The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-01-10
CPJLUMB|I.A.!l. SC
Sunday Morning. January 10. 1875
Passive and Aotive.

y lasN -
ed 70 hold President Grant blameIess
in Tie Louisiana matter. He e'deolares,
as eha5 previously done. that there
never has been q President from Wash
ington down 80 10th 10. exercise arbi
trary power as Grant, whom he cha.
ractsfiaes ) as Jemphatioally and dis.
tinctively, 9, passive man., It is Con
gress which is to blame, GO. We have
very great respect for MIR. Stephens,
having, slway5 had the utmost conf
dencs in his sagacisy and integrity OF
purpose I We are conscious. however.
that his views upon the salary grab.
and'hie persiatent apologies for Grants
arbitrary course, have seriously stag.
gered, faith ii him. And yer We think
there is iaIGertain am mount of plausibility
in what hs sa,ys. " 4 bHg ~ tteothin. We should
think to deceisesf a q men 'oi the .pene.
tratIpnSYS MI. sEsphsps.g1 + Grant does
generally profess, to put power away
frous s3tdtpa hin iCleesat THRICE rejessed the
crown. When he assumed the! reins
Of control, .ha annoapoed that he
should have MO opinions'of HE own to
maiRtSIib:. .but,Wonld ateer his. ooprse
by thsipnbiic,6pihion Of the county.
He claims toshaaa q warrant eli the
tima 9ae sthA9eeer &ettsAme he goes to,
eithsssn ahes "a anaandata OF the people ,r or =
in thslaossoh of0aagssas, Under this
has aasrssssa paS,Isss' sss .sss Of Of
educating the people7rthe portion OF
them ems that la9Ai +. he Sen beat esEve him
moneyea then. ofIice-holders and poli-
tioiane--to take one by one those steps
which would make the way easier for
him to absolute control.s Hia parti:
Bans in Congress have been active and
nntiring in this geme,. Whenever op.
position TO is, Unaffected aiteelf, as 10
the actionSof Charles Sumner, Schurs
and ,oebeFpa the5 we're made to feel the
blow oY oYGfant's mailed but concealed
hand. Theyywere struck down by their
fellodSifI che Sehate&nnder the inepi.
ration Ola whisper or an order from
che White House. He has used the
same tactics towards the South. He
has appointed and sustained bad men
in the Government offices against the
wishes Of the people. against the inte-
rests OF the country, in contempt of
the instinots OF repugnanoe which ho-
norable msn felt 70 the control OF shy
stefs and sharpers. bnt always under
the guise Of compliance with some pre-
tended putlio3 opinion or OF respect
for the authority of place-holders en-
titled 10 pominsse OF recommend. /.
Thus We have had Worthingtons kept
in position. thus Pattersons have been
made6ourceo OF disastfoue influence,
thus Merrills have been cherished as
the Ghab of. che eye, thus kellogg,
Packard, Oasey, with ell their seady
toole, have been sustained as, instru.
ments TO throttle the rights of Q State.
Grant. wishes, to ,bs oonqidered 50
passive man,n'' bus he knows how to
employ active agenoies, and to bring
them;into being for his purposes. In
the present Louisiana embroglio, it ia
more then suspected that, by ooneess
with hiasready men in Congress. it has
been determined that his recommends
tions9inregard 10 that unhappy State,
euoh a. they afs. We're not to be acted
upon!s Tue logic OF the caae would
then be, that as Oongress aid not see
at to gsaDgls With the dimeulty, the
President must: and hence, Swash-
buokler SIM iaAns outrageous nots;aad
orders beoanes es nhoessisy. f!Rhis ID the
sort Of paseigsnssS that the President
has sho91.bad ,3o!sthe limited extent
OF its being a,cloak for the active Law
lessne1e of his chosen associates and
instfomepts. and . ooveripg for his
unscsupuleas reaching after despotic
poweF,,ve may agree. with MI. Ste
pheps THAT he is passive. So is storm
in the,tropics. till it burats overhead,
and cbfnes down with desolatinR force.
The .0ipan m ko nooo uoInr xpl,;oL A.