The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1869-01-29

for instance, gave signs of following Chase
even into Tammany Hall.
''The devil is fond of fishing in muddy
waters" So says the Rev. Father Weems
in his "life of Marion :" and his Satanic
| Majesty, We fear, has discovered the weak
points among the Jacobins at Washington
I-whiskey, tobacco, petroleum, gold gamb
ling, railroad jobs and spoils and plumber
in every shape. Like Jack the Giant Kill
er, Grant is coming in to cut them down.
But If they can save this Tenure of Office
law they can hold him. Here, then, is the
chance for the democrats in Congress to do
something. They made sad botch of it
under johnson in playing into the hands of
i"Old Thad Stevens They we're scuttling
their own ship in that precious trick of
stupidity, And where were Messrs. James
Brooks, Fernando Wood and John Norris
sey when the vote was taken on Buffers
repeal bill in the House Finessing, per-
haps. They could have saved Johnson in
the beginning, and in saving him could have
gained the succession; but they preferred
the fools experiment of dancing to the fiddle
of Stevens. Now if they have any sense or
sagacity they VIII assist tha republican
conservatives, without hedging or lodging,
to give President Grant a free course and a
fair trial. Little things make the begin
nings of great revolutions.
One extreme Radical Senator, at least,
has become alarmed at the prompt pas
sage in the House of Representatives by
an overwhelming vote of General Buffers
resolution repeating the Tenure of Office
act. Mr.. Wilson, Of Massachusetts,, was
not willing to wait till General Buffers
House billreached the Senate before making
an effort to squelch it. He did not want
this question to come up squarely and fair
| ly before the Senate, and, therefore, en-
deavors to head it off by introducing bill
to amend the Tenure of Office act. 1t is
! unnecessary to go into the details Of this
proposed amendment, for it is simply ia
Goblin subtenuge to perpetuate Congress
sional control over the Executive, and
amounts to declaration of want of con-
| idence in General Grant There is no
middle course in this matter. Either re-
peal the act and place the Executive in the
same position he occupied through the
whole history of the government up to
March, 1867, or let the radicals openly and
honestly say they will not trust the Presi-
dent elect and keep the law as it now
stands. The question should not be
lodged in the sneaking manner proposed
by Mr.. Wilson. General Grant may say,
those who are not for me in this matter are
against me. Those who may vote for this
proposition must be regarded as against the
new administration and as determined to
govern the country by Congressional oil
garchy.
1t is folly to talk of harmony in the
government if this Jacobin assumption of
power is to be perpe.uatcd and the Presi-
dent be made mere automaton in the
hands of Congressional faction, contrary
to the spirit of the constitution and the
former practice of the government. There
would be nothing but discord and inefficien
cy in the administration, the laws unexe.
cuted and worse corruption and disorgani-
cation than we have seen for the last
two years. Who is responsible now for the
stupendous revenue frauds and all the other
evils that have afflicted the country The
President says Congress is, and Congress
LAYS the blame on the President. 1t will
be the same under General Grants admins
tration if the Tenure of Office act be not
repealed, for while that is III existence there
is no responsibility anywhere. We know
not whether Mr.. Wilson has moved in the
matter to head off General Buffers bill on
his own hook, or is the mouthpiece of the
Jacobin faction in the Senate; but if sus-
tanned by the Senate his action will split
the dominant party be the commencement
of a war upon General Grants administra-
ton, and lead to complications and changes
both in the government and political par
ties This, perhaps after ALL is the object
of the Jacobins, and if we may judge from
the language of the chief radical organ in
this city, in endorsing Mr.. Wilson's ac
ton and in condemning General Buffers,
it would be reasonable to conclude So
There is, as we have said, no middle course.
Those Senators who are for the new ad-
ministration will oppose Mr. Wilson's pro-
position and go for tho repeal of the Ten
ure of Office bin, and those against it will
act otherwise. We regard this as the en-
tering wedge of a conflict between the ex-
IRENE radical faction and the incoming adj
ministration. The result will be looked
for with deep interest.