Weekly Trinity journal., 1872-03-16
Tr9E WHEEL WITHIN a WHEEL.

generally acCcpleQ anu unucTslOOu III llllo
country means the art of obtaining office.
The White House is the goal upon which
the ambitious American fixes his eyes as
the realization of his loftier aspirations.
This, the highest Office that can be be-
slowed upon an American citizen by his
countrymen, has for many years been the
bone of contention over which the leaders
of parties or factions have fallen by the
ears. In the beginning, the people made
direct choice of President, but since
then, through caucuses and conventions,
the selection of our Chief Magistrate has
been to great extent taken away from
the masses and, in the same proportion,
is manipulated by politicians. 1t is a
matter of history that several Presidents
ereundstingushed and almost unknown
as public men at the time they were put
forward to bear the standard Of the then
dominant party. They were what is
called compromise candidates, and apt
illustrations of the old fable of two thieves
contending over stolen donkey until
they were so exhausted that third rascal
who came that way easily made off with
their booty.
Since Jackson's last term Of office, men
who have made politics a trade have
mainly dictated who should be President.
The murdered coalition" :" immortalized
by Webster in his grand reply to Hayne,
consisted of what might be considered as
the most discordant and jarring political
elements. The Free-Soilers and protect
i've tariff Wings, Of the North and West,
rights, free trade and an unrestricted traf-
fic in slaves, of the South, to overcome
the influence of General jackson in the
choice Of his successor. The incongruous
combination signally failed and succeeded
in rejecting Martin VanB Buren as Minister
to England to afterwards learn that they
had made him President in so doing
When, in 1913, VanBuren was thrown
overheard by Southern politicians, who
by that time had obtained control of the
Democratic organization, realizing that
it was impossible for him to regain as
tendency in its councils, the "sly fox Of
Knderhool< :" commended the poisoned
chalice to their own lips" ran as an in
dependent candidate upon Free Soil
platform and thereby defeated General
Cass, the regular nominee. Since that
time, until 1864, no President elected
would ever have received Il nomination
from the people. In 1892, the partisans
of Buchanan, Cass and Douglas were
nearly equal in strength and so embittered
that neither could succeed. Franklin
Pierce was pitched upon and brought
out, Heaven only knows why or how.
In 1856, Buchanan was nominated on the
score Of availability alone. In 1860, the
discussions among its leaders brought
about division Of the Democratic party
and the nomination of Douglas and Breck-
enridge as the candidates of the two
wings. That Lincoln was the nominee
of the Republican party in 1860 was not
due to the fact that the party looked upon
him as its fttest standard bearer. Polt-
ical maneuvers and the personal animosi-
ties existing between the recognized found
ers Of the party brought it about. Since
then the people have dictated in the
matter. The politicians in the Republican
party undertook to beat Grant for the
nomination in 1868, but the current of
public opinion set so strongly in his favor
that the attempt came utterly TO naught.
TO an ordinary observer, the recent ex-
citing debate in the United States Senate
would seem to be an honest endeavor to
promote salutary reform Of existing
abuses in the administration of public
affairs, and to make a searching inquiry
concerning alleged infractions Of interna-
tional law. Simmered down to the exact
truth, it is nothing of the sort. The SEN
ators who are so extremely anxious at
this particular juncture to ferret out cor
ruption in the different departments of
the Government know that any investi-
CATION of the sort will certainly disclose
Irregularities and dishonesty on the part
of some officials. This has always been
the case under every Administration and
must necessarily exist under our system
Of Government, and we may safely add
under any other. These Senators know
this from their own personal experience
and the history Of the workings Of our
Government. Every Administration has
had its defaulters. The solution of this
movement is to be found in the fact that
a President is to be nominated and elected
this year and its originators hope that by
so doing they will be able to cast odium
upon General Grant and prejudice him in
the minds of the people. The arms de-
bate has the same significance but may
be briefly disposed of. Thorough inquiry
only develops the fact that neither Grant
nor the Secretary Of War can be blamed
in any event. If there has been any infrac-
tion of international law, it has occurred
under an act Of Congress passed anterior
to the European conflict and at a time
when it could not possibly have been an
ticipated. When it is further considered
that the Prussian Government does not
complain of any violation Of the comfy of
nations, and when it is remembered that
from the highest to the lowest of the
members of the Republican party an ex-
preston of sympathy was manifested in
behalf of German unity, we submit that
Senators Sumner and Schurz are not in
vulnerable to the charge that on their
part it is an attempt to ALLEVIATE the Ger
man element from the President. The
one term argument is another dodge that