The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-06-15
James L. Orr.

tent Influence than political amoltlon looseu
his tongue, when in Columbia he delivered
himself OF labored and brazen apology ior
nepotism and official corruption.
The hired defenders OF President Grant
usually content themselves with denying
The facts. They assert that President Grant
does not take bribes, and does not provide,
at the public expense, for maternal aud pc
ternal relations, even to the fourth genera
tion. Judge Orr knows that "Qu' s ercuSe
$ accuse" He plants himself squarely Oh
ground too low for the Conkliugs, Mortons
and Buffers OF the Congress, and pro-
Gains that nepotism sis no great harm, .
and that President Grant deserves all the
Gifts he has taken. In support OF this in
famous and degrading declaration, Judge
Orr charges that democratic officials in
South Carolina have appointed more than
thirteen OF their relations to office. This
was in the days when Judge Orr WIS
rabid Democrat. Was he the gailty Que
Eren be would not have appointed to office
the Caseys and Cramers who, thanks 10
President Grant, disgrace the Republic and
humiate the people. If Judge Orr could
prove that Governor OF South Carolina
appointed fifty, instead OF fifteen, OF his re-
lations to offices in his gilt, it would not
serve the purpose. The existence, ten or
twenty years ago, OF an abuse in South
Carolina does not justify the same abuse, in
an aggravated degree, in Washington. Nor
can Judge Orr truthialy say that any Dem
ocratic official in this State appointed inca
pabie or dishonest men, merely because
they were connected with him by blood or
by marriage.
The attempt to justify President Grant as
present taker, by appealing to the exam
pie OF Wellington, OF Webster and OF Cal
houn, is painfully weak. Did the "Iron
"Duke" receive horses and dogs from the
officers OF his armies who we're looking to
him for promotion? Did Mr.. Calhoun,
whose personal purity q legion OF Orrs
could not sully, accept purse OF money
from q claimant whose favorite measure was
to be passed or rejected by the casting vote
of the President OF the Senates Was Web
ster paid In houses and lands for his sena.
torial influence and his vote! Unless Judge
Orr can establish these propositions, he
gains nothing by appealing to history. The
charge against President Grant is, that he
accepts costly presents and favors immune
rable from men whom he afterwards ap-
points to Office, or who depend upon him
for retaining their place. No sane man
dare soy this OF Calhoun, Webster or We'll
lington.
Judge Orr gauges others by himself. He
acknowledges that he has taken gift in
Washington. This we do not doubt; yet
we do not cnarge that Judge Orr did then
for gift what he now does for place.
To President Grant and-the ultra-Radicals
Judge Orr is bound by ties which cannot
be broken. He supports Grant for Presi-
dent, and Grant supports him for Governor
of South Carolina, with reversionary cabi-
net office or foreign mission. The price
is high; but for it Judge Orr has sold his
people. By him they are slandered and
abused. By him they are spat upon and
despised. By him, if he can accomplish it,
they are to be handed over to &adicalism
for two years more. and yet Judge Orr
boasts that he controls the upper counties Of
South Carolina. The brazen champion OF
bribe-tskiDg plumes himself on the ability
to lead by the nose the strongest white
counties in the State. We shall believe it
when we see it; not before.
Time was when we thought that Judge
Orr would have been a candidate for Gov
ernor whom the white people OF the State
might have supported. His experience, his
firmness and his force Of mind commended
him to the public as one who might bring
order out OF chaos, and put the affairs Of
the State upon sound footing. With his
utterauces in the Philadelphia Convention
and in Columbia before us, we prefer Scott
to Orr In most respects they are alike;
but Scott was never leader OF the South
Carolina troops, signer Of the Secession
Ordinance, or a Senator in the Confeo alto
Congress. Either would be nauseous dose,
but the carpet-bsgger is easier to swallow
than the insolent renegade