Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-10-19
A Feeble President, a Feeble Ad-
ministratiOn.

1t does not follow necessarily or as a
matter Of course because the head of
an Administration knows nothing Of
constitutional law, is an ignoramus in
all civil matters, and stumbles and blum
ders in political management, that his
SubordinateS in the Government, heads
of departments and officials of inferior
rank, must be incompetent and unfit for
the places they fill. And yet it is natur-
AL fnot inevitable, that the character
of an Administration should partake Of
that of its chief that its individual
members should think and act in con-
formity with his views, and that its
average intelligence and Craftsmanship
should not rise much above his scope
and comprehension. Occasionally an
inferior or commonplace President has
called into his Cabinet men of unCom-
mon wisdom and sagaCity. This was
the case with Polk and Pierce. The
towering intellect and consummale
judgment Of Marcy gave tone and dign'-
ty their Administration but in both
instances the President was rebuked by
his superior abilities, and avenged him
self by petty indignities and humiia-
tons. Grant has taken special care to
avoid any embarrassment or compica-
ton of this description. Not a man
has he invited into his political house
hold who rises above the dead level of
medioCrity. There is not a Secretary
among them all who has a national
reputation, or whose brittany contrasts
strikingly with the dizziness Of the Prcsi-
dent There is not a feature in the
policy of his Administration which he
might not have moulded himself -
From the achievement of his Minister
for Foreign Affairs to the nautical eX-
plots of the famous Robson, every
thing bears the impress of the same
degree of genius and statesmanllke fore
cast. The legal luminary who sits in
the office of the Atorncy-Gencral and
CONSTITUTES the Constitution, and furnish
eS excuses and subteriugcs for any IT.
Irregularities necessary to the purposes Of
the Administration, is in full accord
with Grant, sympathi2ing with him on
all questions that arise in the practice of
the Government
Grant has been badgcred and bother
ed by the efforts of certain well mean
ing Republicans, who see the necessity
of a reform in the civil service In the
first place he committed himself to
Secretary Cox in favor of this reform !;
and ever since the Radical managers
compelled him to drive that gentleman
out of his Cabinet because he would
not lend himself to their schemes, the
President has been endeavoring to pre-
vent any interference with the appoint
ing power, at the same time that he
sought to pacify the reformcrs by al-
fecting great zeal in the cause. When
Congress made an appropriation and
authorized the appointment of Com
mission to investigate the subject, and
make such recommendations as might
be expedient, 1t became desirable to the
Administration to get rid of the matter
at once and finally. Thereupon Mr..
Attorney General Alderman has been
called upon to demonstrate the uncon-
stitutionality of the whole proceeding,
Accordingly we have hif formal opinion
to that effect inspired evidently by the
Administration itself, 1t is curious
muddle, surely. Obviously, it is not
competent for Congress, either dir city
or by delegating its authority to Com
mission to interfere with the constitu-
,ional powet Of the Executive in the