Smyrna times., 1872-07-31
The Charges Against President
Grant.


Grant.
Senator Conkling in his great speech in
New York city, last week, made the following
retntauon OF the charges against President
GrauI. He said of him:
He solved the problem which had baffled all
others, and preserved the nationality after the
world thought it had gone down. The Democrats
sought his consent to nominate him for the
presidency without a platform or pledge, but
be declined. He did not become unfit for
President, until three years experience h d
rip ned and enlarged his knOwledge; he did
not become unfit whiIe the patronage held out
and while unclean fingers were allowed to
tumble it..
GIFT TAKING.
Mr. Conkling next alluded to gift taking and
accepting. 1t was not wrong for Grant as
General to accept munifcent offerings from
the attiuent, whose fortunes he had saved and
in giving which they have but followed the
customs Of ancient and modern times. Wei
ingt0n, Cromwell, Fairfax, CObden, Bright,
Mcclellan, Sherman, Sheridan and Farragut
were similar recipients. The charge that it
was wrong Is an insult to the nation who wit
aesscd aud applauded the proceedings. The
charge that Grant accepted any gift after he
became President or after he was nominated is
totally false. lie has accepted nothing Of value
since his first nomination, not even a carriage
and horses. Only three, or at most four. con-
tributOrS to the fund raised for General Grant
have ever been off d appointments, and it
would seem tar-fetched to explain the selection
OF these for reason applying to more than
800 subscribers who were never selected
for office at all. Many of the appointments
made by the President. now so much derided,
were, at the time, supported by the Tribune
even those of Borie, Stewart and Grinnel
These men were selected because they were
not politicians In the case of Mr.. Stewart,
when the President found the law was against
his appointment, he promptly withdrew it,
acknowledging his mistake. Much has been
said about President Grants choice of his
Cabinet but those who know its inside history
know that the very men who are now bounding
the President warmly approved oPthe persons
named Mr. Co King denied that the Presi-
deut had grown rich in office.
ABOUT HIS WEALTH.
He made an exhibit of the moderate pro.
perty now owned by the President, showing
that the little he had came to him from graft
tude Of the nation at the termination of the
war before be entered into Office Every dol.
lar he owned came from services as open as the
dav, and every month OF his presidency made
him poorer man.
APHOlNIING REIAIIN ES TO OFFICE.
Mr.. COnkling next came to the charge of
appointing relations to Office, saying the rue.
fu retormprs themselves will not bear exami-
nation on this point Schurz pressed his bro
ther in-law upon the President, anc obtained
f'r him a lucrative office. and when Trumbu'
caused his removal, upon statements impeach-
ing his fitness, Schurz ragged against the Presi-
dent for removing him. Trumbull seems to
have procured appointments for his brOther-in-
law, sons and nephews, and broke, it is said,
with the President because he refused to
appoint Trumbulrs son to office. Three
brothers inlaw. nephew and a son in Office
didn't satisfy Tjpton's liberal inclinations, but
he vigorously piled the President and Secre-
tary OF State to give valuable consulate &c
another son, and frequently avowed t at the
refusal was the cause of his oppositin n
FentOn saw no objection to giving his adopted
son his Influence for an office. nor to obtaining
II for him from Tammany Hall, and keeping
II all through the exposures of Tweed and the
rest Sumner, with a brother in law in office
! under Andrew johnson. was Influenced bv hi.
removal, and did not hesitate to make knowr
his displeasure. Even Greeley did no
scruple to countenance his brother-in.law il
obtaining the most lucrative coIlectOrships O
the internal revenue in the United States No
has he hesitated to urge appointments clearly
unut, on IN" ground OF intimate terms between
himself and those he urged
Gov. Hoffman, in 1867, when Mayor of New
York, appointed his father-in law, Stark
weather, Collector of Assessments, and he re
mained in Office till July. 1871, receiving a
compensation $500, ,S24 But nine perst ms il
all connected in The remOtest degree with hin
or his wife have held political office under III
United States. or these two we're appointe,
by President johnson, five received loca
offices at the request Of local representatives
and only two were directly appointed by tn
President himself. As to the President
appointments being partisan, the speake
cited the cases of Adams, appointed arbitrato
at Geneva, and Evarts, who was not his part
san, aud Gushing and Curtis, political oppo
nentS, as counsel
Referring to the charge that the Presiden
was surrounded by a military ring, Mr. Conk
ling said This ring consists of three person
who write for the President, without any ex
pense to the treasury. As to the President
seaside loiterings, they were only eight hour
from Washington, and nothing can occur de
msnding his immediate attention without hi
being within immediate call. 1t was the praC
tice of rulers in all countries to tarry at a dis
tance from the official residence during a POI
tiOn of the year.