Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-06-01


duty to study him, and ] did SO night aud day
when saw him and when did not see him.
and now | tell you what | know He cannot
| goye.L this country"
The intensity of his manner and the positive
ness ofhiS Judgment surprised me; for though
was aware that the la. secretary of war did
not place the president very high in general ca
pacity, | was not prepared for a Judgment so
strongly couch l. At last, after some delay
occupied in me1itating his remarkable state
ment, | observed' What you say is very
! broad"
at is as true as it is broad" he replied,
promptly.
added, "you are tardy. Why did you wait
! till this late timer Why did you not say it be-
| fore his nomination.
He answered that he was not consulted about
the nomination, and had no opportunity of eX-
| planning his opinion upon it, besides being
much occupied at the time with his duties as
SECRETARY of war, and his contest with the pres
ident.
| followed by saying: "But You took part in
the presidential election, and made success
sion Of speeches for him in Ohio and Pennsyl-
| vania"
81 spoke, said he, "but never introduced
| the name of Gen. Grant, | spoke for the repuh
| licdn party and republican cause" This was
| the last time | saw Mr.. Stanton A few
| days later followed him to the grave where he
now rests As the vagarieS of the president be-
| came more and more manifest, and the preSi-
| dental office seemed more and more paything
and perquiSite, this dying judgment of the great
| citizen who knew him so well haunted me night
and day; and | now communicate it to my
| country, feeling that it is legacy have no
| right to withhold.
hr. Sumner continued by lengthy arraign-
| ment of the president for nepotism and Gift
| taking, the former of which was a ruling pas
| sion maintained in utter Inconsistencies of its
| offensive character; some of his benefcaries
| have done little but bring scandal upon public
| service; at least one is taint d with fraud and
another with the commission of the public
abroad, has been guilty of indiScretions in
| consistent with his trust. Appointed originally
| in open defiance OF republican principles
| they have been retained in office after
| their untitneSS became painfully conscious
| by the testimony before the congressional
| committee, one of these, brother-in-law
| was implicated in bribery and corrupt
ton. 1t is said that at last he has consented to
| his removal. Here leave for the present this
| enormous pretenSion of nepotism swollen to
| an elephantiass which nobody can defend, and
| pass to gift taking which with our president
| has assumed an Unprecedented form Notori-
| ously he has taken gifts while in the public SER
| vice; some, at least, after he had been elected
| president, until the Galena tanner of a
| few hundred dollars a year-to / brow tue
| words of my colleague one of his supporters
| is now -ch in houses, lands and stock above
his salary, being probably the richest president
| since George Washington. He has appointed to
| his cabinet Greeks beai ing gifts without seem
ing to see the indecorum if not the indecency of
the transaction. At least two, if not three, of
these Greeks, having no known position in the
republican party, or influence in the country
have been selected as counsellorS in national
affairs and heads of great departments
OF the government. Nor does the
case of the first secretary of state,
appointed as a compliment differ in
character from the other three Not only in
the cabinet but in other Offices there is reason to
believe the president has been under the in
huence of patrons. Why was he SO blind to
Thomas Murphy, whose gifts have become noto-
lious; and when the demand for his removal
was irresistible, the president accepted his reSig-
nation with an efusion Of sentiment natural
toward patron, but without Justification in the
character of the retiring officer.
have now completed the survey of the two
| typical instances: ncpotism and gift taking Off
cialy compensated, in which we are compelled
himself. Here is no portrait drawn by critic or
enemy. IL is the original who stands forth,
saying behold the generosity practice to my re-
lationS at the expense of the public SCI vice, also
the gifts ] take and then my way of rewarding
the patrons always at the expense of the public
service. In this open exhibition we see how the
presidency instead of trust has become per-
quisite.
Mr.. Sumner continued at great length in cita-
ton of instances to show that the presidential
|
to precedent or reason. Other presidents have
| entered upon the office with a certain mudeSty
and distruSt; he had none. The just expecta
tons of the party which elected him were set al
naught in the selection of his cabinet This
| personal government lowered in the navy de.
