Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-06-01

ami E6eh was his preparation to govern the Re
public, making it an example to mankind
Something must also be attributed 70 individual
character, and here express no opinion of my
own. 1 shall allow another to speak il
solemn words echoed from the tomb On reaching
Washington at the opening Of Congress in De
cember, 1869, was painedte hear that
saA1AtOa,
lTtely Secretary of Way, was In failing health.
fun of gratitude for his unsurpassed services,
and with the sentiment of friendship, quickened
by common political sympathies, lost no time
in seeing him, and repeated my visits till his
death, towards the close of the same month";, MY
last visit was marked by coli f6unicati0n never
TO te forgotten. As 1 entered his bedroom,
where found him reclining on a sofa, propped
by pillows, he reached out his hand, already
clammy cold, and IN reply to my inquiry, "HoW
are you % he answered,
ssWaiting fer my FurlOtlglts'
Then st 3Toe, with singular solemnity, he said:
"I have something to say to you" When was
seated, he proceeded without one word of intro
duction: 81 know Gen. Grant better than any
other person in the country can know him 1t
was my duty to-day, when saw him and when 1
did not see him, and now tell you what know.
He Cannot Govern this Country"
The intensity of his manner and the .positiyeness
OF his judgment surprised me, for taoush was
awate th4t the late Secretary Of v ar did not
place the President very high in general capac-
ity, was not prepared for Judgment SO strong
ly couehed. At last, after some delay occupied
in meditation on his remarkable statetnent OBJ
served "ysHst you say is very broad "It is as
true as It is broad j" he replied promptly add
ed. lsYOu are tardy. Why did you wait till this
time? why did you not say IL before his nomt-
nation?" lie answered that he was not consult
ed about the nomination, and had no OppOrtuni-
ty OF EXPRESSING his opinion upon IT. besides be-
in mrch occupied at the time with his duties rs
Secretary of War and his centhSt. with the Presi-
dent ! followed " saying but yo9 tOok par
sion OF speeches Tor him in Ohio and PennsylYa-
nia.y 81 spoke, said he, "but
L Never introduced
tba name of Gen. Grant / spoke for the Repub-
Iican party and the Republican cause"
Insisting upon reelection, the President chal-
lenges inquiry ana puts hllAseH upon tne cOIi W
trT' But even If his pressure for reelection did
not menace the tranquility OF the country, 1t Is
iinuortant that the personal pretenslons he has
set M should be exposed, that no President mere
after may venture upon such ways ana no oeha-
for nresume to defend them. The case Is clear
as noon. IN opening the catalogue select two
tvricai instances of nepOtsyn and gift-taklng OF
firially COMPENSATED, each, absolutely inneien-
siBle II tie head of Republic, most perhlclOus
in example and showing beyond question that
snrnassing egotiSm which had changed the Pres
idential Office into personal instrumentalty not
unlike the
Trunk of an Elephant
for all things small rs well as great, from proYls-
ion for relative TO pressing treaty on reluce-
ant Senate or forcing a relation on relnCtahe
naonle between these two typical instances
i hesitate which to place forward, but since the
neDotism of the President is a ruling passion re-
yealng the primary instincts OF ms nature; since
it is maintained by him in utter uncoIsciopshess
of its offensive character; since nstesd ct blush
mo far IL as an unhappy mistake, he continues
ro 1phoid it; sin e it has been openly Ceiended
hv Senators on this floor; and since no true pat
riot anxious for Republican institutions can
-. ~ A, l.n NriN wifi
Kisses and SGOra
from all rrrrsSilily e repetition, begin with
iPis undoubted abuse. There has been no call
1f Congress for a report of the relations holding
office or stipend or mOney-maklng opportulty
under the President. 1t is evident that any res.
Dlution calling for it, moved by SENATOR nUt ..I
known to be for his reelection, would nseet WYE
1nnosItion, and an efirFt 70 tintica.e hepubil-
an institutions would be denounced as an as
,ault on tie President But the newspapers
have placed enough beyond quesuOh IoT jug
ment ON this extraordinary case, though mus
ar there has been no attempt TO appreciate II IN
ne Iipht of history. One list makes the nqmoeE
NJ ba1eficiaries as many as forty-two, II Will
not be questioned that there Is
At Least a Bakers Dozen.
IN the category. Thirteen relations Of the Presi-
lent are billed on the country, not one OF whom,
,ut for his relationship would have been brought
onward. the whole consti tuting case OF nepot-
sm not unworthy Of the worst governments
whose Office is a
Family Possession.
