The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-11-10
Grant and Cox.


been blundering ever since. OF all the
fatal mistakes, however, which Grant has
committed, his virtual dismissal OF Gen.
Cox from the Department of the Interior
has created the greatest reVulslon IN pub
lie sentiment against him. Nearly all
the leading and influential Republican
papers throughout the county have ex~
pressed their Indignation Of II in unmeasN
ured terms. The head and front of Sec
retary Coxs offence was, that he would
not allow certain Radical politicians from
Pennsylvania and Ohio to go into his De
partment and d,mond from the clerks
therein employed certain per cent. on
their salaries, to be added TO the Radical
elec,ioneering fund at the October election
in the States named. His conduct in this
respect excited the ire of those two vir
tuous and irreproachable patriots, Simon
Cameron and Zachaliah Chandler, and
they set themselves at work TO drive him
from the Cabinet Grant listened 10 the
/
appeals of these two corrupt and unscrus
prlous senators and yielded. General
Cox, although not formally dismissed,
! knew that Grant was ready 10 strike the
blow, and rendered his resignation.
| As sample of the light in which
/ Grants conduct in this matter Is received
bv the Republican press, we publish be-
! low two articles, the first from the New
York EUcning Post and the second from
the Chicago Republican, both of which are
well known and able Radical papers and
have heretofore been warm supporters OF
Grant and his administration
[Fro1n the N = Evening Postl
The letters of Secretary C x. which we
present elsewhere il full aoHl be read acith
painful interest by all true friends Of Gener
al Grant They contain an fact, The an
no,tncen.snt of the Presidents unconditional
surrender to the .'men inside Of politics"
The new President promised nothing so
often as that he would not appoint or remove
for merely political reasons. Merit Was 10
be the test if a man was faithful he might
even be Democrat, and keep his place /; if
he was unfit, he might be ever so Jealous q
Republican, and yet he should not get a
place.
This ,rus the most distinct pledge General
Grant gare. in regard to The conduct IF his
dGn,iniStrutiOR; IL irds almost the only pledge.
1t meant a reform Of the civil service it was
accepted by the country as a promise that
the abuses in the civil department of the
government, which had grown to be mon
strous and fertile source of corruption, and a
serious cause of weakness 10 the Executive
should be reformed.
Unfortunately, the President Joined in one
condemnation all men who had been engaged
in politics lie rejected the advice Of the
statesmen as mnch as of the merest political
hacks of the party which elected him and
so far as he could, selected for office his own
intimatps So far as these were good men
he did wisely but the mere fact Of friend
ship or relationship to the President was
perhaps as poor q test of fitness for public
place as any. Rdring isolGte himself, holU
, eUer. in tie beginning from the statesmen q
tie Republican party, men Scho needed TO 6t
sought and had no fac0rS to ask, he acas the
: more ready to fail into The hands Of the hGci
: politicians, among lchon1 ii acas before long
lchiSpered, Nth no little amusement. fha
) General Grant would, after all. make c
first rate politician"
IF he meant to "go into politics." az Ihs
phrase is, he had at his hand a very shrewC
master of the ignoble art in Mr.. Boutwell,
who, unless he is greatly belied. knows more
about making up slate" and about th'
mysteries OF dispensing office with view t
: party effect, than any other man in the Re
publican party.
Whoever was the Presidents tutor, h
has been. it seems. willing. though not, il
: our udgemeut, an apt scholar. He ha
learned the rules. and be has hastened t.
apply them. Not eUeH BuchandR'S interfe
e renee an Kansas tcds more gross and u1l
I 6lushing than President Grants attempt 4
cCerce The Missouri Republicans 10 do hi
] ICW and not their 0lcn No President erccp
[ AHdrelc Johnson has erer so openly tried. b
toholesate Temorals from cLfce and by III
appointment Of his .farorites, to impose hi
c policy upon tie party.
The letters of Gen. Cox, now published
show that in the practice of the smaller de
vices OF politicians tho President has been n
c less ready. The Secretary of the Interior
who came into the Cabinet as the especa
friend and representative of civil service re
Il form. is forced to leave the Cabinet becaus
r the President insists, contrary to Genera
Cox's desires, upon letting political commit
. tees levy tribute upon the poor clerks in tn
. Interior Department.
This is the end of all the promises so re
peatedy and openly made by Gen. Gran
II before and Immediately after his inaugura
}. ton. So far from reforming the civil SCI
!, vice. he is the first President who gives leave
openly to political committees to go into the
t departments aud levy blackmail upon tn
i clerks. He is the first President who ha
uublushingly sacrificed a member of hi
II Cabinet to the demands of secret and IRE
e sponsible party committees. The system c
Il ~ L
official recognition was hitherto, even unde
G Andrew johnson, carried on secretly. Cal
t apy one longer doubt the immediate and III
gent need of a refoIm Of the civil service?
= !, From the Chicago Republican,
Il "It shows us President who virtual
!, acknowledges himself to be in the hands o
the worst and most unscrupulous men in th
Republican party, and who readily sacrifice
a faithful friend and an able minister rathe
than make issue with them. Genera
g Grant Is all the more inexcusable in thi