Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-06-21
The Atlantic Monthly, which Sappor-
ted Grant in 1872, Takes a Whack at
Him In 1S7a.
[Atlantic Monthly

Civil service reform is merely piece
of machinery for giving sober, indus
trious, and thorough people the power
and influence of which they have be-
come, by force of circumstances, de-
prived. The essence OF it is, after all,
not the adoption Of series of rules
tor the examination of candidates for
Treasury clerkships, but a real devo-
ton on the part of the reforming power
to those virtues we have named, pro-
found belief in the necessity of eleya-
ting the tone of the government; in
short, a little of that sacred passion
OF perfection" which leads men in
troubled times to sacrifice to the gen.
eral good their selfish appetites and
love Of ease. Without this spirit,
there can be no life in the rules. Gen.
Grant, however, has never given the
public any reason to believe that he Is
possessed by this spirit, while he has
given thousand reasons for believing
that he is not. 1t is true that, if we go
back to the opening of his first admin
istratlon, We find him. announcing his
determination TO turn the cold shout
der to the politicians, and make his
appointments without regard to any
other claims than those OF fitness. We
have no doubt he was sincere In his
professions, for he did nominate Cab
met, selected with view to what he
considered fitness, and in doing SO de-
clared war upon the politicians, as he
had promised. But 1t proved blood
less contest. He grew very tired of it.
He was fond of popularity and ease,
and IN few months a truce was de-
clared. From that time to this he has
not troubled himself about the matter.
He has allowed 1.-THE machine to be
worked by the old crew for their own
profit, quite content himself if they
will work it without Fostering him
with questions for which he has by ma
ture and education no disposition to
deal. Itlwould not be difficult to Sc
lect from the principal acts of Gen.
Grants administration those In which
he himself took lively interest, for,
when he does take lively interest in
anything, he is apt to make his friends
and supporters, as we'll as his enemies,
understand the fact. He did take q
lively interest in the annexation of
Santo Domingo. This was evident
enough, both from his messages and
from the urgency with which he half
publicly importuned members of Con-
gress. He took a warm interest in the
Indian peace policy. He has showed
a persistent determination to keep his
brother-in law Casey in the Louisiana
Custom-house, and to support his
governments of Louisiana by force of
arms Unnecessary He hasalso wished,
in an evident but unintelligent sort of
way, to reduce taxation, to pay off the
national debt and to get the currency
into a sound condition; we say unin-
telligent, because he has never preten-
ded to have any definite ideas on eco
nomical subjects, except some antique
exploded fallacies which can hardly
be supposed to furnish the grounds for
his practical recommendations, so long
as we have the much more plausible
explanation that he has allowed his
Secretary OF the Treasury to drift him
into a policy of which he neither I'M
derstands the virtues nor the defects.