The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-03-24

them there Is perfect safety against
Grants ambition IN Grants medioc-
rity. There is not a Napoleon to the
square mile of such men, nor Crom-
well to fifty generations Of them.
"Ex pede Hereulem." The an
Gent judged of the stature of Her
cules from the size Of his feet. The
moderns may judge. of the intellectual
stature of Grant from the size of his
acts. "God moves in a mysterious
way his wonders to perform" but
when he wishes to develop a tanner
into a Washington he implants with
in him a soul above the ayarice Of
dollars-too big to sell cabinet offices
for houses and lots, and quite above
the exchange of a Premiers portfolio
for a five thousand dollar dinner. In
fact, there 10 30 much difference be-
tween Washington and Grant in this
particular that / can not but commend
the reader to letter written by the
former on the identical subject which
forms such just ground OF complaint
against the latter. One OF .the finest
letters ever written by Washington
was in denunciation of the very prin-
ciple which guided Grant in the Sc
lection of Stewart, Fish, Borie and
Hoare. When, a few years ago, in
an unguarded conversation, n of Dir.
Johnson's Cabinet officers said that
"No man should eat the Presidents
bread and butter who did not support
his policy" the Republican leaders
were quick to crystallize the remark
into a title of derision for TIE entire
conservative party of the country.
And it was, after all, but a homely
TRANSLATION of sentiment uttered a
hundredyears ago by Doctor johnson,
when, while living on a pension from
the Hanoverians, some D rated him
on his remuneration of the Stuarts.
"Sir," said he, sit would not be good
manners in me to drink the health of
King James in wine that is paid for
by King George" Tie ''bread and
butter" policy of support, as q con-
dition of patronage, has entered into
every political administration in this
and every other country, until the
present, which seems to have adopted
the House and Lot Policy in lieu of
it The House and Lot Brigade diff
fers from the Bread and Butter Brig
ade in the essential particular of MAX
ing the President the receiver instead
of the donor, and in so far 1 think it
is far from an improvement upon it.
1t is certainly less democratic, for all
we're invited to the Bread and Butter
Brigade, while the conditions of en-
listment are such as to render the
House and Lot Brigsde q select corps
of the public service, but feebly reen-
forced by the Big Dinner SQUAD.
These, and Compenx A. of the Poo
Relations, from the Presidential body
guard at present, and the only force
which ''the great Captain of the age"
has called upon to assist m the admin
istration of affairs.
But the particular feature of Grants
character which 1 am trying to illus
trate is still better displayed in a small
paragraph in this mornings papers,
which announces the removal of Gen
eral Frank P. Blair from the Office of
Pacific Railroad Commissioner. The
Office is q small and not very remun-
erative one. Blair was as ft to fill it
as any other man. He has filled it
acceptably for a couple of years. I'll
Grant has all that soldierly magyar
nimity which his friends attribute to
him, why should he go soon strike
down for difference of political opinion
a man who proved himself one of the
best officers in the Federal army Z
The smaller the office the smaller the
act of removal. The petty malice of
Grant could not be better exemplifed
than in the removal of Blair from an
obscure position, at a time when people
supposed all the Presidential attention
to be concentrated on the selection of
Cabinet. Men with souls larger
than an oysters don't descend to such
And the same day he remov-
ed Blair from an Office he appointed
to another and a better
one! I hope the soldiers ofthe West
who fought under Blair on twenty
battle-felds, and whose brothers and
comrades were stricken down by this
new favorite of the Republican ADJ
ministration, will appreciate these two
official acts as they deserve. Not that
Longstreets appointment per Sc is
for / believe the sooner we
cease to prescribe men for taking the
wrong side in the late war the better
t will be for the country. But the
objection lies in the fact that the office
given him is q reward for the betray-
Il of the people whose cause he es-
in the struggle. It is an at
sempt to convert the Federal Govern
nent intoa Magdaien Asylum for pol
ttical prostitutes. El1
Why was Blair so soon made q Yic-l
of political prescription ? Simply
because in one of his speeches he said
hat Grant was a dangerous man, and
f elected "would never leave the
White House alive" Grant took
great. umbrage at this at the time-is
aid to have been highly indignant and
unwilling even tn speak to Blair since.
[ think Blair was very greatly mista-
ten, but his error a that of everest
imating Grant-not- of damaging II
lin, as the latter supposed Grant
hadn't brains enough to understand
hat, under the circumstances, and
considering that twas made by all
POLITICAL opponent, the speechswas in
he nature ola compliment Since [
Us muster Of the House and Lot Brig J
de, there is not much danger of its /,
epetition by Blair or any other ~sensl-
lie man. 3 - = $3.50 II
a. l..