The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-10-20

FROM WASHINGTON.
Cabinet Matters .-RumoiY of
Changes. VI
Fish, Cox, Belknap and Akernail,
The, s.taation
WASHINGTON. b. U

u
!. The satMations ! !
@ wAsurNoTox, D. O.
NOctobcr 18th 1870. "a.
ShltaneonslY with the tS4
~ betting held III GNS3avtisBx
s thick and test, ~ & z
= 6rs of o breakup in, 4 !
6dy. Upon this occant6 8
et forth with grVAtce q 3 I
nd With more probability, cert6 q
han before, The high dignitaries
whom We are told by tho knowing | i
mes are to step out, IN order that
he present lesser opeaAfs to Step in,
re Secretaries Fish, Cox and Bel
map, and Attorney, General Aker-
nan. Tho reason assigned for the
Of throo of these officers
ire at least plausible and may not be
destitute of aolid foundations. Mr..
Fish II d gentleman of large fortune
andscholarly tastes. He likesddietness1
and unAssnning elegance he does
not like phblic life in any form-itsl
turmoil and its intrigue are repug-
uant 10 him. In his own great State |
to serve as he would wish to serve
tho chieftsin at whose solicitation he
has held his distastcfnl post SO long,
he ought to WELD q commanding In
fluence; yet he does not disguise his
indifference to tho politics of New
York, or the absence of his counsels
from those assemblies where the pre-
liminary battles Of the great cam
paign Of 1872 arc virtually fought
and Won. The Secretary Of State is
one Of that too-smaR number Of gen.
tlemen of leisure, wealth, and talent,
whose unselfish patriotism is invaiu.'
able to their country il private
station, but who come into public
| life without Ardor and at the sacrifice
Of yheIt auiet influence and useful
| example.
The case of Secretary Cox is Of an
opposite character to that Of Mr..
Fish. He is rich only in talent and
reputation. Despite oil which is said
of,'tndian rings, railroad swindles," "
"land stealings," and other means Of
acquisition, he finds that for an hon.
est man, under an honest administra
tion---for it is honest here at home,
at ell events,-the emoluments OF his
Office are $4,000 ayear, al told, and
his legitimate expenses not far below
that figure. He has patronage, it is
true, but of what account is that tc
him, or his colleagues, when, to-
every friend made by on appointment
bestowed, enemies are made of al
others disappointed in getting it
Who but himself can realise the con
tests in the breast of . Cabinet off
Ger between conscience and expedi
ency--a controlling desire to do RICH
! for tho sake of right, and an anxioul
desire to serve the party with which
his fortunes are linked as well
But, to return to General Cox, b.
is giving the best years of his life
except those spent on tho battle field
and his best energies, TO- the nation
with none but unsatisfactory return
now, and uncertain prospects here
after; statement true of many NOR
} than one public man, despite tn
popular belief, or affected belief t
} the contrary. 1t is but natura
that he should desire to seizo som
one of the many opportunities eve
open, it is to be hoped, to men of hi
record and character, and leave to
bereaved family, at the end, some
thi. g moro secure than the custom
ary policy in a life insurance com
pany that may expire before himself
and something less unwclcoine thai
| o subscription list which, started II
Wall street under tho excitement o
a two column obituary in the Nov
York papers, has travelled "acros
the continent to get the prescribed
amounts filed up. Add to all thes
reasons tho weighty one, that con
scientious WOW Of public duty has Sc
him somewhat at variance, ut q crit
ical time in tho campaign, with MOI
upon whose shoulders rests largely
the responsibility of success or de
feat, and reasonable probability 0
the truth of fiyingrumors concerning
the head Of tho Interior Department
is established.
"But," you will ask, what arr
the, circumstances that call tor OF
lead to the retirement of the Score
tary of War from his post?" Two
are given by those who claim *
know the inside aspect Of the nego
tiations understood to have beer
letely undertaken by Senator'S Cam.
eron and Chandler, as the representa-
tives of tho Congressional Republican
/ Executive Committee, during the
! past three weeks. Those reasons
are: First, that the Secretary hasn't
strength" enough at home; secondly
that the State Of Iowa. is SO decided
1 " Republican in feeling and action
that il is literally wasting Cabinet
appointment to confer it upon her
Whether this logical conclusion will
be as satisfactory to the people of the
State, as to those from the East who
| urge it here, remains to be seen. II
| is a fair question for the citizens Of Q
State thus situated to ask Of them.
selves if they are ready to relinquish
in favor of some other State, OF per
haps doubtful or time,serving loyalty
only, that voice in the Executive
council of the Government which
they have justly earned by unyield'
ing and almost unrowardod fidelity
to priciples which-this, they have
carried our country to o point o.
greatness where they alone can sus
tain her-have not been adhered to
without personal sacrifices and un'
selfish devotion. Are they, too, pre-
pared to surrender, without remon.
STRANGE, that influence upon the for
eign and domestic policy Of the nd.
ministration that representative in
the Cabinet assures to them, and
| which is so essential to the interests
of the great Northwest, q section Of
| the country not yet so fairly repre-
scented in Washington as its remark
able growth and development emit.
ties it to be?
Conceding then, as all the North.
West will, the value and Importance
in every respect, of, tho seat in the
i nvv n