, had more signif-
canoe than appeared at the time it
| was submitted.
| If the asseverations of members
may be regarded as conclusive tes-
timony, they were, in numerous in
stances, utterly powerless to serve
their constituents in the way of ap-
pointments, from the fact that the
President had appropriated so many
| places for friends whom he desired
to crafty by comforting upon them
some place of honor or profit.
In one State, in which there were
but four important offices to confer,
it is affirmed that the President APP
propriated two, and made the APP
pointments against the remon-
STRANGE of the entire delegation for
the mere qualification of personal
wish. But such complaints are
numerous, and there is scarcely q
member who is ready to confess to
any obligation to the appointing
power for the recognition of q single
recommendation for Office.
But the dissatisfaction, general as
it is, is not confined to the President
Since the scramble for office COM
menced there has been a feeling Of
distrust, not only between members
from the same State, but among
members from different States. Fol
a long time system has prevailed
recognizing the local privileges Of
Misunderstanding to each his
| field Of operation in the distribution
of government employment.
| For example, a member of the
House has been allowed to desig.
nate the appointees for his district
conceding to Senators certain gen
eral privileges. But latterly there
has been an Overstepping of the
allotted bounds. Members have
been encroaChing upon each Others
territory, and have even gone so fal
as to transcend the boundaries o
States. For example, a member
has a friend residing in a State re
mote from the one he represents
This friend is repudiated by thu
members of the State to which b.
properly belongs. The membe
who proposes to adopt him has hin
appointed and charged to mis- State
and when his colleagues come t.
ask for appointments, they find tina
they have accomplished the sum o
their allotment by the preferment o
imported population.
| Another loose practice that pre-
walls is for members to sign recon
mendations Unfortunately 70
, persons to retain and get places
without regard to locality, and ofte
without regard to merit or previou
political condition so that they ar
| guilty of inconsistency of som
times preferring adventures t
. their own constituents, and Of Il
!. commencing persons for office will
t out any knowledge of their merits
Senator Trumbull cOmprehende
the ultimate consequences of tn
e loose practices of members and 9
4 the degrading occupation to whic
3 members cOndesCend in becomin
the mere solicitors of an Office
begging crowd who make the
i periodical appeals for governmer
). benefits.
r 1t was q virtuous precept aC
i vanced by the Senator that offiC
= should be the price of good beh;
a vior, and it was we'll sustained b
!, his threat to make it a penal offens
.s for members to solicit Office. 81
e mark the response Of Mr.. Fesser
J den. If he wanted to be a GOO
l. fellow he must follow the examp
l. Of other good fellows and truds
Is the rounds of the departments be-
y ging clerkships. Mr.. Fessenden
idea is the popular one, not becau
v they are over anxious to serve the
is constituents, but because they d
sire to retain control over a lit
A patronage. Mr.. Trumbull will ne
y. rs or succeed in making it a pen
nj otfense for members to solicit offiC
Too many members have sons al
y other relatives for whom they wi
d, to provide, and they will never VIC
' that it is crime to provide for thu