Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-06-07

always. As President, he is the foremost ser
want Of the law, bound to obey its slightest man
date As the elect Of the people he should be not
only the example Of willing obedience, but Slso
Of fidelity and industry in the discharge OF BIS
couspicuous office, with sbrogstion OF ell sell
seeking-uothing for self but Sli for the country
and now. A. we regard the career Of this esu-
diiate. We find TO cur smszement how little l.
sccords with this simple requirement. Bring II
TO the tombstone ami it fails. Not only are
Constitution and law disregardei, but the Pre-
tiieuti.l Office itself is treated as little more than
play thing and perquisite When not the fos-
ner then the latter.
Here the details sre ample showing how fiom
the beginning this exalted trust has droppel
10 be personal indulgence where palace cars,
fat horses and seaside Offerings figure more
than dutes How personal aims anu o5Jects
hxye been more prominent than the public
interests How the Presidential office has
been used 10 advance his own family on
sesle Of nepotism dsardng everything Of the
kind in cur hiatory, and hardly equalled IN the
e5rrupt governments where this sbuse has most
prevailed. How, in the ZANE spIrit, oihce has
been conferred upon those fcom whom be has
received gifts or benefits thus making the coun-
try rrpsv his personal obligations how per
sorsl devotion TO himself rather than public os
marty service has been made the standard OF
favor How the vast appointing power conferred
bv tie constitution for the general welfare has
been employed at his will to promote his schemes,
10 reward his friends, to punish bis oppouerts'
and 10 advance his election to- second term
How all these assumptions have mAtuTel 10
rersousl Government. semi-niItaTy n chsract-
er snd breathing the military spirit, beng
species Of C-ssarism or psrscnslism aohoIrert 10
Rspublicsn institutions, where suhser'lence 20
the President is the supreme law. How in msln-
tanning THE subscryience he has operated by a
system OF combinations having their orbits Iool;
him, 50 that. Ike the planet Saturn, be Is sur
rounded by rings
Nor doe. the similarity cad here, Tor his rings.
like those Of the planets, are bed IN pos.tion
by satellites How this utterly ur-TepuoAcih
C.ssarism has mastered the Republican party
aud dictated the Presidential viii; stalking INTO
the Senste Chamber itself. while a yiui''i'e
apirit vista good Republicans who cannot sub
NIT. How the Presilent himself, uuc lnsciol'
that's President has no right to quarrel win
ANYBODY, insists upon qusrre!Lug until he hss
become the great Presidentlsl quArreiei' WIN
more quarrels than sll the other Pretient' to-
rether, aud al begun and continued by himself
How his personsl followers back lis quArIeis .
insults those he insults, and then. not depariin
from his spirit, cry out with ShASspeTe- 30"
will have rings and things ,snd tne array, shl'
finally, how the chosen head Of the hepnoAc Is
known chiefly for Presidential preteasions utter
II inisfeusble in character, dercgatory TO the
country. Of evil influence, making persons.
direct. primary pursuit, 80 that instead OF
benefcent presence he ls q bad e12mIle ,
through whom republican Institutions sluer' aud
the people learn to DO wrong.
Mr. sumner argued that personal gov arrmen'
in al its forms, and especiaily when II seeks 10
sway the action Of any other branch, or oyertlra
lis constitutional negative, is hostile to the hrs'
principles Of republican institutions and an IN
Questionable outrage That cur President las
offended in this way is uuhaDpily too apparent
After somewhat lengthy aliuslon to Grant
habits = colder, NJ. Sumner relsied an inter
yieE with Secretary Stanton, while the latter
was on his iesth-bei, when he ssh ' kno"
General Grant better than any other person II
the country can know him. Il Was ny duty 10
study him. and did so night and day, when
saw him snd when did not see him; snd nov
l tell YOU Whist | know. He cannot govern tina
country" The intensity OF his manner and the
ro,itiyenes Of bis Judgment surprised ne for,
War did not place the President very high IN
eenersl capacity, l was not prepared for s Judge
msnt 40 strongly couched.
