New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-03-19
TIE FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION.

, the principles of the Republican party a
. to the course pursued by the administra
ton. 30 President had passed throug
an administration of four years entirel
faultless in his public acts prior to Genera
Grants election, and no one supposed b
could fill the office without COMMITTING
some errlrs. But he is charged by tn
opponents of his administration with dom
far worse than this: and among these op
ponents men of all parties may be found
Republicans, Democrats, Reformers etc
1t is charged that "two great danger
imperil free institutions under the ad
ministration Of President Grant; that 9Th
spirit of centralized military government
attacks everywhere the constitution, ant
corruption i'll office destroys the civil adj
ministration.''
| These charges are freely made by dis
hnguished men without regard to party
by leading Republicans and Democrats
Carl Schurz has repeatedly made then
during the past twelve months, and the
Hon. George H. Pendleton made them in
a letter to Messrs. Eshelman, Feristone
and Baughman, declining their invitation
to be present at the annual celebration OF
the Eighth of January last, which took
place in Ohio. Mr.. Pendleton goes a little
further than Mr.. Schurz, and makes the
Republican party responsible for the tro
great dangers that are said to imperil free
institutions in this country.
| Now, while we are forced to admit that
the course of the present administration
has at least squinted that way at times,
we deny most emphatically that the Re
publican party means to make this cen
tralized military government. The Re
publicans Of this State, headed by Gov
ernor Warmoth, have already repudiated
and denounced the conduct of few fede-
raj office-holders here who, in their very
unwise exertions to forward the pretensions
of President Grant for denomination,
have committed acts that give cause for
the charges that are now circulated to the
detriment of not only President Grant, but
the national Republican party. If any
body is responsible for the anti-Republican
conduct of federal office-holders it is the
President himself, who retains them in
Office after their conduct has been exposed
and fully commented on by the Repub-
ican and Democratic press of the country.
We can not believe that President Grant
means to fight it out on this line, though
he is slow in removing the men who have
given cause for the charge that he means
to maket his a centralized military govern
ment. But if the President should fool
ishly conclude TO fight it out on this line
We are satisfied the American people will
give him Waterloo defeat. They have
as little taste for man-worship as DISPOSE
ton to surrender their republican princi-
pies, though few political mendicants
will always be found to fawn at the foot
stool of the man who is clothed with
political power. But in this country,
thank God, there is in reality a greater
power behind the throne than he who
temporarily occupies the chair of State.
and that power is the people. If they do
not like the course of the President during
an administration Of four years, they can
change him. They can make the ballot |
on election day more potent than the bayo-
net in nominating convention.
We say this in the interest Of Repub-
licanism and if President Grant is the
genuine Republican we took him for when
We voted for him in 1868, be will indorse
all that is here said If the President
however, intends to indorse the use of |
bayonets in political conventions, let him
say SO. Let him say that he is in favor Of
a centralized military government: that
States have no rights in the American
Union that he is bound to respect. These
are matters that deeply concern the peo-
pie, and, as they will most undoubtedly
elect the President, they have right to
know the views Of the candidates in regard
to them
1t is generally conceded now that there
will be two Republican nominating con-
ventions this summer-one to be held in
by the otfice-holding friends
Of the President, and the other to be held
in Cincinnati by the Republicans who ue
opposed to the use Of bayonets in political
opposed to making this a
military government, and in
avor of the constitutional rights of States.
The course of the present federal admins
ration has displeased many Of its original
supporters and created divisions in the
Republican ranks the President shows no
Inclination to heal. Therefore the meeting
If two Republican conventions seems in
evitable, and there is a fair prospect that
much good may grow out Of them.
Certainly centralized military govern
nent would be as inconsistent under the
name of Republican government as sla-
very under Democratic government and
If the t'go great dangers that according to
MIR. Pendleton, imperil free institutions in
tins country at the present time, ''grow
out OF and are inseparable from the pres
7nt organization of the Republican party"
the sooner that organization is changed |
the better. The Republican party is only
50 far responsible for the acts of President
Grant as it indorses them. They are not
yet entirely satisfied that the President
~ ennS to MAKE this n centrnE uol ,.,:1:4.