Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-06-06

If to nv country, feeling that it is a
legacy have no right to withhold.
Mr. Sumner continued by lengthy
arraignment of the President for nepo-
tism and gift-taking, the former OF
which was ruling passion, malntalned
in utter Inconsistencies OF its offensive
character. Some of his beneficiaries
have done little but bring scandal upon
the public service. At least one is faint
ed with fraud, and another, with the
commission of the public abroad, has
been guilty of indiscreuions inconsistent
with his trust. They were appointed
originally in open defiance of Republi-
can principles. They have been retain
ed in office after their unfitness became
painfully conscious. BY the testimony
before the Congressional committees.
one of these. brother-in-law, was im-
plicated in bribery and corruption. 1t
is said that at last the President has con-
sented to his removal. Here | leave, for
the present, this enormous pretcnsion OF
nepOtism swollen to elephantiasis, which
nobody can defend, and pass to gift-tak-
inc. which, with our President, has as
sumed an unprecedented form. NOtori-
Ously. he has taken gifts, while in the
public service, some, at least, after he
had been elected President, until the
Galena tanner of a few hundred year,
to borrow the words of my colleague,
one of his supporters, is now rich In
houses, lands and stock above his salary,
being probably the richest President
since George Washington. He has APP
pointed to his cabinet Greeks bearing
gifts without seeming to see the indeco-
rum. if not the indecency of the trans
action. At least two, if not three, of
these Greeks have no known position in
the Republican party, or influence in the
country. have been selected as counsel
lOrs i'm national affairs and heads Of great
departments Of the government. Nor
does the case Of the first Secretary OF
State, appointed as a compliment, differ
i'm character from the other three, not
only in the cabinet, but in other offices.
! There is reason to believe the President
has been under the influence of patrons.
Whv was he so blind to Thomas Muir
phv. whose gifts have become notorious?
and when the demand for his removal
was irresistible the President accepted
his resignation with an effusiOn of SEN
timent natural toward a patron, but
without justification in the character of
the retiring officer. | have now com
pleted the survey of the two typical in
stances of nepOtism and gift-taking Off
cially compensated, in which we are
compelled to see the President. In these
things he shows himself. Here is no
portrait drawn by a critic or enemy. 1t
is the original who stands forth saying
. Behold the generosity practiced to my
relations at the expense OF the public
service, also >the gifts take and then
my Wav of rewardng the patrons, al
ways at the expense Of the public ser
vice In this open exhibition we see
how the Presidency, instead of trust
has become a perquisite. He continued
at great length in citation Of instances
to Show the Presidential will in constant
operation. with little regard to pTece-
( dent or reason. Other Presidents have
entered upon the office with certain
modesty and distrust. He had none.
The Just expectations Of the party which
elected him were set at naught in the
selection Of his cabinet The personal
government lowered in the Navy De
partment. where a gift-bearing Greek
wss suddenly changed to a Secretary.
Mr.. Sumner condemned the President
appointment of military dependant 10
the New York general order business.
the nomination. in disregard Of law. OF
4. I. Stewart as Secretary of the
Treasury, the establishment OF a military
headquarters at the Executive mansion.
the taking away from theirpropcr duties
of officers of the army to make them
Presidential secretaries in defiance of
Jaw. The subOrdinatIOn Of the War De
paTtment to the gcneEai-in-chief the at
Tempt to dcvOlye the duties OF the Navy
Department upon deputy so that orders
were to Ice signed A. +. BOrie, Secretary
of the Navy. per u. d. Porter, Admiral.
the effort to absorb the Indian Bureau
into the War Department, military in
reference at elections, the efforts TO Sc
cure a repeal of the tenure of Office act.
which limited the Presidents power If
appointment and the Presidential inter
ference with political questions and par
ty movements in distant States. from
Louisiana to New York. Mr.. Sumner
also again referred at length TO the san
Domingo question in terms of condem-
nation.
With sorrow unspcakable have l made
this exposure of pretensiOns for the sake
OF republican institutions, every good
citizen should wish eXpunged from his
tory. But, | had no alternative. The
President himself insists upon putting
them in issue. He win not allow them
to be forgotten As a candidate for re-
election he invites Judgment, while par
tisans acting in his behalf make it ahs0-
/ lutely necessary by the brutality of their
4 assaults on faithful republicans, unwill-
ing to see their party, like the Prcsiden-
/ tiaI office, personal perquisite If his
( partisans are eXacting, vindictiye and
unjust, they act only in harmony with
/ his own nature, too truly represented in
them. There is not "A ring. whether
military or senatorial, that does not de-
/ rive distinctive character from himself
/ therefore, what they do and what they
/ say must be considered as done and said
( 10y the chieftain whom they serve. The
question Of duty is now presented to the
| republican party. Can we take the fear
/ full responsibility of proiOnging the en-
/ pire of our ambitious Caesar? With the
adoption of these Presidential pretcn-
sions the party loses IFS distinctive char
/ acteT and drops from its sphere. Its
/ creed ceases to be republicanism and be-
/ comes Grantism. It's members cease to
( be republicans and become Grant men.
/ 1t is 10 longer a political party, but a
! personal party. For myself ! say openly
and | am no mans man. nor do | belong
/ to any personal party. Mr.. Sumner also
made an argument in favor of the one
/ term principle, and concluded as follows.
/ | wait the determination of the national
/ convention, where are delegates from
/ my own much hOnored Commonwealth
/ with whom | rejoice to act. Not with
out anxiety do l wait, but with earnest
( hope that the convention will bring the
republican party into ancient harmony.
saving it,and especially from the suicidal
/ folly of an issue on the personal preten-
/ sions Of one man.
2eTs0sEai.
DR.. Geo. n. Brigham, Of Montpe-
Tier, is the Vermont member of the com