The Van Buren press., 1870-12-20
Words of Warning.
The Old-Line Republican Organ of Mis-
sour to the President, Greeting.

Missouri into decision upon your mer
Its as candidate for reelection. One
OF the two parties turned from the legiti-
mate questions of a State campaign, and,
with language SO sickening as to disgust
any ordinary President, declared your re.
election one of the objects of its cam
paIgn. You at once proceeded to make
the party and its avowed object peculiar
ly your own. A self respecting and dig
nitied President Of earlier times would
have deemed it unbecoming to seek re-
election at all; every President, except
Buchanan and johnson, has deemed it
shameful to use Federal patronage to
control State elections in his own inter
est. But it seems to be your wish to
make your conduct in civil affairs as dis
creditable as your career in the army was
glorious. The author of the resolution
nominating yourself for re election you
appointed to lucrative Office, having re-
moved, to make room for this fawning
ceurtier, gentleman of high character
and distinguished services to the public
Other worthy men were deprived Of of
flee by you, solely because they did not
sustain the faction which nominated you.
A letter from you, calling upon office
holders to support your little party, was
published, with the significant words,
" Show this to Easton Smith and New.
comb" By your consent, blackmail was
levied upon office holders throughout
the State, and they were told that unless
they paid the sums demanded, to sustain
your fatterers here, they should be re-
moved from office. Some, refusing to
submit to such plunder, were actually re-
moved for that reason. 1t is not posi-.
BILE for any President to identify himself
more completely with faction than you,
Mr.. President, have identified yourself
with the little band led by Drake, Nc
Clurg, Fox and Shepard. They forced
upon us the questions whether your ad-
should be approved in all its
acts, and you sustained them in doing so.
The result, then, is verdict of the peo-
pie upon the issue forced upon us by
them and by you.
In 1864 Missouri gave forty thousand
majority for Abraham Lincoln. 1t has
now given about forty thousand MAORI
ty against you, and, had not colored
voters been added, and mainly controlled
by your followers, the majority would
have been over fifty thousand.
What is it that the people disapprove =?
We can inform you, sir, They deem it
an outrage that you have tried to control
4 State election by gross abuse of your
power ofremoval and appointment They
that it is wrong for President
to use that power to force himself upon
the people for second term They de-
sire you, in future, to pay better atten-
ton to your duties at Washing gton-the
1uties which your masters, the people,
assigned you, and not to spend your
time in meddling with State elections. 1t
seems to the people that you deserve Sc
we're rebuke, alike for neglecting your
legitimate affairs, and for abusing the
powers intrusted to you, and, being free
men, neither awed by your name nor Sc.
iuced by your offices, they give you that
rebuke very plainly.
The first duty Of Presidents is to keep
he pledges made to the reople when
candidate. This you have not done.
Y on promised to give the country peace,
md pledged yourself to a platform in
which the removal of political disabilities
was most prominent feature. Soon af-
.er you became President, you meditated
with this pledge by proclaim
ng amnesty, and again by recommending
% Congress removal Of disabilities, but
n each case unscrupulous partisans, who
want still longer to be able to elect mere
tools Of their own from Southern States,
turned you from your purpose. At this
day you are their tool. Simon Cameron,
rs unsavory a man as ever sat in the
Senate controls you as if you were his
hired man. 1t is discreditable that a
President should be so controlled by any
one doubly discreditable that he should
De controlled by such man; trebly dis
,redtable that he should thus be led to
depart from the solemn pledges by which
lis election was secured.
Other duties you have greatly neglect
3D. You should have aided the country to
resumption Of specie payments, and to
thorough reduction and reform of taxa
ion, but while you have done something,
you have failed to use your efforts for
hese reforms 1t was your duty to re-
'orm the civil service, and to make it no
onger the tool OF unscrupulous partisans.
Starting with that avowed intent, and
earning public approval by much i'm
in the character of officials,
you now have suffered lloar and at last
Cox to be driven from the epublic service,
simply because Of their honesty and in
1t is most painful to see
he wide difference between your profes
'ions and your performances Instead
If having "no policy to enforce against
he will Of the people, you have tried
o force the San Domingo treaty upon
.he Senate and McClurg upon Missouri,
n both cases using patronage most
vrongfuly. Instea Of reforming the
public service, you have in one respect
degraded it. At this day, when any man
s appointed to office, people ask at once,
W hat personal favor has he rendered or
Engaged to render to Gen Grant? Not
even Buchanan gave offices to men who
lad made him presents And even John
son had for excuse a public policy little
broader and higher than Il mere desire
FOR re election.
Accept the verdict Of the people, Mr..
President! Learn from them wherein