The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-08-20
New York Letter.
NEW YORK, Aug. II, 1

NEW 1Ohh, aug. II, loIA.
1t occasioned no surprise here, that Mr..
Greeley put in his first direct bid for the Pres
idency in Maine His intense eagerness for
the Office makes him oblvious to all the pro-
prieties of his position. 1t is very evident
that this carefully prepared manifesto was the
real aim and object of his recent electioneer
ing tour. But in spite of the elaborate care
which he has bestowed upon this remarkable
composition it reveals very clearly the per-
vading idea of the authors mind. To him,
the
PRESIDENCY MEANS PATRONAGE.
How he shall dispense office, in the event of
his election, seems to him the important
point for the consideration of his followers,
and he addresses himself to them with the
frankness of a thorough politician. There i.
no pretense made of an intention to reform
the civil service, to adopt the standard of
merit in filling places; but the open and un-
blushing avowal that he will reward his par
tisans according to the measure of the zeal
with which they work for him, is the strong
est pledge he utters.
Mr.. Greeley knows his supporters. The
few Republicans among them are men who
feel aggrieved because they were not appointed
to, or have been removed from office. Nearly
every one of them will make demands upon
him, the moment he is in position to recog-
nize them. On the other hand, the Democ-
racy are in a
CONDITION OF SUCH FAMIsHING HUNGER
for spoils, that they will bear down upon
him with remorseiess importantly. To paci-
fly this double horde of place hunters, Mr..
Greeley throws out to them the broad hint,
that if he becomes President he will not ask
applicants for Office what their previous party
affiliations have been but how much aid they
rendered in promoting his political fortunes.
1t is not pleasant spectacle to see can
didate for the highest Office in the land stand
ing on so low plane as this; but it is one of
the consequences of a canvass, in which the
outs, accepting the principles and endorsing
the general policy of the administration, unite
in an ignoble struggle to displace the ms.
The mistake these jobbers in patronage
make is in overlooking the fact that at least
NINETY PER CENT. OF THE VOTERS
in the Union are supremacy Indifferent to the
claims of Office holders or the clamors of
office seekers. As long as the country is well
governed, peace and order maintained, and
the finances honestly and frugally admins
tered, the sensible, intelligent masses depre-
cate change of rulers as something which
can do no good and may do much harm.
Mr.. Greeley could not avoid a display of the
disingenuousness which characterizes most
of his efforts of tongue or pen, by Juggling in
to his Grafton the carpet-bag governments of
the South as if the Federal government was
in the slightest degree responsible for them.
HE KNOWS BETTER.
The Southern people alone are to blame that
Northern adventures came in and took
control OF their local affairs. They stood
sullenly by, refusing to participate in the
work Of reconstruction and they have been
justly punished for it by seeing their states
despolled by adventures. If the Southern
whites had behaved sensibly after the war
by accepting the situation, recognizing the
political equality of the blacks, encouraging
immigration, and giving opportunities to in
dustry and capital to develope the resources
everywhere so abundant, there would have
been by this time scarcely any trace of the
war into which demagogues
plunged them But as soon as
ANDY JOHNSON BECAME PRESIDENT
and filed the hearts of the vanquished rebels
with hope of regaining their lost power, these
misguided creatures began to abuse, NAL
treat and murder the unoffending cOlored
men, Ku-Klnx gangs were formed, Northern
settlers We're driven out. and the old hate of