New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-04-18


can not fail to be widely demOralizing, when
they proceed from the highest place OF
honor and authority.
ADMINISTRATIVE RECKLEssNEss.
You remember the cutlery which was
raised in the times Of james Buchanan,
when he employed the patronage OF the
government to sustain himself and pro
mote his own political interests against
those Of his party who advocated different
opinions. If James Buchanan lived today
he would have to admit that in that line
| OF business he was but pusillanimous
bungler. Never has the hand of the ma
tiOnal administration been thrust into the
local politics of States with greater au-
dacity. Never has the patronage control
ing the public service been more recklessly
used to promote the interest of factions, or
to further personal. aspirations. As in
France, under LOUIS Napoleon's rule, we
heard Of official candidatures dictated aud
supported by the government, go we hear
in this republic, all over the land, of Grant
candidates for State offices. and for Con-
| gress now, whose recommendation is the
I official stamp, who are to be supported by
all who desire the favor of the government.
| and whose personal services are expected
| as condition of that support. :.
| say that in no party there had ever existed
such freedom of criticism and individual
opinion. So it was when Abraham Lincoln
| was President. Every Republican spoke
his mind freely and found in him Presi-
| dent who. instead of resepting invited can
did criticism, and who respe ted every hon
| est conviction, even if that conviction ran
| counter to his personal desires. But things
| have changed. II now you ever conceive
| an opinion contrary to the interests and
| controlling desires OF the powers that be, be
| careful not to give it utterance. The good
| times of Abraham Lincoln are no more. A
| loyal Republican to-day will think and speak
only by royal permission, or he will, in bis
| most legitimate aspirations, find a most
| resentful government influence in his way;
he will find himself denounced as traitor
to the Republican cause if he thinks that
| cause entitled to higher. consideration
| than the personal interests of the
party chiefs, and ne will hear
pack of hounds at his heels,
| whose bark would be terrible, could they.
conceal the collars they wear around their
necks Never was holder, u more unre-
publican attempt made to terrorize and
subjugate to one will the freedom of opin-.
ion in a party, and to press its whole ma
chinery into the service of selfish interest.
have heard letters read in Congress from
certain parts Of the South stih in a state of
confusion, when the name of the writer was
withheld. lest he be exposed to the VEN
letters from importing merchants in this
very city, expressing hearty sym pathy in the
national reform movement we are engaged
in, but stating, also, that they do not dare
openly take part in it, because active SYM
patty with Republican boilers would ex-
pose them to the vengeance OF the custom
house, and expose their business interests
to injury. Yet this is called the free North.
THE RUIN OF PUBLIC MORALITY.
And what must be the influence of such
things upon the morality of our public SER
vice and our political life! Are not our
public servants thus taught that dis
obedience to the political desires of the pow
ers that be is the one objectionable crime!
aye, and that multitude of sins may be COW
cred by efficient partisan ZEAL and that
even your Tom Murphys may be eulOgized
by the President as model officers, and that
the Caseys and Packards at New Orleans
may be sustained if they do not scruple to
serve their employers.
And what does the Republican party do
as at present organized aud controlled
Some Of its members criticise, denounce
and protest. and they are quickly under the
ban. But what of the rest What OF those
who control legislation and caucuses and
conventions They see usurpation and
contempt Of law and corruption crop out
in alarming abundance. They must see it,
because every body sees it who is not blind
But what has become of that honest, con-
scentiOus selfcritIcism which will not hest
tate to uncover and denOuDce any wrong
that it may be righted Where is that
spirit of self-improvement, which will treat
more severely the delinquencies of party
friend than those of an opponent, that
spirit which alone can save our political
life from utter decentralization
Listen to those who to-day pretend to
l. fnr FL
OdiOus excrescence of pOwerl "Ah well,
why should not man take care of his rela-
tives when he has the opportunity Never
mind the moral effect it may produce The
INSCRIPTIONS and tyrannical use Of the pa
tronage to influence State politics, and the
subjugation of public opinion by govern
ment influence "Ah well, the organiza-
ton and power and discipline of the party
must be maintained, and President Grant
must be reelected" Unconstitutional as
sumption of power and breaches of law by
government officials "Ah well, we can
interpret the constitution and the laws to
suit the case, and to make such trifies APP
pear all right" Corruption "Ah well,
some Objectionable things may have hap
pened, and good many have been pun
ished but why hurt the chances of the
party by unnecessary exposures Besides,
Tammany Hall has stolen untold millions,
and there was more corruption under An
drew JOhnson's administration than now"
And so on to the end of the chapter. And
thus the administration is indiscriminately
Endorsed by State conventions, the demand
of still stronger Endorsement by the re-
election of the President rises louder than
ever and the party is ruled with high
hand.
THE DECADENCE OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
Is this spirit worthy of the great party
which has achieved things so grand. and
of which we all were once so proud Is
this the spirit to bring forth those reforms.
that elevation of public morality, which
the republic in these times stands SO
greatly il need of! If it is true that
Tammany Hall has stolen untold millions.
is that reason why Republicans NAV
steal with impunity and still possess a
claim upon the public confidence Is that
a reason why We should not denounce the
wholesale plumber going on in some of the
Southern States under the so-caled Re-
publican rule, and why we should not. as
far as we can. aid in the overthrow of that
system of robbery! Is that reason why |
we should not insist upon honest govern
ment everywhere, even when dishonest |
government is stamped with the Repub- !
lican name! Are we reduced to SO dis |
graceful plight as to claim public conf !
dence on the miserable plea that others ;
have been worse than we!
There was probably much more corrup-
ton under Andrew Johnson's administra-
ton than there is now. But III one respect |
the case stands worse. Under Andrew |
johnson the Republicans called it corrup-
ton, and denounced it as corruption; while |
now the attempt is made to cover it with |
the mantle ofrespectabillty. am very far
from the least desire to palliate what hap
pened under Andrew Johnson; l gladly ,