Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-07-09
A BLOW BETwEEN THE EYES.

The Atlantic Monthly is certainly not 10
be numbered among the unjust critics Of
the Presidenx it once contained a serious
article Oh "the intellectual character of
President Grant," and it finally decided,
last fall, to support him 70. reelection, and
did so. But it is now compelled to write
thus edi.olialy, in the department Of "pOl-
itics:"
"Civil Service Reform is merely piece
ofmachneTy for giving sober, industrious
and thorough people the power and infQ-
7ence of which they have become, by force
Of circumstances, deprived. The essence of
it is, after all, not ilIe adoption of a series
of rules for The examination OF candidates
for treasury cleTkshipa, but real de-
votion on the part Of the reforming
power to those virtues we have named,
2 profound belief in the necessity Of elsv~-
ting the tone Of The government; in short,
q little OF that sacred passion Of per!ec-
tom which ,eads men in troubled times to
sacriGce to the general gOOl their slfsh
aypeiiles snd 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 Deiisye tina, be is pos
sessed by this spirit, while he hiss gwen
a thousand reasons for b3i5Ving that be
has not. l. is true tAs., if We 80 back to
Lhs opening Ct bis FIRST administration, we
and Gin announcing his deter miusti0n
20 turn toe cold shoulder TO tho politicians
ard make his appointments without Te-
gard 20 any other claims than those a IT,
ness. We haze 10 doubt tba re WIS sin
c2re IN his profession, FOX lie aid nominate
cabinet, seecled with a view to what
be considered fitness, and il doing so de-
Clarej va. upon the politicians, as he had
promised. But IL proved z blocciess COZ
fiict. He grew very tired If il, he WIS
fond Of popularity and ease. ana in J few
months z truce was declared. From that
time to this lie has net troubled himself
about the mater. II las a owed "the ma
chine" to he worked 10y the old crew for
their OWL profit, quite content himself if
they would Wuik ~ ~. AJEy Pts.6-.lg hlm
with ques,iO.s .-g which b. has Us nature
and education LC n.e. position to deal. l.
would not be d Gclit 10 select from the
principal acts Of Gen. Grants admin tra-
ton those il which be Liusc took lively
interest: ioT when he does lake a lively in
terest in anything he is apt TO make his
friends and suprUr5lTs, as well IS bis enc
mics, uuder,geuG the fact. lie did
tase livery interest in the annex 4ti0n Of
gaIto Domingo. This was evident enough,
both from bis messages ami from the urgency
with which he half publicly impoCtuned
members Of Congress-. He took 2 warm
intsrest il the Indian peace 20! g. He has
shown persistent d5.a, minati0n 10 keep his
brotheT-iu-law Casey in the Louisiana Gus
tUmhouse, and to support Lis government
II Louisiana ny force u arms il necessary.
He has also wished, il al evident but unin-
tell gent sort OF way, 10 reduce taxation, to
pay offthe national deb AID 10 set the cur
rency into 4 sound condition: ne say intel
hSert, because he has never pret5Bted to
have any detni ideas on economical cub
sects, e2cept some antique EXPLODED fallScias
which can hardly be supposed to furnish
Che grounds for liz practical recommends
fions. so l0rg as we have the much more
plauai0ls explanation that ne has allowed
the Secretary OK the Treasury to drift hin
into policy Of which lac neither under
stands the virtues nor tie Geiocis."
The civil service beard may meet and
revise ra!Ls, aud Mr. Curtis may assure
the pabie of us unchanged devotion to
this important reform: tie friends OF the
President may plead that Congress perpet-
ually thwaT.s his earnest endeavors for re-
form. but i! is al in vain SO long as Nor
decai in tie shape Of brother iu-laT Casey
sits in the New U-le2ns custom house.