The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1870-11-24
Grant and Cox.

the Administration, are striving to ex-
tricatc the President from the dilemma
in which he was placed by the damag-
Ing letter Of Secretary Cox, by repre-
senting that the, Withdrawal Of the See.
rotary was occasioned by the President
forbidding him to act ia the MeGarra
han land patent case, which was to him
cause Of offence. Il will be rceollect.
ed, that the Secretary himself, in his
letter of resignation, put his withdrawal
upon the ground that he could not carry
out certain much needed reforms 10 the
public service without exciting such
opposition against the Administration,
as it could not afford TO meet. The
Presidents letter dismissed his Secre
tary with polite bow, simply testifyiug
to his fidelity, tacitly admitting the truth
of all that the Secretary had said. The
correspondence has oecasioned so much
adverse comment, that the friends OF
the President have been driven to such
expedients as they could command, to
break its force aud damaging effect.
Hence this story OF the McJiarahau land
patent.
We subjoin some comments from the
New York norid, aud also from certain
of the more yirtuous and outspoken of
the Republican journals, which puts
the case in its true light before the pub
lie eye. The Worki says:
at has been the misfortune hitherto of the
attempts at reform iu the civil service that
nobody could be made directly responsible for
its abuses. The conspicuous Instances of cor
ruption were charged to the defects Of an in-
hrrited system which everybody, even the men
Who found their account in its continuance
affected to deplore, but which nobody saw his
way to subvert. But the zeal Of an honest
| Cabinet officer has compelled the head Of the
civil service either to acquieSce in measures Of
| reform Hvow himself the champion of cor
| ruptien. Most men would have shrunk from
| durc. But, as numerous and recent exau Piles
| have shown, the sensit veuess of Mr.. Grant is
not at all delicate. 1t is fortunate in this in
stance that he is as obtuse IN intellect as he is
| torpid In feeling. more sensitive man would
not have openly eshoused corruption. A clrv-
erer man would have constructed speciaus
| plea To- save appearances. But a stold and
stupid man ia General Grants position would
! do precisely what General Grant has done aud
| show bn:h his inability and his cartlessness to
conceal his sympathy with Corruption and his
antpathy to its opponents so plainly that the
ailaring rural radical editor, though he we're
Mr. Greeley's typical "little creature" cannot
err therein"
Here accordingly is what some Of the
siaunehest supporters of Mr.. Grants
administration say of Mr. Grants virtual
dismiss Il of Secretary Cox:
1t is folly to attempt to disguise the polit;
! cal situation. The Republican purity can
not survive the supremacy Of mingled
| imheoility and chicanery in its highest
| political eouuses. The admOnitions have
been SO plein and 50 decisive that the way
EIrer mu t comprehend them, and unless
an era of craftsmanship can be inaugurated,
we must look for continued Republican
discontinue until 1872 cousigns the kepub
ican organization to history.
From The Missouri Democrat
The President has delivered himself over,
a complete captive to the most unscrupul,
Gus men IN Congress. At their dictaiiou
he abandons pied -es and professions, dis
misses his most trusty aud honorable al
viSars, attempts to control State elections.
/ und uruk tyur ttttnu tho ~ .l,,z. ...l
Republicans for adhering to the very policy
winch he pledged himself to support. Ifha
iaueies that all desire for reform can be
oyerpowered by his single name he is very
much mistaken.
To b. sure, the Republicans whom
the Democrat represents have taken is
sue with the President upon n question
Of State policy. But no such qua lifea
ton can be given to the animadyersiOm
OF such journal as the Chicago Re
publican, which says:
" It shows us a President who virtually
acknowled- es himself TO be in the hands OF
the worst aud most INSCRIPTIONS men IN
the Republican party. aud who readily sac
rilices a faithful friend and an able minister
rather than make an issue with them.
| General Grant is all tho more Inaccessible
| in this matter because of the great flourish
with whth. on his accession 10 the pre,i-
! idency, he announced his thorough indepen
deuce of politicians and his determination
to keep entirely aloof from them in his ad
minislration of the Government johnson $
folly made the Ith OF March, 1863, a wei.
come day to the American people. Grant 5
laundering imbecility, il persisted in mach
longer, will conyer; the 4th of March,
1875, into fit occasion for national thanks
giving"
From the Chicago Post
The President has made mistake "a
mistake that is painful aud Notifying. He
has been surrounded, jostled, dcceiyed,
cajoled. bulled, and at last made prey of.
| by the swarm of political bummers who
live and thrive by division Of the spoils.
| Misled by these knavish partisans, he has
been induced 10 conniermand the Oders OF
| Secretary Cox for the publication Of the
Interior Department, to override and de
feat his efforts for the Inauguration of the
much needed civil service reform in Wash.
ingion and finally 10 drive him into prema.
ture retirement.
! From the Cleretand Herald.
Gloss it as dispatches may. explain il to
the extent Of the ingenuity of Washington
correspondents. the people believe that the
resignation of Secretary Cox is due to his
/ firm endeayor TO reform the ciyal service,
From the Boston Transcript
/ " After the Victory the Plumber" is the
very fitting title the Washington eorrespon
den, OF the Adcertiser gives to the statement
that. Secretary Cox got rid of, New York
political committee has begun 10 assess the
clerks in the Department OF the Interior,
refusing TO listen To any excuses. For the
present. therefore, it is to be assumed that
thu uaynaut If a fac r,r parf,. ,,u,,...,. ::