New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-07-16

the worst principles extant. But bad as
they were, they were more becoming
than this utter abjuration of all princi-
pies. You may not like to employ, but
you do not wholly despise, the zealot
who consistently asserts that sarsapa-
rilla will cure every disease and so urges
it upon every patient; but who can re-
spect the charlatan who persistently
cries to the sick, "give me your money
and you may take what remedies you
please ?"
When in 1860 Democrats said, "Con-
tinue us in power and we will fleck the
Territories with slavery ;" when in 1854
they said, "restore us to power and we
will barter with rebels, giving freedom
for peace;" when in 1868 they said
again, "restore us to power and we will
abrogate three great amendments to the
Constitution, secure government to
white men, and return slavery to COL
ored men," it could only be replied that
such invitations were very unattractive.
But when in 1872 they cried, "restore
us to Office once more and we will do
everything that anybody wants DONE"
the invitation was utterly repulsive.
And when they supplement this
brazen Indifference to principle by
a stolid indifference to truth; when,
weary of opposing the measures of the
majority, they combine to assail their
characters when they abandon false
reasoning only to resort to false asser-
ton, they exhibit an opposition hard if
not impossible to parallel.
And yet that opposition, while it never
was so bad, was never so dangerous as
now. People can better Judge the mer-
its of measure than the merits of
man. They can more readily detect a
fallacious argument than a false state
ment. When the opposition denounced
Republicans as misguided statesmen,
the people could safely compare our
measures with theirs, and judge which
were best. But when they denounce
Republicans as thieves it is not so easy
to try the truth of the assertion. Besides
two circumstances give slight color to
that allegation. First. Republicans have
possession of the Government, and have
the best chance to peculate. Second.
It has been the especial labor of the
present Administration to detect and
punish peculation. Some cases have been
found.
He was great stateman, as well as a
great poet, who made Cassius say:
''In such time as this it is not meet
That every nice offense should bear his COM
ment.''
However specious that theory may
sound, many great rulers have been COM
PEELED in turbulent times to practice
upon it. William III was an honest
magistrate Ho had a world to ngnrS
and he was compelled to be very lenienI
toward the treasons of Godolphin and
Marlborough. He was slow to punish
the embellishments of TorringtOn, and
he never did punish the manifold rascal
tiles of Oxford. During the struggle
and excitement which attended the re-
belliOn some bad men found their way
into public employments. Mr.. Lincoln's
administration was too much occupied
with graver matters to keep strict watch
of every individual offender. The ad.
which succeeded was quite
as unprepared for that duty. Congress
was then much absorbed in the great
work of reconstruction, and the Presi-
dent was not happily fitted to criticise
official misconduct. But the present
Administration has no exemption from
that work. If it is not attended to now,
the Administration, and not the times.
must be held responsible. But it is at
tended to. 1t is prosecuted with that
inflexible energy which has character
lied every labor led by President Grant.
Some offenses have been exposed. And
every time rogue has been punished
the opposition has shouted: "See how
Republicans arel' 1t is as if,
whenever a surgeon removes a tumor
from his patient the mob should shout:
g How very rotten the doctor must bev'
So, this unflinching reform is prosecuted
at the risk of this twofold peril: First.
Every time we remove a rascal we lend
to Democratic calumny.
Second. Every time we punish one we
make Democrat. For few years that
party has been recruited, not, only by
those knaves we have dismissed from
office, but by still larger number who
have been unable to get Office. 1t is not
that by this process they may
In time recover a majority. Good men
can not, without uDeasiness, contem-
plate the possibility Of the country once
more falling into the control of that
party, when, in addition to the devils
which always paralyzed it for any noble
effort, it shall have been REINFORCED by
all the unclean spirits expelled from the |
party.
INTERNAL REFORM.
The c,ooonc rpI,;oh hoo Tho l