St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1872-01-19
Personal Character Of the President

Personal Character Of the President
If the opposition to the President
hopes To brand him before the country
as II dishonest man, ii will fail. There
is in politics Il legitimate and an llltS-
itimatc method Of opposition; one
which honorable men adopt, and one
which they reject: and the policy OF
personal defamation of the President
is not honorable. Bmt the personal
campaign was never conducted with
such rigor before. Indeed. the innuen-
does at the little details of the Presl-
dents life are 81 inccssant that II Is eN-
ident that the great measures Of his
administration are not SUPPOSED to he
very vulnerable.
If he were surrounded 10y 4 cabinet
! like that of the late Democratic PTesi-
dent. for instance, it might lie wisely
feared that he was either coerccd by it
or in collision with it. But the char
acter of the cabinet is the pledge to the
country of the patriotism and pure pur-
pose of the Administration. Or, if the
| Administration in detail were proved
to be generally cXtIavagant or corrupt,
there would justly be deep distrust up
on the part of the country. But while
there have been-as under the old ~ys-
TEN of the civil service is Inevitable
unfortunate appointments and defilca-
| tons. they are in no SENSE Ike rule ot
the administration and il would he
found, upon inquiry, that many of the
instances of this kind are due to III"
characters of the persons whom the
President did not personally know.
! Inn
pointmcnt by some Ofthc very gentle
men who now urge against him The
character "f some appointments that he
has made. We Shall he very much
mistaken if the same gentlemen Ito not
receive the Presidents project Of the
civil services with Il smile of hitter in
crcdulity. not because they think the
scheme objectionable, but because they
do not believe that he will put it into
execution. When he does that. il will
he remarkable if the Presidents action,
however sincere and honorable. is not
,leridcd as Intentionally Inefficient. In
deed. those who have declared that
they think the President unfit for rcmom-
nation are not likely 10 own that they
were mistaken a. the day tur til" Con
vcntian draws near.
If before the Convention meets ii eau
he shown that he l. directly OF indirect
| II responsible fuI the abuses which may
orcllI IN any of the offices. thU>" Nht
wish his denomination viii NOT he Il very
large number. i;ut if the attempt fails
they will hc the entire tonN cntiuu. Fnl
an effort to di-crrdit the Chief Migi,S-
tiatr of this country docs moi cad viii
its success or it, failure. If it succeeds
he i utterly di>gIarci. Fit fails. thn~t
who attempt II lose the Ic>i'ert 'f hon
uiuhlr men. We must not IL, under.
stood as charging malignant motive
upon those who sincerely move fnr in
Nc>ti.ati"n> into alleged abuses. hur
th, rhar""trr of the President hrlnng'
I" thr country, and when that character
i stained the country is slIllicd. There
fore The investigation of thu cilal Gr'
which have hrru made must hr inloug!
and lln>paling. The general order y :
trm must Ia and vii! Lee completely rN
posed If abuses alc discovered. ant
the blame can hc justly Laid uunm III,
President. there will he reason !" de
nnunrc him. The noble WaItalc Itpul
his cigars and hi> HORSES ill then end
and We MAY all we'll hc a=ha-r At III,
zeal ltd>niI~ bl pppo~lllnll.
Bun meanwhile the President j. no
h.nnIrd III the Judgment OF candid mel
and they are the great majority l.,
Islander and misrepresentation. Al
though he >mukr> cigals. and likes Il lin,
horst. and OWNS stock in Seneca -tnn,
from which he has no dividends. and :
house was presented To him At tokcl
ri patriotic gratitude. and thee are I
dozen of his relatives III office. some {"
them not appointed. hut merely not It
moved. by him although these thing
are true. ii j. al>u true that the glca
results of lis administration are such a.
the cnuntl! rontcIuplatc> with pride
and satisfaction. II sees its wide an,
humane Indian policy. its reduction q
taxation. and the illumination Of tho
debt its peaceful and honorable settle
ment of foreign questions. its pr0ttC-
ton of all good citizens everywhere. il!
amnesty. and its reform OF the civil ser
vice; and the country forgivcs the Pres
idcnt his occasional drives and his dai
II cigar. Indeed, when the real Scrvi
ccs of General Granite this country art
considered. the pitiful character OF III,
} vitupcratiou IL which he is constantly
exposed becomes still more drspicablc
And if any Republican who unwillingll
believes that there must be serious rcaS
ON for such insinuation and >lanteI vii
. only trouble himself Ia analy2c The -to
rirs. and to reflect upon the inmcns,
Misrepresentation IL v hich every con
: spicu"us public man is subjected. II,
will he rejected lay discovering tha;
B the talsehood and the eNaggcratinn IN,
lrmoN ed the personal gossip .'h"u, IL,
) President i H. cau>elrsS II, il l. con
trmptihlc. Hdrpcr'o Weekly.