The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-08-24

essentially Il republican provisions for Which
we gratefully remember the fathers of our Com
,lItion, And here we stand before naked
usttrpation of this power; a usurpation which
only through Il fortunate accident failed to be
The cause of boodshed. When our ships of
w9I lad sailed with the Presidents orders it
WAS beyond his power TO prevent Il hostile col
lISion. Any Hayden adventurer might have
brought ii about. It will not do to say that
little war with Havti would have followed.
There are no little wars" SAYS the Duke of
wellington A little war with Hayti! France
sacrificed the flower of its revolutionary army
The army of the Rhne-in war with Hayti.
We would he victorious hut to what purpose?
There stands the naked usurpation. No pub
lie danger provoked it no public interest was
served by it; no public voice called TO 1t. The
honor of the country would have been TAR bet
Ter guarded without it. Not the shadow OF a
valid justification excuses it. A naked act of
usuIpaton performed merely to further a fa-
Norte scheme of the White House. And for
this the Constitution was violated and the peace
OF the country endangered And can such an
act pass without the most energetic opposition
of Congress, and without emphatic public con-
demnation? 1t would almost seem so. And
more than this, the same officer of the Govern
ment who was guilty of this act, is held up by
great many as the man above all others to be
reinveSted with the power and honor of the Ma
tional Executive. Do you know what that
meanSI We are living in country where
precedent often, but too often, acquires the
authority of law and constitutional rule. What
is a mere fact to-day, is apt to be looked upon
as law tomorrow. If this act of usllrpatlon
passes without authoritative censure, thus pas
sing a precedent into our history, future
Presidents and their sycophants will find there
in sufficient proof that President may AFRO
gate 10 himself such 4 power, for President
Grant had done so, and done so not only with
impunty, but the American people, after he
had done so. had again rewarded him with the
highest honors of the republic. And what
will that signify: that henceforward a most
fragrant and wIful breach of the Constitution
by President, Will be no reason why the same
position Of trust and power should not be con-
hded to him again. And. when the Republi-
can party will meet in National Convention,
to select candidate for the Presidency, the
question will not merely be-Do we prefer
this man to any other thai is mentioned? But
the question will be-Are we prepared to sane.
tult
EXECUTIVE IrSURPATION.
with our approval, as a party: Are pre-
pared to ask the people to establish and sane
tlom precedent which strikes at the very foun-
dation of republican government: May the
party whose public services form brilliant
Il part Of the history Of this Republic not end
with such descent If such question should
ever he submitted to the people, ii is to he
hoped, for the sake of constitutional liberty in
this country and in the world, that the Ameri-
can nation will not hesitate to give an answer
worthy OF free people. II the American peo-
lle love their Institutions they will never allow
Their Presidents to grow so great that they may
wanton.y trihe with the fundamental laws OF
The Republic.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
Woe reform has been received by the best pol-
1lOn OF the people permits us 10 hope that very
~0on the necessity OF "A revival of those finer
feelings of honor in political life, which dlStin-
%uishei the first years of this Republic will he
recognized 1t is well known that Washing
ton, A. President. refused an Office to one OF
his relations, last hecause he belonged to his
family. We have now come so far that this
refusal will he ridiculPd AS stupid prlldery and
an absurdly exaggerated delicacy. No. it was
no eXaggeration of delicacy; it was the entirely
correct feeling of gentleman, at the head of
the state. who recognized the high RESPONSE
hillty OF his duty, TO mpart 10 his subordinates
ms measure OF his own notions of honor, by his
own example. However much he deserved
a reward for that which he had done tor the
country-and nobody ever did or deserved
more. before or after him--he showed that he
looked upon his Office as an ohiging opporu-
nlty to render still greater services, and not AS
a mere mich COW 10 feed him and his kin, and
der him the same notion of honor and duty hut
when now a President puts
HIS COUSINS AND BROTHERS-IN-LAw
hv the dozen al the public crib, when the whole
chorus of followers eXclaim "A tritle :; who Will
lind fault with him for that and he who feels
the in,!ecenry of such acts. and expresses his
feelings, is simply denounced "a a traitor, whose
heart must be full OF black designs. No. these
are no triles. The cousins and brothers-in-law
of The President may, as officers. be no worse
than others; hut when he puts them TO the
public crib the Chief of the State teaches his
subordnates by his example, which is every
where visible, that in his opinion public OH ce
may be used for selfish ends. TO make out of it
what can be made. And who will wonder.
when those SubOrdinateS also make out of their
Offices all that can be made When the Chief
OF the state takes presents, and then puts the
donors into high offices and digniteS. the men
50 appointed may he worthy men. and the
presents may have had nothing TO do with their
appointments, but the Chief of the State has
shown his subordinates that, in his opinion, an
officer may take presents, and then grant his
official tlVors 10 the donors in an official way,
and who will then wonder when the subofdl-
mates. following the high example. also take
presents and give their official favors 10 the
donors? The New York papers are making
much clamor over the fact that while Republic
can conventions pass resolutions IN favor OF
civil service reform, United States Marshal
declares 10 a subordinate OlIlftf, WDOm he mas
iust removed, that for the removal there were
only political reasons, and none arising out of
any official shortcomings. Is that surprising,
when the Chief of the Government, after having
declared himself in his message in favor OF civil
service reform, continually and persistently re-
moves officers whose official conduct was un-
Improbable, merely for the purpose Of putting
political tools in their places When he, as
have shown to yol in one instance, carries the
trade in consciences so far that the world laughs
al it: Like master, like man. We ought to be
surprised at nothing. No, gentlemen, these are
not trifles, which show that from the highest
position, where model should be exhibited
for imitation, that influence which undermines
all fine feelings of official honor. Had Wash
ample of noble dismerestedness, given on his
iy this exhibition for all future lime, have
That in our DAYS, this poison dcscends in such
streams from the highest place. is certainly a
misfortune but it is greater misfortune that
party spirit cover, such acts, which undermine
official honor in the whole republic, under the
mantle of respcctabity. know well that cen
~ure and abuse Will rain down upon me for
what | have said here. But ask those who
blame me- whether what ! have said in not
true, word for word and what can they answer?
| am for civil service reform in all earnest. |
am for the elevation of moral tone in our politi-
cal life for my whole soul, and he who is in
earnest must not recoil from pursuing the evil
in all it, qualifications whatever it may cost
him