, 1873-02-23
GrFT-TANNG AS 4 FINE ART.

II no accept the relations Of Messrs. Nesbit
| snd Co1fax, IS they arc defined by the latter
and in tie correspondence which passed between
unrecognized class Of people among us,-tha
| Of professional gift-takers. Both Law and soci
! ETY. have heretofore taught Us to regard the beg
eing-letter-vriter, the professional alms-seeker
the blackmailer, and al persons Wht
| are in tho habit OF demanding o.
receiving money without valuable con
sideration, Us more despicable thanthe man whe
puts ho1se-pistols into his saddle-bass, and goes
! ont upon the high road to demand money OF
life. Tbs latter class have been deemed more
dangerous to society; tho former have been
deemed on tho whole moro despicable. The
theory which the late Mr. Nesbitt laid down in
his letters, and which A1r. Colfax evidently ap-
proved when he accepted the several 81 900
checks which these letters contained, is entirely
opposed to correct principles. It teaches that
the pursuit Of statesmanship is Of more
important to this world than earning
ones living, and it assumes that it is
the duty OF those who do earn their own living,
by government contracts or otherwise, to divide
their bread and butter with impecunious states
started out in life as poor young men. Mr.
Nesbitt went into speculations or what not, M d
made money; he found his way into government
contracts and got rich. Nlr. Colfax went into
the printing business, and found an obscure
newspaper in Indiana, fecbly conducted, to be 3
meagre sourcs OF income. He drifted thence
into politics. Now hIr. NeBbitt holds, and
Mr.. Colfax agrees, that it is entirely
proper for Nesbitt to give, and for Colfax to re-
ceive, presents OF 81 600 each. It is new ap-
p1ication OF the ngrarian principle. It can be
extended, with equal proprietr, to all other pur-
suits which are popularity beieyedt to be unproft-
able. The impecunious poet, the successful
General, farnishing on $4,000 per year, the un-
recognized composer, the philosopher il a tub,
as well as the self f-sacrifcing statesman, may
claim it as their right to be supported By sub
sides from gentlemen who have chosen othor
and more lucrative pursuits in life. Thus tho
business Of gift-takiug might generally be fol-
lowed by all who are not gifted with notions Of
personal independence, and the profession OF
begging would eventually be as we'll filed and as
respectable in this country as in Italy.
Such are the natural conclusions from an ad-
mission Of the disinterested motives claimed for
Alr. Nesbitt's gifts to l1r. CoHax, for Dr.. Du-
rants checks to Mr. Harlan, and for the mani
fold contributions which have poured in upon
Gen. Grant before and since his election as
President. But gift-taking as 4 fine art, an &C
complishment, and virtue, is Of re-
cent growth. We do not recol1ect that
it has ever been openly justified and
respected in this country before Gen. Grant
gave it dignity through his high position. Since
then tbe infection seems to t1re spread. But
ne ere not yet prepared to admit the claims
that are made for it in these high places. We
do not believe that A1r. NeBbitt, government
contractor, Dr.. Durant, the General Manager Of
the Union Pacific, Oakes Anes, the protector OF
Credit Mobi1ier, and men Of their class, make
presents from the pure and dieinterested mo-
tives which are set forth in the Nesbitt letters
We hear Of no strictly private gentlemen,-men
who are not government contractors, nor man
egers OF Pacific reilroads, nor projectors Of |
Credit Mobiliers, making gifts OF 81 900 drafts
and IS, 900 checks to Secretaries Of the Interior,
Vice Presidents. and other statesmen, who have |
no opportunities for money-mnking. We look |
in vain among the solicitors OF the various funds |
raised for Gen. Grants benefit for names that |
10 not represent eome special interest or have |
not received some special favor, although Some |
Of the contributors may have been OF that class.
We cast about among the men of wealth and ac-
Iberality in this country for in /
stances in which they have divided the profits OF /
their business with statesmen whom they ad-
nired, and Tor that reason only
When we come to the public gift-takers, there
g still greater lack Of evidence that their mo-
ives in the transaction are pure. We do not
believe that any right-minded man will thus
his independence; still less do We
believe that any public man can accept money AZ
i gratuity without forfeiting that independence
Every man must feel a sense OF obligation and
humiliation in accepting valuable gifts from
'ersons out Of his own family, unless they como
n the form OF bequests from deceased friends. I
The task OF earning ones bread is the first duty
imposed By the Creator. The duty OF being
tatesman, or poet, or warrior, or q philoso-
her, or an artist, or an ornament to So
iety, is secondary to it. Mr.. Colfax may
ec1are, in accepting gift Of $4,000,
hat he will do nothing in return for it, but We
hould havo poorer opinion OF him than re
old now il VIC believed this WAS true. Tie
ruth is, that no public man has the right to ac-
ept gifts, saye those in the character Of
ouyenir or of = purely testimonial character,-
Ike medal, gold-headed cane, or something
aluable only from its associations. II states
1nnship is Improbable, nobody is obliged to
o1low it or peraevere in it. Dollars and cents
re not the chief compensation in life. We
Oubt whether the man WIN haa effs;nnd |