The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-02-16

love the liberties and defend the laws of
American freeman against their first for
midable assailant when nothing tempts
them to concur in the Presidents treason
except their vain expectation of q share
in the power which they consent to his
usurping. That consent will mark with
the brand of incapacity for self-govern-
ment the white Republicans Of the North,
as our Southern fellow citizens, the
blacks, are marked. Their refusal of con-
sent to the Presidents ongoing usurpa-
tons, their indignant reputation of him
and his acts, their rejection OF him as q
political outcast, will vindicate themselves
and their party and secure future to the
great experiment" which for one short
century has given to SO many millions of
men a large measure of prosperity and
peace. But free institutions can hardly
survive the incapacity both of Southern
negroes and of Northern Republicans,
for self government-Ne,o York World.
His Excellency Ulysses has never been
a member of the Republican party, only its
s.ally but whether a faithful ally" in
any other than that scornful, ironical sense
| in which the poet laureate employed this
phrase, is a question on which Republican
opinions may perhaps differ. A nation
goes abroad and seeks an Tally" only
when conscious that its separate strength
is not equal to some emergency, and po-
litical party goes outside of its own ranks
to pick up a candidate only from similar
motives of self-distrust. An ally consults
only his own interest, as the Republican
party has found to its cost His Excel
iency is pursuing his ambitious views by
methods which astound the other party to
j the alliance and cause true and tried Re-
publicans like Vice President Wilson to
wiring their hands in torturing amazement.
His Excellency is not only Sphinx. but q
stupendous political puzzle. and ''only the
devil knows what he means.
| His Excellency has cut loose, not only
from consultations with the recognized and
accredited Republican leaders, but from
the advice Of his own Cabinet When his
creature, Belknap, telegraphed to New
tOrleans that ''tbe President and all OF US
warmly Endorsed the wild utterances OF
General Sheridan, it afterward came to
light that His Excellency alone had direct
1 ed the approval, and that ''all of us" were
not consulted. And it now appears that
the astounding Arkansas message, which
caused thoughtful Republicans to stare
and gasp" was prepared and sent to the
; senate without even consulting so abject
and complying secretary as Belknap
His Excelleucy deigning to seek no other
adviser than that paragon of probity anG
pink of statesman, Boss" Sheppard. i
is no uncommon thing for people to ash
advice when they only desire appreciation
and as His Excellency knew precisely
what he wanted he fifty took counsel of |
, man about whose eomplaisance there
could be no doubt. Had he consulted sec
rotary Fish His Excellency would havs
encountered a strong remonstrance, fol
Mr.. Fish has some OF the attributes of ;
statesman. Had he consulted even AT
torney General Williams he would hav,
oeen bothered with pertlnacious objec
tons, for although Mr.. Williams is ordi
narily subservient enough he never coult
have consented to message which pub
i. licly repudiated the legal advice he CAV
last May, which the President made tn
basis of his Arkansas proclamation reject
ing the claims of Brooks and declaring
that Baxter was the lawful Governor 0
the state. Knowing the kind Of advice b
: wanted His Excellency took nobody bu
r Boss" Sheppard into his confidence, and
: supported by so remarkable statesman
. he yentured on the most egregiously self
y stultifying act ever perpetrated by ma
0 in so exalted station, -Neu York He,
J. aid.