The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-04-13
The Republican Opposition.
From the N. 7. Times.

From the N. 7. 7tnes.
When the people Of Connecticut are in
vited by some eminent Republicans to work
for Democratic victory in their State, by
way of injuring General Grant, they will
probably be led to inquire what crime the
President has committed to Justify this
sacrifice of their convictions. They must
see that the bitterness of the opposition to
General Grant is out of all proportion to
the faults fairly chargeable to him. Had
he been guilty of the deepest oftenses
against the country he could not possibly
be assailed with greater fury than Carl
Schurz, Mr.. Greeley and other we'll known
men have exhibited toward him. indeed,
MIR. Greeley, as everybody must be aware,
never attacked the Tammany Ring with
half SO much vigor as he has shown in at
lacking General Grant. What has the
President done to call forth this intense
animosity? To what great principle has
he been false Pin what respect has he
sacrificed the interests of the people p
These are questions which deserve plain
answer. One weekly paper says that the
President appointed General Sickles to a
foreign mission. But on such points as
these, even the opponents of the President
are not agreed. Mr.. Greeley does not ap-
pear to think that General Grant is very
culpable for giving employment to General
Sickles. There are no matters of public
policy on which the opposition can arrive
at common understanding. One section
wants free trade-the other loathes it.
What great principle is there to bind these
discordant factions together? Let the Con-
necticut voters put that question to the
men who are trying to induce them to
"throw over" tho Republican party, and
see what sort of answer they will get.
Any man who does not happen to be
involved in the usual intrigues of politics
must be puzzled to account for the extra
ordinary virulence shown towards General
Grant. 1t is greater even than Andrew
johnson provoked We defy any fair OBJ
server to examine the Presidents course
since his election, and detect in it anything
calculated to explain the fierceness of the
assaults made upon him by small section
of Republican leaders. The prosperity of
the people has certainly not been impaired
under General Grants rule. No one can
say that the national finan ces are in an
unsound condition. The President has not
been false to the principles of the party
which elected him. He has not endeavor-
ed to stir up new strife at the South, as
Andrew johnson was accused of doing.
What, then, is his offense? How is any
one to account for the extreme malevolence
by which the Republican opposition to him
is characterized
1t is impossible to account for it apart
from personal grounds. The curse of the
Presidential Office is the distribution of
offices which it involves. There are many
places to give away, and there are about
ten times as many applicants as there are
,,1n Nhn \ >,,
make at best but doubtful friends-those
who 60 empty away are turned into bitter
enemies. Almost all the intense enmities
shown towards General Grant have been
created by the fight over the distribution
Of patronage. 1t is fact, deny it who will,
that Carl Schurz was very friendly towards
the President until he began to draw blanks
instead of prizes. The inquiry into the
applications for patronage made by certain
Senators, obtained on the motion of Sena-
tor Conkling, will throw much light on
this subject. The other day, in the Senate
MIR. Fenton admitted that he had proba-
bly," made as many as three hundred re-
concentrations to office, within very
short period after he became Senator. How
is a man, with this immense crowd of
hangers-on, to be ''placated ?' Senator
Fenton could with case-and with much
satisfaction to himself-dispose of the
whole patronage OF the President among
his own friends. He received many offices,
and was always crying out, "Give, give,"
until at last the supply stopped. and then
he suddenly entered the arena as "refor-
mer.'
Now the public have very little sympa-
thy with this scramble for offices. They
do not care who gets the places, so long as
those places are properly filled. The civil
service scheme adopted by the President is
the first attempt ever made to insure this
kind of distribution. This very reform has
deepened the hostility of men like Fenton,
for they see now that their chance is indeed
desperate. The idea of looking closely into
a mans merits before appointing him to
Office is disgusting innovation, according
to their ideas. The only point Mr.. Fenton
has been accustomed to consider is this:
els Dick Brown, who wants post, a
thick and-thin supporter of mine?'' AS
for his fitness for Office it is mere imperti-
nence to mention the subject. Who, then,
is right on this matter-the President or
his assailants? We hope the people of
Connecticut will not fail to give that ques-
ton and the others we have suggested 4
fair consideration.