The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-04-28

Italian writer pronounces to be dearest 'sto
the nature of dull and malignant men, He has
insulted an enemy and he has humiliated q bene-
factor lie insulted an enemy by making haste
when he had got into the Presidential chair to
remove from this post of Inspector of the Pacific
Railway General Blair, the Vice-Presidcntial
candidate of the Democratic party. He did this
in the face of the knowledge that General Blair
was coming to Washington to tender to him q
courteous resignation of the place. And now he
has humiliated benetactor by offering him this
position in the face of the knowledge that it
cannot be accepted without sacrifice of per-
sohal dignity and self-respect by the man to
whom he offers it. Everybody will be sorry for
Mr. Greeley The conduct of President Grant
will excite very different emotion.
GENERAL GRANTS . APPOINTMENTS.
From the ~ Y. Herald.
Much is said in the newspapers, and more is
heard among the unfortunate spoils-hunting
politicians, expressive of regret, surprise,
chagrin. contempt, and disgust in reference to
General Grants appointments to office. They
tell us that he runs the party guillotine like
butcher; that nobodies and nincompoops are
advanced to high places; that men of intclli-
genee capacity, and experience are displaced
to make room f)r. backwoods ignoramuses;
that notorious DIR cards are promoted by the
removal of upright. sober, and trustworthy
men: that ro ues and lobby jobbers find favor
with an administration pledged to honesty,
retrenchment, and reform: that in word, we
have never had before this present demoralizing
ing out of office-holders, nor such motley
array of hungry fice-seekers-whites, reds
and blacks-taken into the Government service;
that Grant in two months has done more in
chopplng off heads to make places for Tom,
Dick. and Harry than was ever done in the
| first two months of any other five Presidents
| put together. and that he has done it with
| looseness which is not only ludicrous and pre-
| pOsterOus, but scandalous and alarming.
| Such is the Indictment of the displaced, dis
| appointed, and disgusted politicians concerning
| General Grants appointments; and it is argued
that with such a beginning it needs no prophet
to predict the ending of Grants administration.
But admitting that the party guillotine has been
run day and night as if by high pressure steam
engine, that many good men have been sacri-
feed and many unfit men promoted to positions
of honor and profit, and that the spectacle is a
scandal to the country, where lies the RESPONSE
bility? 1t does not rest with General Grant He
did not seek the Presidency-he did not want it.
| Nor was he wanted by the radical managers of
| the Republican party. But they saw that his
overtopping services in the war had exalted him
| a head and shoulders over all other living men
| in the hearts of the people, and us it was feared
that if passed over by the Republican party he
| might be taken up and elected by the Demo-
| cratic party, he was made the Republican candi-
| date.
| What next In accepting the Chicago nomi-
| nation he said Il endorse your resolutions =
| that is, he signed the Republican programme
| He reafiirmed it in his inaugural address, and,
having no desire to repeat the follies or to run
| the gauntlet of Andy johnson, he declared that
| whether he liked the laws of Congress or not he
| should enforce them faithfully, and that the
best way to get rid of an obnoxious law is to
rigidly execute it, He has followed this course
1t has manifestly been leading object with him
| TO cultivate harmony with the TWO houses Oh
| Congress; and we see that he has adhered TO
this purpose, notwithstanding the discovery that
| the powers and authority of the President, as
| recognized and exercised down to the reyolu-
tionizing conflict with johnson, are powers
which exist no longer. Under the new order OF
things in fact, Congress has left the President
very little TO do, even in the distribution OF the
spoils, beyond obedience to existing laws or to
the wishes OF the House or the orders OF the
Senate. The Government Is not what 1t was.
The Presidential Office is not what ii was under
Lincoln. 1t was the fountain of authority in the
matter OF appointments but II is so no longer:
Grant has not been restored to the status OF
Lincoln. Under the general expansion OF the
powers Of Congress, even in the Constitution
itself, he is still largely subject to the restraints
and drawbacks imposed upon Johnson.
Ihe responsibility, then for this demoraliz-
| ing scramble and division of the spoils rests
| with Congress. General Grant has made very
few appointments without authority from q
batch OF members of the House or the Senate.
This distasteful business, doubt, he desired to
get OIL his hands as soon as possible; for he saw
IN the outset that there would be no peace and
no other business until the ravenous hordes OF
} ofhce-beggars infesting the White House and all
It's approaches were disposed of and dispersed
If we assume, then, that from his ignorance oi
the individual merits or dement's of the thou
} sands OF strangers recommended by Congress
} men, asking for their party rewards, Genera
; Grant, as the shortest plan, decided upon his
nomination by the first name for this or tina
Office drawn from a hat we say he did as well al
any man could do under the circumstance
not possessing the comprehensive wisdom O
King Solomon. We say, too, that Genera
Grant has acted wisely in getting rid of these
troublesome oftice-beggars as fast as possible
and wisely even in his general clearing out o
ofhce-holders; so that nothing may be left TO
members of Congress to wrangle about in thu
White House, not even a petty village pos
: Office OF hundred year
The exhibition is truly shameful and demoral
lnmg, but the responsibility belongs to Congress
Inc President has industriously labored to b.
u renewed OF this unpleasant job of parcefiing on
: the spoils and plunder Anxious to proceed f
more Important business, he has adopted tn
e shortest course TO reach it, He1has done every
u tnlng that he could do to secure harmony be
a tween himself and Congress- and between hi
: : administration and all the factions colors AM
II races OF the dominant party. Therefore, II the,
y are not content, let him take his own eours
Is hencetorward, and let Congress and the demo
J: ralZed party behind IL take care Of themselves
u This is the course to which the miller In tn
{ fable on journey with his boy and donkey wa
y at last driven, after Yainiy trying every deyie
| 10. v1o