The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1872-06-15
SUMNER AGAINST GRANT.

SUMNER AGAINST GRANT.
= -. eumner's philippie against Grast is
worked up with much labor and with great
verbal force bot il leaves ON the mind the
impression that the substance does not sus-
tain the spirit and manner, aud therefore it
.uiu haze littls lasting sfsct. We do not
question Nr. Summers patriotisu, snor1his
intent to do justice, but we think the unfor-
tabats conAict which has w13ed bssween him.
ssf and certain Senator's .sssuning to repre-
ssnt the Pres ident has led his mind to mag
nifty matters against the President beyond
their just weight. The Pressdsnts appoint
snent Of bis relatives to Office, even IL We take
IL at it, largest measure, is not Of . character
Of sufRcient magnftude TO greatly impress the
popalar ssssibaitiss. This i not matter of
breach of law, nor of peculation or corrup-
ton. 1t j. matter solely of delicacy.
Perhaps it would be better for the Presi-
dent to practice more than Roman. or Spar
tan, or any natural virtue by disqualifying
I'll his own relations from public place. Per-
haps it would be well, also, for the Senators
and Representatives., who are, in fact, the
great dispensers of Office. But this suggests
/ . great change in our practice The custom
of these Congressman il to use the executive
appointments to reward their personal sup
portsfs. And during thewar, if not now the
public may have seen as: many Of the rela.
tiyss OF Senator in Office - have bee n
lsch.rsed against Grant source of all the
lsppointmeAts I. The public mind, wonteds to
this practice. cannot abszssxpectsd to have
| sensibilities that will accept Mr.. Summers
measure Of this odense, even if the whole
bakers dozen Of Grans' relations in oftice be
accepted. 9iI kI a8et
Another of Mr.. Summers high charges is
the using Of the executive patronage to pro-
cure his renomin ation. This is an odious Of
fense. But Mr.. Summers accusation ignores
! the great fact that the executive patronage ID
! mostly seized on and dispensed by Senators
and Representatives,. The remnant disposed
4 tof BY the President, on his own volition, 10
toe small to b made the ground of such .
charge. II is likely that these Senators and
/ Representative profess . burning zeal for the
President, and represent that the persons they
nominate to Office are his Jealous supporters;
but they also affirm that these represent the
sentiment Of the country - II is in this way
THAT the executive appointments are dispensed
We recognize the debasing tendency of all
this; but by long usage this has grown to be
. settled practice, and it is que stion whether
l !. p->.;d>ct -hn ~bc,,l1 .avryx !. -. - "a .rA
shoad put up the bars between the Legislators
and the appointing power. could carry on .
suc cessful administr alton. He would at orce
incur the bitter enmity of the Congressmer
Of the party which elected him. while the op-
position would sbate no jot Of their hostility
| Since none OF our statesmen Presidents have
dared to try this, We may not condemn the
soldier President because he submitted to the
custom. But does not this reality of the way
on which executive patronage il appropriated
reduce to narrow ground Mr.. Sumner
charge Of using it to promote bis re- nomipa'
ton saa a5..,a ..,5 s.,s.., ..,ac.-sg ..snsesssg
The other high accusation is ii the stretcl
Of executive power in the attempt 10 anne,
San Domingo. We d disapproved this projec
from the beginning, and have the satis factor
that we did our share in preventing it. Blu
/ Gen. Grant abandoned it when be found tha
there was strong opposition to it in th,
country, and We doo T know that the projec
should be prouounced unpardonabIe. ATh
American people have traditional greed 70
territorial acquisition toward the tropics, an
we presume Gen. Grant thought this woul
o b popular. The initistory methods were ais
more In accordance with his army habits tha
' with legal forms. Has this not been the cas-
IN ell our annexa tons But the iudependen
Republican press Of the country showed q
strong an opposition that the scheme wa
abandoned.
TAus II 1t was high handed undertaking
surely its abandonment showed amenabilit
!; to public sentiment L was q. mistake, con
mitted. We Doubt NOT, in tEe belief that th
= aequisition Houid be both vallsbla S.d pop,
Mar. We Honor Ar. Sunnsr ios B issindspeu
d dent opposition to il, and regret that this ".
the occasion of the separation of him fro
the President. But San Domingo is de.
,. issue. =-
We omitted in its order Summers char,
IL against Grant of receiving gifts, and we dou
:. # this needs much commentary. There VI
was time when these offer ings of the coul
try's gratitude were deemed honorable to IL
II nation and to the recipient. Not many "
turn back in this yiew.-Cin. Gazette.