The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1872-06-08


and things and fine array; and, finally, how the
chosen head of the republic is known chiefly for
presidential pretensiOns, utterly indefensible in
character, deregatOry to the country. and of evil
influence, making personal objects a primary
pursuit, SO that instead of benefcient presence,
he is bad example, through whom republican
institutions suffer and the people learn to do
wrong.
THE PRESIDENT AS A CIVILIAN.
To comprehend the personal government that
has been installed over US we must know its au.
thor. His picture is the necessary frontispieoe:
not as soldier, let it be borne in mind, but as
civilian. The President is titular head of the
army and navy of the United States; hut his
Office is not military or naval. As if to exclude
all question, he is classed by the Constitution
among "civil officers Therefore as civilian he
is to be seen. Then, perhaps, may we learn the
secret of the policy 90 adverse to republication
in which he perseveres.
After quoting from Buckles History of
Civilization" to demonstrate that tho modern
soldier is q failure as q statesman, Senator Sum.
ner proceeded as follows:
1t would be hard to find anything in the ma.
tive endowments or in the training of our chief.
tain to make him an illustrious exception; at
least nothing of this kind Is recorded. Was ma.
ture more generous with him than with Iarl.
borough or Wellington, Gustavus Adolphus or
Frederick called the Great? Or was his expe.
rience of life better preparation than theirs?
And yet they failed except in war. 1t is not
known that our chieftain had any experience as
civilian until he became President, nor does
any partisan attribute to him that double cul.
ture which in antiquity made the same man
soldier and statesman. It has often been said
that he took note of public affairs, never vot.
ing but once in his life, and then for James Blu.
| Il d.. L L.
Captain in the army, but soon abandoned the
service to reappear at a later day as a success.
full General. There is no reason to believe that
he employed this intermediate period In any
way calculated to improve him as statesman
One of his unhesitating supporters, my col.
league, Mr.. Wilson, in speech intended to
| commend him for reelection, says
| Before the war we knew nothing of Grant.
| He was earning few hundred dollars year in
| tanning hides in Galena.
By the war he passed to be President, and
such was his preparation to govern the great
| Republic, making it an example to mankind.
| Thus he learned to deal with all questions do.
mestic and foreign, whether of peace or war, to
declare constitutional law and information al
| law, and to administer the vast appointing
power, creating Cabinet Officers, Judges, Foreign
Ministers, and an uncounted army of Office.
| holders.
|
In opening this catalogue I select two typi.
cal instances Nepotism and Gift taking official.
| ly compensated each absolutely indetensible in
the head Of Rupublic, most pernicious in ex.
ample, and showing beyond question that sur.
| passing egotism of pretension which changed
| the Presidential Office into personal instru.
mentality, not unlike the trunk of an elephant,
apt for all things, small as we'll as great, from
provision for relation TO forcing a treaty on a
reluctant Senate, or forcing a reelection on
reluctant people.
| NEPoTISM OF THE PRESIDENT.
Between these two typical instances l hest.
| tate which to place foremost, but since the me-
potism of the President is ruling passion re.
vealing the primary instincts of his nature
since it is maintained by him in utter uucon.
| seriousness of its offensive character since in
stead of blushing for it as an unhappy mistake
he continues to uphold it; since it has been
openly defended by Senators on this floor, and
since no true patriot anxious for Republican in.
situations can doubt that it ought to be driven
with Kissing and scorn from al possibility of
repetition begin with this undoubted abuse.
There has been NO call of Congress for re.
turn of the relations holding office, stipend or
money-making opportunity under the President.
The country is left to the press for information
on this important subject If there is any ex.
aggeration the President is in fault, since know.
ing the discreditable allegations he has not hast.
ened to furnish the precise facts or at least his
partisans have failed in not calling for the off.
cal information In the mood which they have
shown in this Chamber it is evident that any
resolution called fer If moved by Senator not
known to be for his reelection would meet with
opposition, and an effort to vindicate republican
institutions would be denounced as an assault
on the President. But the newspapers have
placed enough beyond question for Judgment
on this extraordinary case, although thus far
there has been no attempt to appreciate it, es.
pecially in the light of history
One list makes the number of beuefciaries rs
many as forty two-being probably every known
person allied to the President by blood or mar
riage. Persons seeming to speak for the Presi.
dent, or at least, after careful inquiries, have
denied the accuracy of this list, reducing it to
thirteen. 1t will not be questioned that there
is at least a bakers dozen in this catepory-thir-
teen relations Of the President bileted on the
' country, not one of whom but for this relation
ship would have been brought forward, the
whole constituting n case Of nepoism not I'M
worthy of those worst governments where Office
is family possession.
Beyond the list Of thirteen are other revela.
TONS showing that this strange abuse did not
, stop with the Presidents relatives, but that
these relations obtained appointments for others
in their circle, NO that every relation became a
centre of influence. while the Presidential f.mi.
ly extended indefinitely.
Only one President has appointed relations,
and the, WAS John Adams; but he found public
, opinion inspired by the example of Washington,
. 80 strong against it that after slight expert.
ment ne replied to Nh applicant, "iou know it
, IL impossible for me to apSont my own relations
10 anything without drawing forth torrent Of
obloquy." letter to Benjamin Adams. April ..