The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-06-22

reason to believe that the President has been
under the iDhueuce of patrons. Why was he
so BLIND AS TO THOMAS MURPHY.
The Custom House of New York, with all
its capacity as political engine, was handed
over to this agent " hose want of recognition
in the Republican Tarty was outbalanced
by Presidential favor, aud whose gifts have
become notorious. And when the demand
for MS removal was irresistable, the Presi-
dent accepted his recognition with an ef1usion
OF sentiment natural toward the patron but
without justification. in :he character:.of the
retiring officer.
/ have now completed the survey of the
two typical instances of nepotism and gift
taking, officially compensated. in which we
are compelled to see the President. In
these things he shows himself that there is
NO PORTRAIT DRAWN BY CRITIC OR AN
ENEMY.
It is The original. who stands forth saying
Behold the generosity l practice towards
my relations at the expense of the public
service Also the gifts | take And then
my way of rewarding patrons-always at the
expense of the public serV;ce!"
In this open exhibition we see how the
Presidency, instead Of a trust. has become a
perquisite. The President who can do such
things and not recognize at once the error he
has committed, shows that
sUPER>ENINENCE OF EGoTTsM
under which the constitution, international
law and municipal law. to say Rothing Of re-
publican government in its primary princi~
Piles are all subordinated to the Preside tial
will and this is personal government. Add
AN IN6ENsIBILITY
to the honest convictions of others and you
have a characteristic incident Of this preten>
sion.
Lawyers cite what are called leading cases.
few of these show the Presidential will in
constant operation with little regard to pre-
cedent or reason, so as to be caprice.
Othsr Presidents have entered upon office
with a certain modesty and distrust, but our
soldier, absolutely untried in civil life. en-
tirely new man, entering upon the sublimest
duties before which Washington and Jefer>
son had shrunk, said in his inaugural: The
responsibilities Of the position | feel, but
accept them without fear"
GRANTS FIRST CABINET.
The next step after the Inaugural address
was the selection Of Cabinet, and in bis Sc
lection the general disappointment was only
equalled by the general wonder. All tradi>
ton. usage and propliety we're discarded.
The just expectations of the party that had
elected him were set at naught, and the safe
subordiuated to the personal preteusions of
one man. Marked among the spcctaccs
which followed and kindred in character
with the appropriation of the Cabinet as in
divi3ual property, was the appropriation of
the Offices Of the country.
Mr.. Sumner here repeated the charges Of
nepotism. appointing relations to office, etc,
and criticized in severe terms the conduct of
the President in sending a message to Cons
gress on March 9th. 1869. asking them to
set aside the fundamental law in order that
A T. Stewart might enter upon the duties
of Secretary Of the Treasury. he (Stewart)
being one of those from whom the President
had received gifts.
THE MILITARY RING.
lie next spoke Of the military ring at the
White House and said that the Executive
Mansion had assumed the character Of mil
itary headquarters. To the Gishonor Of the
civil service and the total disregard of pIece-
dent, the President had surrounded himself
with officers of the army. and substituted
military forms for those Of civil life. detailing
for this service members of his late staff al
though Congress has shown a purpose to limit
the employment Of military fficers in civil
service by three different statutes.
Mr.. Sumner condemned the President for
taking away from their proper duties Officers
Of the army to make them Presidential secs
retaries in defiance of law. the suhordination
of the War Department to the GeneTal> in
Chief. the attempt to devOlve the duties OF
the Navy Department upon deputy. so
that orders were to be signed a. +. Borie,
Secretary Of the Navy, per d ID. Porter,
Admiral, the effort to absorb the Indian Bu-
reau into the War Department. military in>
reference at elections. the efforts to secure
Il n L. i
limited the Presidents power Of appointment.
and Presidential interference with political
questions and party movements in distant
State from Louisiana TO New York.
SAN DOMINGO.
Mr.. Somner also referred again at length
to the Sah Domingo question in terms OF
condemnation, and SAID that the whole cons
trivauce, besides being a wrong to the Black
Republic of Hayti, was an insult to the co...
ored race, not only abroad. but here at hcme.
How a magistrate with four millions of such
fellow citizens could allow this thing passes
comprehension.
The colored orator, Frederick Douglass
was selected by the President as one of the
commissioners to visit San Domingo. and yet
on his return and within sight of the Execu-
tive Mansion, he was repealed from the COM
mon table of mail stea mer on the Potomac,
when the other commissioners were already
seated, aud through him was the African
race insulted and their equal rights denied
But the President whose commission he had
borne neither did or said anything to right
this wrong. and few days later when enter
tanning the commissioners at the Executive
Mansion. he actually forgot the colored orator
whose services he had sought. But this n-
dignity is in unison with the rest. Often
insu!ting the Black Republic, it is easy 10 see
how natural il was to treat with insensbility
the representative of the African race.
HereiI stay..this paiuful:presentation under
its various heads, beginning with Depotism
and gift>taking, officially compensated, and
ending in the conrrivance against San Do
mingo with an indigpity to the African race,
not because it is complete. but because it is
ENOUGH.
With sorrow unspeakable, have made this
exposure of the pretensiors which. for e
sake of Republican, institutions eyery good