The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1872-07-13
NUMBER "A.
What the Administration Has
Done for Us.
[From the New York Tribune.l

AO Va oCAs oLuAOy hHCA
they ask us to vote for him second
time, ought at least to show that he
has done honor to his Office and ad-
ministered the government with ad-
vantage to the country. But there is
not one particular in which they can
point to his record with satisfaction.
When he came into office, the most
important problem in. domestic af-
fairs was the condition of the South
ern States. Eexed by disability laws
and plundered by Northern adventu-
rers, their situation was shame to
the nation. What has the President
done for them? Instead of an honest
representative government he has Civ
Ell them Caseys and Spencers. In
stead of complete amnesty he has
given them force bills. Instead of
sending away the carpet-baggers to
earn their living (if they know how)
by honest industry, he has made
compacts" " with bogus Senators to
farm out his patronage in return for
the g control" of the States,-as wit
ness his shameful bargain with Mr..
Spencer for the spoils of Alabama.
Politically, socially and financially,
the Southern States under his admin
istration have made no sort of ad
vance.
The settlement of the Indian diff
Guilty was an achievement upon which
the Presidents supporters especially
plumed themselves. But the Indian
difficulty, it seems, is not settled.
There is every prospect now of a fresh
savage war. Southern Colorado and
New Mexico are in a fever of alarm.
Texas and Arizona are disturbed.
The Kiowas have begun an extensive
raid. The Cheyennes and Arrapa
hoes are supposed to be making ready
to join them; and there are rumors OF
a massacre of troops on the Brazos.
In word, Indian affairs remain un-
changed; even the swindling goes on
as usual.
There has leen no reform in the
scandals of the federal administration.
Peculation has prospered in the pub
lie service. The revenue has been
diverted into the pockets of the col
lectors. Paymasters and pension
agents have stolen more boldly than
ever. The White House has become
a nest of roguish spectators, and 0v-
er all the transactions of the govern
ment has been thrown an atmosphere
of jobbery. From the lease of u naval
station and the negotiation of a treaty
down to the sale of suffers goods to,
ii frontier garrison, whatever the gov
ernment touches becomes tainted with
corruption. There has been miscon
duct, if not fraud, in the arms sales of
the War Department and the expend-
itures of the navy, and the Admins
tration has not rebuked them. There
have been frauds and extortions of
the most infamous character in the
customs service, and the Administra
ton has done nothing to check, nay,
has directly protected them. 1t was
the Presidents young friend. Leet,
who feeced the merchants of New
York, and it was under the Presidents
friend, Mr.. Thomas Murphy, the ar
bitrary seizures of merchants books
and papers were pushed to the most
outrageous lengths. Indeed the ad
ministratiOn of Gen. Grant has been
signally an era of pecuniary corrup-
ton.
The destruction of political morality
through the patronage of the civil
service has been carried further by
President Grant than by any preced-
ing President since jackson. 1t nsed
to be one of the degrading maxims of
party politics that with II change of
power there should be redistribution
of places among the victorious party;
but Grant has gone beyond this, and
for the first time in our history has
made offices the personal spoil of the
Executive, to be dispensed not for
" the good of the party but for bis
individual advantage. Some he has
given for the support of his needy re-
lations. The rest he has used to buy
his denomination, fiouting his promise
of civil service reform, and breaking
up the party to which he owes all the
advancement he ever received.
In it's foreign relations the admins
tration of President Grant has been IL
series of failures and notifications.
The treaty that was to heal all our diff
ferences with Great Britain was so i'll
drawn that it plunged us into II new
quarrel, out of which we come at last
with pride abased and pretensions
brought low, putting forth claims
which we cannot sustain, and accept
ing British dictation to which We had
sworn never to submit. Our citizens
in foreign countries have been taught
that our flag will not protect them.
Spain insults us at her will in the
West Indies. Even the petty repub-
lie of S;lnto Domingo holds an inno-
cent American citizen in arbitrary
confinement for fear of his influence
against annexation, and when he is at
last released through the urgency of II
Senator, the President is " displeased,"
aud his partisans have the assurance
to report to the Senate that :" the inn
prisOnment of an American citizen by
another government is justifiable ON
the presumption that that citizen, it