Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-03-10

New York, for Secretary of the Treas
ury, the appointment of BOrie and
H0ar TO other positions in the Cabinet,
and of PierrepOnt aud Butterfield to
the most lucrative posts in New Y ork,
besides hosts of others, were the same
thing as issuing a cGrte-btQHche to
every Otfice-hOlder and Congressman
in America lwhO have the legal power
to appOint) to sell all the offices within
their gift to the highest bidder. The
adoption broadly of the principle of
rewarding men who had in open day
advanced money, in contemplation of
undoubted prospective ability to con-
fer such hOnOrs and emOluments, was
direct announcement that Off
ceS in the United States
had under Radical rule become pri-
vate and not public property. If this
doctrine is to be admitted, the sale of
a cadetship is no offence at all. Then
the bestowment, or sale, or transfer of
authority to sell, is q matter between
the member and his constituents
alone. Congress has no right to dis
turb a member in the exercise of his
vested private rights. Nor, indeed
upon the general principle of the
Presidents appOintments), have the
people of their 'tdeestricts" any right
to complain. Wherein, forsooth, have
the people Of the United States, at
large, dissented from the propriety
in General Grant of searching
out and appointing from the four
quarters of the earth every man,
woman and child in any way related
to or connected with him, or any of
his extensive kith or clan? The peo-
pie seem to acknowledge that he owns
all these Offices, and could as well sell
them to the subscribers to the Grant
fund as to give them away to his poor
relations. Why, then, kick up such a
fuss about poor Wittemore's little
speculation? Such views as these,
pressed upon the committee by the
small-fry peculators, have squelched
the last spark of spunk out of their
bodies. They dare not strike at the
root Of the evil.
The time has come when a spade
should be called a spade. The
Wretched condition ofthe country has
been to great extent brought about
by sauea;;..2!iShness when speaking of
the miserable despotism and the un-
paralleled selfshness, avarice and
wholesale crashing of the public fIan-
chises by this Administration. ! am
glad, therefore, that members (nO mat
ter with what mOtive) have deter
mined that the committee :sl...!i shsi either
take the bull by the horns, or cease
with their contemplate drag-net to
haul in the small fish. Go into deep
water, gentlemen, or you will catch
no popularity, how many so ever
minnoWS you may expose to the pub
lie view. Dropping this metaphor, it |
is only necessary, be assured, to apply
the spark to set the country on fire.
The indignation and contempt of the
masses only awaits the official expos
ure of their INSCRIPTIONS rulers!
Old Ben Wade has again turned up
in Washington, begging for crumbs. |
Seward is endeavOring to regain pOlit- |
ical position. Julian will have tough !
work to get seat in the House. |
These men were pioneers in the aboli- !
ton cause. No one so poor now as to
do them homage. Grant, Butler
and t'Orney were prO-slavery men
(the two latter ''dirt-eaters" in
the most degrading sense of the term) |
to the very last. They may be said |
to have been " boOt-lickers " of their |
Southern masters. No slave at the |
South ever bowed more ObsequiOusly |
to such men as Cobb, Toombs and |
Floyd, than the self-same man who |
daily pours out his wrath against the |
institution" The relative condi- !
ditions of these six men at this mo-
ment is full of matter for reflection, |
1t is full, too, of poetic as well as po-
litical justice. Y.