Bevond the list of thirteen, are other relations,
howing that this strange abuse did not stop with
he Presidents relatives, but thaI me- TeiatlGns
obtained appointments for others In their oirclei
o that every relation became center OF IN,
luence while the Presidential family extended
Indefinitely. .as.7r,,, -.
horities on nePOtisIn, and sald INIT Du'e oire
President,
Adams,
lad ever appointed relatives to Office, and that
public sentiment condemned these appoint
nents
Mr. Sumner then answered the apOlOgists OF
he President, and continued, assuming that III
case of positive merit in designating citizen
or a particular post, the President might sp-
point relation, it should be only where the
merit was 50 shining that his absence would pc
noticed. At least it must be such as 10 make
he citizen a candidate without regard to family.
But no such merit is attributed TO the benehcla-
les of our President, some OF whom have done
title but
Bring Scandal
lpon the public service. AT least one is tainted
With fraud and another with the commission
II the republic abroad, mas been gullty OF lhGes'
,retiOns inconsistent with his trust. APP
pointed originally in open defiance OF kepubll-
an principles, they have been retained in once
.fter their uutitnesS became painfully cOnsplcu-
L
convention one of these a brotheT-ir-la,g was i'm
,licated in bribery and corruption. 1t Is said
hat at last after considerable delay the Presi-
lent has consented to his removal. Here leave
or the present this enormous pretention OF
lepotism swollen to
EIphantiasis
yhich as nobody can defend pass to gift taking
Which, with our President, has assumed an I'M
,recedented form. Sometimes public men even
II our country have taken gifts, bat is it known
i,,+ T--Dz NaV,N1 hos hafOw TNqln
With office? For a public man to take gift us
eprehensibie. For a President to select a cabi-
et of counselleTs and other officers among those
rom whom he has taken gifts, is an anomaly in
republican annals. An ancient patriarch feared
Greeks, Bringing Gifts,
nd these words have become a prOVerb. But
here are Greeks bearing gifts elsewhere than at
roy. Men can traffic with such only at his
eril. At their appearance the prayer should be
Lead Us Not into Temptation.
The President nOtoriOusly has taken gifts
7hile in the public service, some at least after
. had been elected President, until the Galena
armor Of a few hun tred dollars year, to bOr-
Ow the words OF my colleague, one OF his sup
OrteTs, is now rich in houses, lands and stocks
5ove his salary, being probably
The Richest President
yer seen since George Washington. He has APP
Ointed to his cabinet the Greeks bearing gifts
-ithout seeming to see the indecorum if not the
ldecency of the transaction. At least two, if |
ot three, OF these Greeks, having no known pO-
tion in the Republican party or influence in the
Ountry, have been selected as cOunscllOTs in ma
Onal affairs and heads of great departments of
government. Nor does the case Of the first Sec
etary of State, appointed as a compliment, differ
a character from the other three. The Presi-
ent, feeling under personal obligation to
MIR. Washburne,
Dr important support, gaze him a compliments
Y nomination with the understanding that after
he should forthwith resign. l can
Ot forget the indignant comment of the late MIR.
'essenden as we walked out of the Senate
hamber Immediately after the confirmation,
,hO said he never heard before of a man nOmi-
mated Secretary of State merely as a COmpli-
lent. But as this is only another case of the
ublc service subOrdinated to personal consider
fiOus, not only in Cabinet but in other Offices
here is reason to believe that the President has
cen under the influence of patrons. Why was
e so blind as to
Thomas Murphy?
The customhouse of New York. with all its ca.
acity as a political engine was handed over to
his agent whose want Of recognition in the Re-
ublican party was unbalanced by the Presiden-
al ia vOr, and whose gifts had become notorious
nd when the demand for his removal was ire |
stable the President accepted his resignation |
18th an etlusion of sentiment natural toward q |
atrOn, but without justification in the character
the retiring officer.
/ have now completed the survey Of two typi- |
al instances of nepOtism and gitt-taking otti- |
iaIlv compensated, in which we are compelled |
see the President. In these things he shows |
imSelf. This is no portrait drawn by critic or |
nemy. 1t is the original who stands forth, say |
~, "B ahOld generosity to my relations at the |
Expense of the public service; also, gifts take,
nd then my way of rewaTding partisans, always |
the expense of the public service" In this |