New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-03-31
part, but on the part of somebody In the
Treasury-the Committee will doubtless be
very glad to listen to him. A rf..r.lT1 ,
A SENSITTVE GOVERNMENT.

n
The account we print this morning of the
interview between the President and the rep
res,ntatiyes Of the South Carolina taxpayers
NAV afford some further information, to any
who are in want of il, of the strictly private
and personal character our Government mas
assumed. This body of gentlemen, represent
ing the intelligence and deccncy OF the state,
all of them people who have honestly acceptc"
the results of the war, and who are STRIVING
with a patience and energy worthy OF all
praise TO save something of their States eX-
istcnce from the thievish hands which are
raDidly DESTROYING it, sought an interview
with the President on Friday last to lay be-
fore him the depiOrablc state of affairs among
Them. and TO ask if any aid could be given by
the General Government. They were treated ny
him with gross IudenesS and disco'iitesy, LOT Il
reason so trivial that it is almost incredi DE.
During the recent session OF the taxpayers
Convention in South Carolina an obscure ana
rattle drained delegate got TIE floor ana maze
speech personally disrespectful to the Prcsl-
dent. There is no pretense that he embodied
the views of the Convention or that his har-
angue met with their approval. But TINS
speech, dcxterously thrust into the Presidents
hands by one of the Ring politicians just be-
fore the delegation called upon nm, was
enough to make him forget his own duty ana
dignity and insult an important body OF GU
zcns who were no more responsible for 1T than
the President himself.
We do not mean that they were asking Tor
ANYTHING practicable. On the contrary. we can
see nothing but evil in any interference OF
the Government, so long as 1t remains IN the
present hands, with the administration oil the
States. Ii Gen. Grant had not made the incl
dent the occasion for an INDIGENOUS Outouist
of arrogance and passion, we should ne IN
cined to congratulate him upon having maze
n long step forward in the theory and prac-
tice of constitutional law, since the time when
he lent the whole power of the Federal Gov
eminent TO the knaves who were tnrottllng
and robbing the state of Louisiana. But the
animus which peryaded his refusal to aid the
honest people of South Carolina was such
as to render it impossible for any one
TO believe that his action proceeded
from ANYTHING but the same passionate
and selfish caprice which induced him to DO
precisely the contrary thing, when Casey and
Kellogg wanted their hold frightened upon the
throat of Louisiana. In fact III this perform
ance we see once more what has been so long
evident, that President Grant has never asso-
ciated any idea of duty or responsibility with
his acceptance of the Executive Office. lie was
elected the first time TO pay him Tor his
services III the war, and the second
time, he thinks to answer the criticisms
of those who thought him unit for the
place He regards all criticism as disoyalty,
and looks upon a sharp attack, like that OF
the harum-scaru South Carolinan, as a
thing so monstrous us TO faint aud dlsqualiiy
for the time being the State in which 1t Oc-
cured We cannot say there is anything new
in this. Two years ago, Mr.. Sumner made a
great historical speech, in which the Presidents
character was drawn with a fidelity rare III
cotemporaneOus writings. He was there held
up as a habitual .transgressor of the command
ment most binding upon Presidents" Thou
:" shalt not quarrel" 1t is too hard lesson for
the present incumbent to learn. He has not
magnanimity enough to overlook con-
troyersies he has not public spirit enough to
avoid them in the interest of the country; and
he has not taste enough to know when to
quarrel with dccOrum.