Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-12-01

ougb reformation of many abuses
which have almost unavoidably crept
into the public service, for the ferret
ing out of corruption in all its secre,
hiding places, and for the exemplary
punishment Of banded hievcry wher.
soever IL may be found to exist, is al
ready working the most salutary
, effects, and might well challenge the
commendation of honest men of ali
parties, in every nook and corner oi
the Republic. l have reason to fee
J the most perfect assurance that our
. foreign affairs are i'm most safe and
? gratifying condition; that President
Grant yet sympathizes most deeply
with the strugglers for freedom in Cuba
} and that every Effort has been made
which the principles of international
law would justify to bring those scenes
of cruel butchery which have been 80
long In progress In this unhappy Is
land to an early termination.
This is not likely to be ut all an
overdrawn picture, since II is supplied
by one who, as no one knows better
than yourself, has for some years past,
sought no very close af1iliation with
any party or faction whatsoever.
And now hope to be allowed TO
ask, why is 1t that General
Grants Observation-Disclosures passed
with more serious and perplexing diff
ficulties of almost every possible kind
than any which has preceded it-why
is II, ask, that this administration has
been more fierceIy opposed aud more
mercilessly denounced than any that
can be mentioned, save perhaps that
of 1.-THE great and good Washington
himself? | ask further. how is the
| country at large to be benefited by
such course of undeserved reproba-
tion and fault-finding? How is our
own much suffering section to derive
any solid advantage from following so
unseemly an example? Can any de-
crial of those In power be justified, save
such as is clearly founded on principle /?
| Can any policy be so well
calculated to enhance the prosperl>
ty of Tennessee, as well as that Of her
sister States of the South, as that
which is marked with moderation,
with kindly liberality, with a man
1y and generous forbearance, and a
broad and gentlemanly Cancellation?
II no specific charge of gross official
delinquency can be brought forward
capable of establishment by adequate
proof, how can it avail us for any
really desirable purpose to indulge in
all sorts OF vague and viruient invec-
tive-either originating in a morbid
suspiciousness OF temper, or instigated
by low aud unscrupulous malevo-
| lencep such invective, as all ought
| to know, in nine cases out of ten, will
be sure ultimately to reeoil upon those
by whom 1t may have been put in use.
Why should higb-minde ded and patri-
otto men, anywhere, listen with cre-
dence to ribald allegations against men
whose chief fault 1t is-if fault 1t can
indeed be regarded - that the peo-
pie of this broad land have entrust-
ed to their charge the highest stations
OF civic trust-as q meet reward for
eminent public services, rendered in
days of fearful trial and danger-and
especially when these same ediscrediting
allegations have no vouchers whatever,
save those whose trade Is slander, and
whose unenviable notoriety has been
earned by arts which no pure-minded
man can even think of without blush
ing for the dishonor of his kind.
am afraid you will hardly agree
with me altogether in all that am
about to say in addition, but I have
indeed been long of opinion that there
is nothing intrinsically good or
useful in what they call
party. am sure that the
world would be far happier if among
mankind all opinions upon questions
of practical value were homogeneous
and that the nearest approach which
any community can make to absolute
harmony and concord, the more Ger.
tainly will its prosperity and happi-
ness be secured. Ifmen are so consti-
tuted that contrariety of sentiment,
and the clashing of opposing interests
must be expected to he always more or
less realized. surely all the good and
wise among us will acknowledge that
all contention and strife, which may
not be attributed to genuine desire
to promote the public welfare, are to
be most deeply deprecated. The hap
piest period in our own national an
mails, was unquestionably the memor.
ministratiou, 80 we'll known as the
"era of good feeling" All the ques-
tions which had separated the Repub-
lican and Federal parties of that period,
had been in one way or other satisfae-
torily settled, and the American peo-
pie were indeed-to use phrase of Mr..
Jefferson's, in 1901" all Republicans
and all Feheralists." / do most ear
nestly desire that "a recurrence of this
enviable condition of affairs should
now be brought about and for this,
in an humble way, 1 have long, ar.
duously striven. The present state OF
parties seems to me to favor such
blessed contamination. / know of no
question of any very serious impor-
tance which really now divides Repub-
licans and Democrats. All at this Time
apparently acquiesce in the amend
ments of the Federal Constitution, and
in the Congressional enactments
adopted for their enforcement. No
one anywhere now expresses wish
for the destruction OF our National
Union. Upon the tariff question, and
the questions connected with our
present financial system, both of the
parties now antagonizlng for ascen-
dency, differ little less from each
other than certain members of each of
them do from one another. Upon the
questions connected with what Is
called Internal Improvement, party
lines have long since ceased TO be
drawn. The whole American people,
-.