The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1869-12-16
Opinions Of the Press on the Presi-
dents Message.

IL is TO lie hoped that the telegraph has
done the President great injustice in the
transmission of his message otherwise it is
u document not fit to emanate from the
Executive Mansion. As published in the
extras of yesterday and in the city dailies OF
this morning. It is the most confused, I'M
ineligible and poinllcss public document
ever laid before the Congress. Much OF
this is due, however, to the printing in the
newspapers of this city, as our Washington
exchanges give us the message punctuated
50 MS to make much Of il iutelligible, which,
in the Baltimore papers is nonsense. but
no amount Of proper punctuation Will ac-
count for the incxtricable tumble Of the in.
dustry Of the freedmen with the affairs Of
the Georgia Legislature, and the dove tail.
ing of remarks upon the public debt aud
the loss of commerce III tn. centre Of the
clanse stating the condition of reconstruc-
ton in Georgia, Virginia, Mississippi and
Texas.
! he subject Of resumption OF specie pay
mcnt is treated by the President ms most
desirable thing TO do, but with an apparent
apprehension on his part that sudden
plunge would work ruin to the debtor class.
The plan of gradual resumption set forth by
the message looks more like an arbitrary
@ho'HB VI iNo oNH Hbpoi W tic obNtihht"'
than redemption offs notes. The Govern
ment owes the face of its notes, aud il they
are payable in gold at all. they are payable
Mt their face value; to redeem these notes
lat fixed price" different from their face
price, is to shave them.
Upon the Cuba question, the President
evidently sympathises with the patriot cause
but feels himself restrained 10y law aud in.
ternulonal comfy from interfering IN the
contest. The admission ofthe Senators and
Representatives from Virginia is urged by
the President, but we regret that he thinks
properto recommend To the Congress further
legislation Of harsh and unconstitutional
character in regard to Georgia. The trent
ment by the luessage of the relations of this
country with Great Britain, is in point OF
style and argument so lar superior to every
other part of the document. MS to suggest
the thought OF q different author. And yet
VIC cannot see that any arguments ARE nd
vanced which are 10 the least calculated to
promote the conclusion of another conycn
ton more favorable TO this country than was
the Clarendon Johnson convention. This |
subject is now permitted to sleep, aud we
do not believe that it will again be revived |
by either government us = subject oil real
discussion.
The President finds himself embarrassed |
by the Tenure of Office Act, and desires its |
rcpeal as this act was designed only for |
President johnson and not us u permanent |
restraint upon the Executive, we suppose |
that the wishes Of the President will be |
gratifed
The total change in the character of the |
Government from q republican 10 national |
form, from u limited to centralized gov |
crnnent, is evidenced by many OF the re,
concentrations made by the President. -
Opening his message with the declaration |
that this is " a great nntion,h for which as.
sertiOn lie can lind no warrant in the Con. |
sttulIon, he has sworn to support he car
RES out the same idea in many rccOmmen. |
da,ions which would have sho ked the |
trainers OF the Constitution and Disguised |
the fathers Of the Republic
The Baltimore Gazette, says:
The Tenure, Of Office acts, havingachieyel |
the base and contemplate ends Tor which
they were enacted, General Graut now re.
eomlnends their repeal. lie observes:
at could not have been the intention of the
trainers Of the Constitution, when providing |
that appointments made by the President should |
ter should have the power tn retain in office
persons placed there by Federal appointment
against the will of the President. The law is
inconsistent with a faithful aud efficient ad-
ministration Of the Government. What faith
can the Executive put in officials forced upon
him, and thosc, too, whom he has suspended |
for reMon?'
This recommendation is right enough in
itself; but what is to be said of such words |
from such source? When the Tenure of.
Ofice acts were first passed, General Grant
thought OF them as he thinks of them now.
lie knew, moreover, that they were adopted
Tor the miserable purpose Of hampering his
predecessor because the latter refused TO be
the subserylent slave of a rabid and reckless
faction. He recolects, and the country
well remembers, low be himself finally con
sented to become the tool Of that faction:
how he put in practical operation this law
so inconsistent with faithful and efficient
administration ofthe Government" how he
forced Stanton on President johnson,
aud how, IN order to accomplish this, he
sounded the very depths of treachery aud |
iaisehood. II is well that these acts should
he repealed. But the dishonor aud reproach
which General Graut brought upon himself
10 connection with them can never be eli.
'aceu. Nor can the country rely loo i'm.
piie'tiy on the promise" he now makes of |
rigid adherence to the laws" His words
are words only, which he will eat Mt the
bidding OF his masters. The aim of the
Federal Government is to keep the Radical
party everywhere IN power. In this work |
u has always been clear to our mind that il /
has been the intention of the President 10
co operate heartily. We are convinced from
hat -. 4
HIM
The New York World of December
Z, says:
President Grant makes it too evident that
the preparation Of public documents is aa
employment at which he is not at home
HIS manner oil writing is feeble aud limping,
and the substance and tissue of his ideas
give an appearance Of repeating with imper.
fect apprehension, views borrowed from
others, rather than the digested results of
independent reflection. His long intro
duction detains attention without rewarding
II, as the statistical statements and histori.
cal recital OF which it consists convey no
information. There is nothing in this mart
OF the message which every member Of Con
gress and every reader Of the document
does not know as well as the President. -
When we pass from the porch into the
building, we lind it an i'll arranged struc
ture, made up for the mostpart OF materials
selected or abridged from the reports of the
heads OF the Departments, In point of
aoility, TINS IS the weakest message ever sent
to Congress by an American President.
The Pail Nall Gazette, In It's comments on
PRESIDENT Grant's reference TO the Alabama
Claims, says Americans are ready to accept an
apology In lieu Of all the damag es they demand.
but England cannot do more than she has Al,
ready done. Time will amend American sen. |
sitiyoness, Such events rs the demonstra,i,,rs