Partment, where a gift-beallng Greek was sud
) denly chang 4 to a secretary.
Mr.. Sumner condemn the presidents ap-
pointment of a military defendant to the New
York general order business the nomination in
| niSTnUn n nj Gfpv ri nc nf
the treasury, the establishment of a military
headquarters at the executive mansion, the
taking away from their proper duties of officers
of the army to make them presidential secre-
taries in defiance of law, the Subordinaon
OF the war department to the general
in-chief, the attempt ito devolve du-
| ties of the navy department upon deputy so
that orders were to be signed A. f. Bolie, sec
rotary of the navy, per d. D. Porter, admiral;
| the effort TO absorb the Indian bureau into the
war department, military interference at cleo
tons, the efforts TO secure repeal of the tenure
| of office act which limit 4 the presidents power
OF appointment, and the presidential interior
| ence with political questions and party move
| ments in distant states, from Louisiana TO New
| York. MIR. Sumner also again referred at length
| to the San Domingo question in terms of on
| domination.
With sorrow unspeakable have | made this
| exposure OF pretensons which for the sake of
republican institutions every good citizen
|
no alternative. The president himself insists
| upon putting them in issue; he will not allow
| them to be forgotten. As candidate for rc-elec-
| zion he iT.t-s judgment, while partisan acting
| IN his behalf make it absolutely necessary, by
| the brutality of their assault ON faithful
republicans unwilling > see their party like the
presidential office, personal perquisite. If his
| partlsanS are eXacting, Yind'ctiYe and unjust,
| they act only in harmony with his own nature,
| too truly represent in them. There is not a
| ring, whether military or senatorial, that does
| not derive distinctive character from himself
| therefore, what they do and what they say must
| be considered as done and said by the chiettan
serve,
| After characterzing Grant as the great
| presidential quarreler, Mr.. Sumner said the
| question OF duty is now presented to the repub-
lican party Can we take the fearful RESPONSE
| bility of a prolonged empire of our ambitious
| C@sar3 With the adoption of these presidential
pretensions, the party loses its distinctive char
acter and drops from its sphere. Its creed
| ceases to be repnblcanism, and becomes Grant
| ism. Its members cease to be republicans and
become Grant men. HIt'is no gongerIa political
| party, but a personal party. For myself |
| say openly, | am no mans man, nor
| do | belong TO any personal party Mr..
| Sumner also made an argument in favor of the
one term principle, and concluded as follows:
| wait the determination of the national con-
vention, where are delegates from my own
much honored commonwealth with whom | re-
| Jolce TO act; not without anxiety do | wait; but
with the earnest hope that the convention will
bring the republican pc ty into its ancient har-
mony, saving it especially from the suicidal
folly of an issue on the personal pretensions of
one man.
The senate agreed to the request of the house
for committee of conference on the tariff bilP
and the vice president appointed Messrs. Sher-
man, Morrill, of Vermont, and Bayard
At the commencement of Mr. Summers speech
Mr.. Cole said that, this first speech ON the APP
| preparation bill would probably give rise TO 9th
ers, he would ask unanimous consent to offer
resolution resembling the resolution to adjourn
| sine die on June 3D..
Mr. Hamilton of Maryland objected, and the
resolution went over
MIR. Trumbull moved to take recess until
7 80; lost.
NJ. Schurz obtained the floor, and was pro-
| ceeding TO review the majority report of the
committee on French arms, when Mr. Ferry of
Connecticut moved to adjourn, saying it was
not in accordance with the ordinary usages or
courtcses Of the senate to compel Il senator to
proceed with his speech at SO late an hour. The
motion was lOst-19 TO "a.
MIR. Ferry then moved u recess until 7.30.
MIR. Sumner-Mr. President, the object of this
motion is TO give the senator from Missouri,
who is TO speak, indulgence which is not gener-
ullv dpuipd m ouv canotor