Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1875-12-15

his Santo Domingo project when
he found it to be unpopular be-
yond redemption. Yet he had
nothing to say about his connec-
ton with it, although his official
household was invaded, and his
private secretary, the same who
is again under cloud of suspicion
was arranged by the public for the
share he-was permitted to take in
its most Objectionable features. He
changed his course towards Ar
kansas when he found Congress
against him and the whole country
Disappearing his conduct, but he
has never to this day set himself
right on the record in that matter.
Again, he acquiesced in the opinion
of the Attorney General in the last
Mississippi trouble, and modified
his whole Southern policy; but he
made no effort to show, even n re-
mote harmony, between his pre-
sent and his past action. He has
nothing to say now as to his con-
nection with the men who have, by
confession or by conviction, been
shown to be engaged in the whisky
ring conspiracy; yet the very fact
that he is in a position where he is
powerless to prevent a full expo
sure of their delinquences, is one
of the best evidencies of his limo
cence.
Would the president have di-
rectcd his Secretary of the Treas
ury to let no guilty man escape
had he known who the guilty men
we're? In every other instance he
has stood by his personal friends to
the last. When his own party had
pronounced judgement on Boss
Shepherd, he sent bis name in to
the Senate; when Babcock's name
was sulliel by the Santo Domingo
job, the President stood 10y him,
and kept him in position where
he might again cmbarrass him, and
which, if appearances are to be re-
lied on, he has not occupied OK
clusively to the benefit of the pub
lie service. In this whisky ring
business General Grant was un-
faithful to his public trust, or,
he was deceived in some of the
men whom he admitted to his com
panionship and con- dence. The
proof points to the latter explana-
ton, but it is curious anomaly
that the best evidence Of this is, as
we have said, in the fact that be
placed himself in a position where
be could not shield those who were
nearest TO him. He probably had
little idea where or who he was
striking. But he publicly said,
Let no guilty man escape" and
his secretary took MN 1T his woru,
and the President knows now tina.
he is at that limit of independence
that places him in the unaccusom-
ed position of having it entirely
out of his power to help any one.
This desire to save delinquent
friends, or at worst to let them
down easy, would be considered an
amiable weakness in a man in pii-
vate station. But in an executive
is to set down as highly culpable.
Of station does make q
Of ofrense, but when it
is said that the chief executives in
dulges in all the amiable weak
ness of private individual, while
the charge made carries with it
the imputations of a want of those
exalted public virtues which often
make men heroes, there is little
disparagement of the man judged
by the common standards Of hu-
mapity. If the President had
known who he was about to strike
he would not have rccted the
blow That he would now like to
save some of his friends is proba-
bly, beyond any doubt. But the
President can not now go back.
He forged the fetters, and bound
himself, and to SO back now would
be to go back on fiiinself-a thing
that is even more rare in the ca
reer ofIGen. Grant than his going