Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-09-24
THE MUTTERENGS THAT PRECEDE
REBELLION

The mut.eribgs of djscontent at the
course f Grant and. his administrator are
beginning to come up quite thick from dis
gusted Republicans. Only two or three
weeks ago tie Boston Advertiser, an old
and rusted oTganGf the Republican party,
declared that 'the condition of the RepuLli-
can party is not q matter Of congratulations
that ''thUse who are in Office may imagine
that everything is prosperous, but the great
body of thoughtful men watching the
signs Of the Times are not hopeful, and
those whose conduct of public affairs should
inspire confidence are. letting things drift
toward the bad with r2cklessness that is
iDcomp-ehensiblo." The Adpertiser addsd:
"When party becomes an organic ltion
Of offce-holders, aud is held together by the
profits of its administration of public affairs
it is near its end. To that condition the
Republican pSrty is tending, and the self
complacent gentlemen who hold its places OF
honor may thank themselves for the ruin
they are diligently Inviting and doing moth
ing to prevent. We mean the gentlemen
of the Presidents Cabinet, the members OF
the Senate and House of Representatives.,
and the army Of thrifty customhouse, reve-
nue. and postoffice officials, who thDk they
serve the country by keeping themselves
warm. We venture to say the
spectacle ofthe collector, postmaster and
marshal leagued together, and exertirg all
tie patronage Of their offices and using the
time which belongs to the public service to
force upona party candidate obnoxious
to the majority, was never before seen in
the Bay State. It is sn invasion of the Inv
depen 1ence of the people of the State-hein-
Gus and intolerable."
The Advertiser declared in the most en-
phatic terms that the people of Mgssaehu-
sets twill not submit 10 the 'nisnagement
of their local afairs by national officials"
for the reason that "nothing is more peril
Gus to the liberty Of the citizen, nothing
more certain to undermine the structure of
our Institutions" This was just preceding
the meeting of the Massachusetts Republic
can Convention. When that body assem-.
bled, Gav. Bullock, on takirg the chair as
its Presiden,, declared that ''scandalJus irI
regularities and immoralities have sfrurg
up in the public service. at first denied, next
EconRived at and Afterwards copdoned under
the pressure of impending elections. And
these things" he s'ys, "have. gone as far as
the good name Of any party or the publ;
sense can bear" And now comes Hdrper's
Weekly, which, as TIE st. Louis Republican
says, may be considered the most steadfast
Of chsmpions of the Republican party, and
which never allows itself to see a Republic
can wrong IS long as it can blink it, and it
has begun to talk out very boldly in regard
to the shortcomings and corrupt practices
of the leaders of the party. Ii tells them
that the power of party discipline over the
minds Of mer is constantly growing weaker;
that t'the thunder of the party tom. tom,
can no longer be relied on to
rally men to standard that has ceased to
represent the cause of liberty and public
mo.ality;" and then adds:
"The Republican party is not now bound
toy her by the OVershawdowing dangers OF
the recent years, and it can therefore maini
tain its present upquestioned aseendancy
only by the character of the administration.
If it should be seen that the national pi.
tronage controls local politics more and
more, despite the claim of reform of the
civil cervlce; if recognized representatives
of the national administration in the various
States and 10 Congress should not com
msnd, because they would not deserve,
general respec and confidence; if contiDu[r
q, Republican victories at the polls she uld
not stay the torrent of corruption, and
Onng the best character, ability, training
al experience into the management OF
public affairs then the earnest patriotism
That made he Republican party would
make another, which would glOriously con-
tinue the work that TIE Republican party
gloriously began" --~ ..
The testimony of the Boston Ad0ertiSeys
Harper's Weekly and Gov. Bullock to The
increasing corruption of the Republican