At Isst. after GONE delay occupied il meditA-
ting on his remarkable statement, observed
what you say is very broad 1t is as tru'
as it is broad, - he replied promptly. l added
.'you are t.rdy Why did you wait til thi'
late hour7 Why did you not say it before hi'
nomination 20 Tie answered that be was not
consulted about the nomination, snd had
no opportunity Of expressing his opinion
upon il, besides being much occupied
1t the time with his duties as Secretary OF Al
and his contest with the President. followed
BY saying " But you took part in the Presi-
dental election. and made a succession OF
speeches in Ohio and PennsylSania ?! .
smoke" sid he, " but | never introduced the
name Of Gen. Grant | spoke for the Republi-
can party and the Republican csuse." Tins
was the last tine saw Mr.. stanton. 4 few
DAYS later followed him to the grave, where he
now res;s. As the vsgsries Of the President
becsme more and more manifest, aud the Presl-
dental Office perquisite, this dying judgment
Of the great citizen who knew MIN SO well haunt
ed me night and day, and | now communicate
it to my country, feeling tina: It is legacy l
have no right to withhold.
Mr.. Sumner continued by lengthy srraign-
mept Of the President for nepotism snd gift-tsk-
inc. the former Of which was ruling passion,
maintained in utter Inconsistencies Gifts oiien-
siye character. Some Of his benefciSries hsve
done little but bring scandal upon the public
service at least one is tainted With fraud, and
another, entrusted with the commission OF the
nub'ic affairs abroad, has been guilty ofintis-
his ADUOlQtetl
originally in open defiance of Republican prin-
oipieg. they hsye been retained in office after
their unftness became painfully apparent. by
the testimony before the Congressional Commit
tee,- one of these "a brother in-lsw) was I'M
plicated in bribery and corruption. 1t is san
that at last the Presiden; has consented to his
removal.
Here leave for the present this enormous
nrs,qn,iou of pepotism, swollen to elephantine
size. which nobody can defend. and pats to gift
taking which, with our President, has assumed
an unprecedented form. VIGOROUSLY he has
taken gifts while in the public service-fome al
least after he had been elected Pretdent, until
the G.lena tanner of few hundred dollars
wear Ito borrow the words Of my colleague, one
of his supporters) is nov rich in houses, lands
and stock above bis salary, being prcoaoiy Inc
ricbe,t President since George Washington. lie
has appointed to his cabinet Greeks bearing
gifts, without ,eeming to see the indecorum, II
not the indecency, of the transaction. AT least
two. if not three, Of these Greeks having no
known position in the Republican party or in
auence in the country, have been seecte1 as
councillors in n.tionsl affairs and heads OF the
great departments of the government. nor does
the case of the first Secretary of state, appointed
az 4. compliment, differ in character from the
other three. Not only in cabinet but IN other
oficse there is reason to believe that the fresl-
dent hss been under the influence OF patrons.
Wbv was he 80 blind to Thomss Murphy whose
gilts have become notorious, and when the de'
mand for his removal WAS irresistible the Presi-
dent accepted his resignation with an eftuslon oil
sentiment natural toward patron, but without
justification in the character Of the reuring
officer.
have now completed the survey OF tue two
tvnicsl instances, nepotism and gift taking, ON
ci.Ilv COMPENSATED, in which we are compelled
10 see the President. In these things he shows
himself Here is no portrait drawn by critic or
enemy tits the original who stands forth say
inr Behold the generosity ! practice to my
relations ut the expense Of the public service,
Also the gifts take, and then my way Of re-
vsrding the PATRON, always At the expense oil the
nublic service" In this open exhibition we see
how the Presidency, instead of trust, has be-
come perquisite.
Mr.. Sumner continued At great kngth in the
c;,ation of in,.nces to show the presidential will
is in constant operation with little regard to prece
dan, or reason. Other Presidents have entered
upon o.Ice with certain mOde,ty and distrust.
He had mona. The just expectations Of the party
which elected him we're set at naught in the Sc
lection of his Cabinet. This personal govern
ment lowered in the Navy Department, where .
eift-besring Greek WAS suddenly changed to ;
Secretary. ,,
po:ptment Of military dependant to the New
York general order business; the nomination In