The sun., 1872-02-01
SIR FORCIBLE FEEBLE.
DR.. Bacon on civil service Reform-A Re
former One Day and an Apologies, for Cor
ruption ON the Next.

DR.. Bacon on civil service Reform-A Re
former One Day and an Apologies for Corr
ruption ON the Next.
Correspondence OF The Sun.
New HAVEN, Jan. 3O-Directly after the
expulsion OF Secretary Cox from Grants Cabi-
net, early In November, 1870, q letter was pub
lished in all the papers Of this town, numerously
signed by our most conspicuous and influential
Republicans, addressed to Gen. Cox, and COM
mendlng In emphatic terms his official course.
The first signer was the venerable President
Woolsey, OF Yale College The second was the
Rev. DIR. Bacon, eminent divine of the Con-
gregational persuasion, who was understood to
be the writer of the letter. Other prominent
names followed, among them that OF Mr.. Tyler,
the present Lieute tenant-Governor OF the State,
the Hon. Mr.. Boardman, since deceased, and the
publisher and editor Of the Palladium, which
holds relations to the Administration similar to
those OF the Nep York Times
/ must trouble you To reproduce a short ex-
tract from DIR. Bacon's letter, to wit:
1--WE approve most heartily the policy which
you have labored to introduce into the Depart
ment Of the Interior and with the same hearth
ness we approve your determination To retire
from that Department. when you found yourself
Cbstructed In prosecuting the great reformation
to which YOU bad committed yourself"
Now this ia explicit and unmistakabe, so far
a. II goes. by Implication the President was
charged with obstructlng the reformation In
which Gen. Cox was engaged, and the ex-Secre-
tary was especially applauded for dissolvng his
connec ction with an Administration which could
not sustain him In correcting certain known
abuses I'm the civil service. There was some differ
ence Of opinion among Republicans here on the
subject. The ofiicehollers, and those who were
striving to supcrsede them. protested against the
letter as n gratutous assault upon the Admins
tratlon; but some of the signers stood their
nr 10, In,
surtng the persecution to which Gen. Cox had
been subjected.
! he Is noted for the distinctness and emphasis
/ with which he expresses and upholds the opin-
| ions which he holds for the time being. lie has
| love Of notortety.a desire 70 Keep himself be-
fore the people SIN he Il well esteemed as an
exemplary member Of society, an eloquent
! preacher, and man above the average IN point
| OF piety. His letter, signed by upward OF forty
earnest Republicans, a. well a. prominent men-
| bers of the community, produced quite an I'M
preston here at the time, and undoubtedly con-
tributed In no small degree to disabuse the Re
! ccrity and good faith. An this, 1t must be
/ observed, took place about fifteen months ago.
Most OF the sgners Of the lcttcr are supposed
stil to entertain the sentiments and opinions
Dr. Bacon. however, has had "A new revelation,
! and he appears in the last iHdcp+HisHt as q de-
cided eulogst Of Grant, criticsing with sever ~
| those OF his pai tisans IN Con'ress who are OBJ
/ stucting the great wuik Of reform IN the civil
service in which he l. so earnestly engaged.
/ Clcrgymen who dabnle in politics usually make
/
blows are like those OF hail In the hands OF an
! inexperienced man They hit their own heads,
| or the heads OF persons ON their own side Of the
controversy rarely the object at which they aim.
! The Republican papers are eagerly publishing
| the Doctors communication to the Itidfu,Hcl NJ
! with warm concentrations, for which they VIII
: all get scdnt thanks from Grant.
On this matter Of civil service reform that per-
I sonage wants to be let alone "a much "a 1en.
J. Davis did when the rebellion broke out. The
question Is OF great difficulty, and the Pre- 81
! dent Is badly bothered by IT, ON the one hand
are the honest Republicans who know the neCes-
! sity of change In the mode of appointments,
/ aud are insisting that Grant shall carry out his
| Promises on the other are the political man
/ ukers who hold the fate of Grant In their hands,
| clamoring tor the control of the patronage aud
prote sting that the party will 90 To pieces If the
/ President abdicntes this power. Dr. Bacon takes
/ strong ground aguinst the managers, and
| sutirZes their pretcnsiOns after the manner of
| old FurCible Feeble. mo wonder" he SAYS,
! "they be gin 20 gToWl perhaps howl would be
| a better word for the noise they will soon be
! making. Hear them: The lnteso political delu-
! siOnH The Chinese system. The appointing
/ power transferred from the President TO a COM
| mittee of schoolmasters! An aristocracy Of
/ oniceholders As If ignorant and capable men
had not as good a right 10 DO in utice as the best
! informed and most capable y
Grant has not much astutencss In party ln-
trigues and thus far he has bOtcned everything
| which he has intertercd but he cannot be blind
TO the fact that his complications and embaTrass-
! ments are increased and eXnsperated by the
! mal-address of the new friends that he has latel
| recruited, and he must heartily wish, In the Ian
| guage Of Jaqucs, that he and DR.. Bacon might
| he better strangers.