Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1871-08-12
Fho Cornerstone Of Grants Policy.


President Grants arrival UNEXPECTEDLY in
Washington on the zen inst, Tel 20 many ru-
mors With regard to the dcaouement Of the
little "ouplcasau;nes so long existing be-
tween Secretary Boutwell, and Gen Plcasantor,
Commissioner Of Internal Revenue This
trouble Dc those high officials has been the
principal theme Of newspaper correspondents
FOR months past
I, appears tha; The President. soon after his
arrival, sent Gen. Porter, his private secretary.
to call on the Commissioner and request his
resignation After lengthy interview Gen.
Pleasantou decided 20 send a positive answer.
which he diI on tie S;h inst. Therein he
states, that under ordinary circumstance, he
would gladly comply with the executive re-
quest, but tho cause thereof having been stated
to be the difference between the Secretary aud
himself with regard to the government and
management Of the Internal Revenue Bureau,
he declined to resign, and gave the following
reasons for so doing.
lst That Mr.. Boutwell, claims powers which,
under the laws Of Congress governing the bu-
rcau. are vested solely in the commissioned
The question being therefore purely legal one,
he contends. should have been submitted by
the Executive to the Attorney General, in &C
cordance with precedcuts under the admins
tratons of Tyler, Van Buren,, Fillmore and
others.
2uj. That knowing these facts Gen. Pleas
ont0n sometime AGO endeavOred to have the
matter adjusted in that way, making an appeal
20 the President 20 have the powers Of the Com
missioner under the Act of July 20, 1868,
clearly defined. This appeal was not grantcdb by
Gen. Grant, and theinterence was that be coU-
idcred the affair as a personal difference be-
tween the officials.
3rl That he was unwilling 10 resign until
he had an opportunity Of yindica,ing himself
and his administration Of the bureau, as 10 the
charges Of the Secretary.
The Commissioner closes his letter with the
request that the Presidents " determination
may be reconsidered, and an investigation Of
the matte Of difference between the Secretary
and himself be referred to the Attorney Gene
raj FOR bis legal opicu."
The President tbereupon N curt order sus-
pended the Commissioner from his Office, aud
at the same time appointed Deputy Commits
sioucr j. w Douglass, to the vacancy thus
made. The new Commissioner is q man Of
great executive ability and his long expert
cnce in the bureau emiuently fit him for the
position.
Tho organ Of the administration says
that "a tho President, in the removal Of Com
missioner Pleasonton, has given another signal
illustration Of his adherence to tina, principle
which be laid down in the beginning Of his
that he would endeavor to
sppeint good and capable men to Office, and
that whenever he found that he had made
mistake he shoGla not hesitate to correct it. "
This principle, the Organ says, is as It were
the cornerstone Of his executive policy.
If Gen. Grant laid down tha; principle
in the beginning Of his administration, be
laid IL down efcctaal,y, and there It lay
ever since. 1t has never been taken up and
carried oJd. us any man who has Lis eyes open
can see. Some Of the ablcst and most efficient
Republicans of Lincoln's administration were
dismissed from ofico, and very grave mis-
takes made in .he selection Of successors
mistakes that have never been corrected "
to this day, the suEerings Of the people to tLe
contrary notwithstanding
Bu. the o5sau Of Che administration says
cha, The priacinleof the appointment Of good
and capable uou 20 Office, and the correction
Of mistakes in jgI appointments, was the cor
uer-stouc Of Grants policy. Unfortunate SINH
ISL a defective cornerstone cannot be rene
died. 4 mistake there cannot be corrected
Tit is not true grit, close-graiucd and entirely
sound. lis the wrong stone in the wrong place.
The foundation. and may be a clas;e, beau
tilul and useful structure resting thereon. are
not secure. So long as that stone rests there
the building is IN daugc, The republican
party, so-cal,ed, may rest on sound principles.
so, 70 Is bound TO stand. Butthe present iu-
dicaGous are that the people are beginning %
md out that those principles tie cucucia'.0u
Of which sounded SO vclI in the Chicago plat
form. are lcid dorm. and are never carried out.
When an the departures Of the Demo-
cratic party and all the departures Of the
Conservative Republicans converge together,
we have some hope that tie better time wiz
then come. and we shall again live I'D der ,ho
Constitution as j, IS, and the Union, as our
Fathers maleu &c.
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