New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-08-16
THE PRESIDENCY.
Hon. Cassius Nj. Clay TO General William
Larimer on the Political Situation
Horace Greeley for President.

4
Larimer on the Political Situation
| Horace Greeley for President.
We received the following letter tpub
lished in Leavenworth, Kansas paper
from General William Larimer, and publish
| it for information:
New YORK August ?, 1871.
Your letter of the twenty second of July
| ultimo, asking my views on the political
| situation, is received.
think it good feature in the British
constitution that cabinet ministers take
| place in the legislative bodies, and defend
| their measures and policy; a vote of no con-
.fidence changes the cabinet, and the will OF
| the nation is carried out at once. 1t is a
| great misfortune that headstrong Pres
ident may keep the nation in a wrong policy
Tor four years. Another great gain would
| be, that patriotic criticism OF the cabinet
| policy would not necessarily be construed
| as inimical to the President or the party in
power-but change in the cabinet would
merely put III new men OF the same party,
| or moderate men in part of the other party
| all of which would inure to the public veal
| and soften the force of faction, which, III
| all ages, has been one cause OF the ruin OF
| nations.
The Confederate States profited by our
| fatal experience, ana made a single Presi-
| dental term the constitutional law. Our
constitution should be changed, making the
| Presidential term six years, and the Presi-
| dent ineligible. This would give the Presi-
| dent sufficient time to mature and carry out
any policy, and take away the motive for
| abuse of power, and for the general cOrrup-
ton which comes OF canvassing for re-elec-
| ton. This seems TO be the greatest present
| evil in our system; and as we can not at once
engraft the change in the constitution, | am
for rigidly enforcing the policy by electing
no President second term.
Another great evil, which has been CON-
! mon to most nations, and ruinous to nearly
! all. is the putting military men into. civil
| offices. Neither YOU nor can make asshoe
without long service at the trade; but
| craftsmanship is more difficult than shoe
making. And military men are taken up,
not only without any experience in politics,
but necessarily with qualities and election
| adverse to all true craftsmanship. 1t would
| be Just as wise, on the day of battle, to put
| civilians at the head of the armies, to the
! exclusion of military leaders, as to put mill
| tary men into civil places.
The rewards and honors of each profession
| belong TO that profession only. There is no
more reason for rewarding the patriotic
services of a great general with the Presi-
| dency, or any other civil office, than there
| is for rewarding great preacher, doctor, or
| astronomer. The whole idea is a relic OF
| the barbarous ages, and blind devotion to
| brute force, unworthy of our times. Let
| the military ring" retire into the sphere
| where they can be useful, and let statesmen
undertake TO do the craftsmanship of the
republic.
Another evil which requires prompt ac-
| ton is a permanent civil service, and in
creased salaries.
If the civil service, except in the higher
| political offices, was made permanent-the
term being during good behavior-we
should not only have more efficiency in
| the public service, but would reduce the
! patronage of the government and the
source OF corruption which follows frequent
| elections, and lessen Othce-seeking, which
! are the causes of alarm to all thoughtful
| lovers OF selt-government.
! Our salaries are now, when we are near
| fifty millions of people, about the same as
| when we were three millions. The true
| standard of salaries is to give such pay as
| the same talents would insure in ordinary
| business. We are in answer told that there
are plenty of men who will take the offices
| and salaries as they are. But what sort OF
| men are they? Certainly not the best men;
and the best talent and highest character
| in the nation should rule the nation. The
| result of this system is that men of the first
ability are driven from political life; or, be-
| ing politicians, they form those corrupt
'rings" TO increase their income by illegiti,
| mate egislation-which threatens the exist
| ence of all property-and the overthrow OF
! repuhlicanism itself.
The great issue of slavery being settled
| by constitutional law and dread arbltra-
ment of arms, and the great mass of the
| Democratic party having acquiesced in the
| logic of events, it only remains to reduce
| the late insurgent and the returned Union
| forces into peaceful cooperation. The
| greatest statesman of the revolutionary
times of France, Mirabeau, said 1.-THE CO
operation of all wills is necessary to recon
| structiOn."
And who is better able to effect this than
| our distinguished friend Horace Greeley
| Who has shown his craftsmanship in avow-
| ing long since, universal amnesty and i'm
| partial suffrage"
The South contains more than a third
of our population, aside from Alaska. She
owns the larger portion of the lands of the
| republic; she has the better climate and
soil, and the worldwide used products,
cotton, sugar, rice and tobacco; she has as
| fine race Of men as exists. ! appeal to the
| calm Judgment of all Americans, can we
| afford to make an Ireland, Poland, or a
! Hungary OF these people? Are Southern
| men standing by the blacks as | have done
all my Efel l say, for their sakes as well
| as my own, give us a candidate of our
| party-Hke Horace Greeley-who comes to
US with the olive branch, rather than him
who, refusing amnesty, bares the sword for
| the eternal subsection of a Saxon people.
The large experience, eminent ability,
and unseltish patriotism of Horace Greeley,
no man dare deny. 1t is objected only that
he has not always been a safe leader in poll
tics or social questions. a man who never
changes his opinions is either a fool or wiser
than all other men! If Horace Greeley has
erred, it has been on the side of philanthropy
| and progress. He has never committed
| more mistakes than others who assume to
be his equals. His honesty and frankness
has only made his opinions better known
to the world After long life of close OBJ
servation of public men. l say freely that
know no man who has been more generally
right, or who has done more for the world
in his day than Horace Greeley. The Ame-
| rican people owe him debt of gratitude
which can never be paid. If he shall be no.
minated as the candidate of the Republican
party for President in 1872, he will be
triumphantly elected. The North will secure
her highest interests, and the South will be
content. We shall ''have peace"
Your obedient servant,
G. nj. CLAY.
GENERAL WILLIAM LARIMER, Leavenworth Kansas
Paul E. Theard. Judge Of the Fourth Dis
trict Court for the parish of Orleans has