The weekly Arizona miner., 1870-12-03
Presidentia. Interference.

Gra,z Browns speech at st. Joseph has in h peculiar significance. it is a flaming. indignant protes. against the interference of the federal administration with the domestic concerns O! the States. IL is high time for such protest During the war, when the very life of the nation was in danger, we tolerated concentration or power in the federal government which. in earlier times, would have been rcseatcd and resisted. After the war. when the reconstruction and re- storaton Of the Southern States rendered heecs- sary extraordinary remedies for an extraordinary difficulty, we recognized the fact that those States were in an anomalous condition. which justified measures quite ineXeusable if applied tO the affairs of well organized and loyalty governed commonwcalths. But the habit of Tesorting to such extreme measures, in dealing with States disorganized and destitute Of well established selfgovernment, has grown upon the federal authority until the inst limi, Of national inter ference has been almost obli,erated. President Grant a soldier by education. wholly inex- pereneed in political affairs and incapable. as a | soldier, of eomprehending tbe relations of the | States 10 the nation in our complex system Of | government has more than once betrayed an in- 1 clinaiiOn 10 regard State government and State | authority with contempt and his dealings with Virginia, Georgia and Mississippi have been of ! very questionable propriety. Yet they were ex-
 cnsel because of the unsettled condition Of those States and the habit of interference. thus un- | resisted. has gained such mastery with him that i he now boldly undertakes to use bis Executive
 power to control the election in q State order ! iy peaceful and thoroughly organized any | State in the Union. 1T this tendency is not | checked we shall soon have a capitalization of ! power as absolute as that which existed under | Napoleon in France. Elections will become .
 mere farce. When the people vote they will merely register the elicts Of their masters at Washington The name Of local selfgoverument only will be len the reality will be lost, and
 State lines and State governments might as well,
 for all practical purposes, be wholly obiiterated.
 President Grant attempts to dictate to the peo-
 pie of Missouri and they protest, and indignant
 ly snurn the diciaiioa That is the meaning os this speech, and of the overwhelming majority which will endorse it. The people viii say 10 General Grant, you are our servant, not our
 master" They will tell him that the Federal
 government has no business Co control elections
 in State. No matter how wise the President
 may be, no matter how complete may have been
 his success in administering the national affairs
 committed Co his charge, we still demand for
 ourselves the privilege of eeeting our own State officers, and directing ai our own pleasure the local affairs of the State In which we live. When
 the votes arc boiled, it will appear that ,he people of Missouri have at least this much Of at taehment for state sovereignty that they rueAI to manage their local affairs without any dicia
 ton from Washington. When the Presidents letter was written, we thought ii blGnder which he would soon discover. Now that be follows Il
 up by removing officials, he turns the inevtabll
 defeat and overthrow of the prOscriptive policy
 in Missouri into a rebuke of himselL
 { The President seeks to control this State by Federal patronage. it E very appropriate that
 he should take this method ot combating party which is the iiTsi in the country to declare: [" That ihe safety Of fRepublican institutions de mauds a thorough reform of the civil service 0 5 the government, by which ability aud lora
 worth shall be established as the essential quail i lcations for office, and the corruption and de uoraliEing influence of what is euphouiousi, called government patronage shall be reinoye' from our political life
 This doctrine GSes mol suit tbe President B, the use of that same government patronage b , has rewarded relatives and personal friends an' , now he endeayors 10 crush parIS which !sb0r honestly to fulfill pledges which be seems C
 have forgotten. We regret that he regards 1t ,
 direct blow at himself to propose the abo,itloi ofgoveTnment patronage, with it's eorrupting ana demoralizing influence It was not 60 intended Bu, be is doing his bes. ;o teach tine freemen O Missouri that this reform Is necessary to seeui.
 their freedom of choice in local electiOns.-IMs soari Democrat