Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-11-01

TIE services OF citizen be, they ever SO
brilliant and useful, cannot place him above
| public virtue and moral obligation. Ii s
| just criticism and manly censur5 cannot
reach him then honor has lost its value
| and crime its sting. Have the morals of
the nation and the sentiment of dignity
succumbed to the personal interests of a
partisan chief? has that ambition that fed
aud fattened on its country's misfortunes
| secured exemption from the disapprobation
of the wise and patriotic? Has that noble
| sense of personal worth and moral excel
lenee that directed the public miRd TO the
competent candidates for their honors and
| trusts, persisted amidst the general demon
alization of the times? Are all the instrue-
tive lessons of the ages forgotten? When
has any republic escaped the ambition OF
the successful soldier? Liberty has been to
him what the lamb has been TO the wolf.
From the first lesson under his drill master
to the close Of his military career, he knows
only soldier and citizen, command and
obedience, viii and submission, cunning
and artifice, position and incidence. Is it
from such fountains that we must look for
the purest waters? What magic influence
has raised the professional soldier above
the sphere OF the humble citizen who must
under all his country's trials baer the bur-
dens of the day? Fatal will that day be to
our freedom when any public servant shall
become exempt from the jast Judgment of
the people. Fatal will it be when the trusts
of the Republic become mern parquistes of
Office. Far away be that day when the
worship of men and the parasites ofpower
shall make such q standard of public vir-
fs1a ,oka - - g
civil liberty" st
The tone of President Grants Cabinet
was far below that of any of his predeces-
sors, to say notfhng of their princely pres
ents, not one Of them occupied even a sec
ond place among American statesmen. 1t
may be unbecoming in me to oppose any
citizen, in country where all are eligible,
but the dignity of forty millions of people
demands the highest and the greatest worth
to fill these sacred trusts. Instead of this,
the country is cursed with travelling band
Of petty partisan eiectioneering instru-
ments.
The character of Grants appointees are
far below that of any former President.
Look at them, my couDtryIIen, and Judge
for yourselves. Take Murphy, of New
York, the friend and companion of Grant,
who openly battered offices in the Custom
House for votes in the State convention in
the interest of Grant.
Col. Leet, under the special care Of
Grant, secured the removal of Mr.. Grin
nell to obtain the general order business by
which he realizes profits of from SIZE, 900
| to 100000 per year. The frauds this man
is perpetrating are known to Grant through
| his friend, Mr.. Stewart, and there IS no re-
dress. u
He has in Office one Porter, convicted By
the unanimous report of the Senate judici-
airy committee of an attempt to bride a
Senator in the interest of the notorious
Bullock, of Georgia.
Hon. Robt. G. Schenck-the silyer-mine
| peddling Minister at the court of 81. James
the trader CT his courtry's honor aG6
| dignity, remains in the place henored by
| Franklin.
President Grant through his military
minister to San Domingo convinced at the
unjust imprisonment Of an American citi-
zen for four months, to preVeat his expos
| ing TO the American people a dangerous
treaty. This single act should disqualify
him for his high place.
He pledged through this same aidecamp
his influence with Congress to secure the
ratification of the San Domingo trea.y.
| BE became in pursuance of this common
lobbyist and called caucus of recusant
Senators at the White House to secure the
promised ratification.
| When he failed, in order to punish Mr..
Sumner for his manly opposition to
= scheme that was to curse us with two
new States with million of carpet-bagged
| 70
Mr.. Motley from his post, determined to
eliminate every trace of competency from
| the service of the country.
This did not satisfy this vindictive man;
he demands the removal of Mr.. Sumner
| from his place IS Chairman of the Com
nittee of Foreign Relations. His ready in
struments execute his malignant purpose
and elevated Simon Cameron, of Pennsyl-
vauia, to his place. Never before had any
executive offered a grosSer indignity to the
spirit of the American Constitution. Never
| has such an indecent invasion of the Sen
ale been attempted by any former Presi-
! dent. An independent Senator is punish
ed, disciplined for brave defence OF the
National honor and interest.
There remains the secassiOnist Creswell
in the Post Office, though con victed by
| Congress Of al attempt to defraud the
Treasury Of near half a million dollars,
with ample evidence of the swindle in his
own Office.
may not detail the frauds on the Treas.
ury; the expulsion of Gov. Cox from the
| Interior for refusing to lend himself to
| dishonOrable TRANSACTIONS; of the Hon.
| j. 5. Wilson from the Land Office, be-
| cause he would not pander to the personal
| interests OF the "Nephews;" the spiteful
| exile Of Generals Thomas and Hancock to
crafty a personal enmity; the qualifications
and character Of the twenty-five relatives
| quartered on the Treasury, from his in
competent father through every grade of
| incompetency known to the vocabulary of
| kinship; the sending of an army to control
| the New York and other elections; the at
tempt to police Illinois against the protest
| of the Governor; the various efforts to sub
| jet local self government to the domino
| ton of central nationality; the perpetual.
ton Of race and sectional antag0nism;
| the ruinous policy of protecting great mo-
! nopolies, under the pretext of collecting
national revenue, aud the furnishing OF
great corporations with franchises and cap
| itaI, etc.
And what has the address urged as a
reason why the American people should re-
| elect Grant? Nothing, positively nothing
beyond his military life, except some incl
dents in his history that have not disgraced
him, which if he had omitted or performed
the opposite would and should have rem
derad him infamous. When Moses want
ed laws he went up into high mountain
| and c0mmuned with superhuman intel
ligence. The American people are ad-
vised to go down by the seaside and take
council with Grant and his companions,
the MurphTs, Chambers, Camerons, Nor
tons aud Robesons.
What has been urged TO induce the South
to support the military leader of sectional
ism? 1t is gravely urged that Grant per-
United the officers of Lees army at the sur
render ''to retain their side arms and pri-
rate property" What marvel of gener-
| osity! lie did not turn these War-wOrn sol
di9rs naked upon the world. Again, it is
said that at the earnest request of that
thoughtful and feeling man, Gen. Lee, he
permitted the soldiers TO retain their own
horses. Could man have refused such .
request? To have acted otherwise, would
have disgraced an AlvS. Why was not the
order OF Grant TO Sheridan to desolate the
| Shenandoah Valley and it's faithful execu-
ton, produced as an evidence Of a generous
hearted soldier? .-..-..